Category: Boy

Beyoncé Knowles started her music career at a very young age with a group compiled of her childhood friends. Her father quit his job in the cooperate world to help manage the group. After reaching some success; Beyoncé later broke off from the group and started the path for her own solo career. Her platform increased, and her fame exploded. The singer, dancer, entrepreneur, and actress never looked back and throughout her success she instilled in her fans from the beginning the importance of feminism and the importance of race. Many of her songs dictate just that, Beyoncé’s song “If I were a boy” is the most significant of her songs because it reiterates to the gender binary, gendered bodies, gender performance, intersectionality and gender inequality.

The song “If I were a boy” is an incredible example of gender roles and how they are presented. In the beginning of the music video, the couple express key components to their ideal relationships. Beyoncé answers with the masculine stereotype, her first phrase being “intimacy”. Her partner, who expresses the feminine stereotype answers with “honesty”. In this video, the typical gender stereotypes are reversed. Beyoncé’s husband cooks her a homey breakfast, she takes a bite and proceeds to leave, showing no degree of gratefulness. She goes to work and flirts with her partner throughout the day, while her husband goes to work, and proceeds to search for gifts for her.

Attractive women invite him out and he declines and ignores the obvious attention. She goes out with her friends, does not tell him and ignores all of his calls as he stays at work late. Days later, the couple goes to a party and she is dancing with an intense degree of sexual tension with her partner. Her husband gets upset and upon returning home they have a blow out and she responds “why are you so jealous, it ain’t like I am sleeping with the guy. He responds “what?” silence is met and the roles are reversed.

The husband answers “I said it ain’t like I am sleeping with the girl”. The next morning, we as an audience see the roles revered. She makes him a lavish meal, he takes one bite and leaves for work, and flirts with his partner. The song then ends with the powerful lyrics “but you’re just a boy”. Upon describing the video, Beyoncé (2008) states, “It’s kind of like Freaky Friday. In the beginning of the video, my husband makes me breakfast and he’s excited about it, and I kind of don’t have time to eat. As a police officer, I have a male partner and the video goes through our days. My husband’s at work and has attractive girls flirting with him but he declines their advances. I have a guy flirting with me, and I flirt back.

“Beyoncé added that the video depicts common things that men do to hurt their significant others, such as not answering their phone. She explained: “It’s about all of the little things that mean so much in a relationship. At the end of the clip, you realize that I was acting out his life, and it all starts over again. He was a cop and everything that happened was really him doing the same thing to me.”

Gender binary, is the concept that there are only two types of people. Male-bodied individuals that protrude masculinity and female-bodied individuals who embody femininity. The gender binary separates both genders and puts them into two very opposite sections of a plane (Wade and Ferree, 2015). Beyoncé enforced the gender binary in her song, and her music video in a multitude of ways. The beginning of the song states “If I were a boy, even just for a day. I’d roll outta bed in the morning, and throw on what I wanted and go.” This statement shadows the idea that women must take longer to get ready and look more put together and groomed than men do to fully function in society. This ideal has been incorporated throughout society for a very long time, and makes women seem like their only purpose is to be presentable for the viewing purposes of those around them. She also states “(If I were a boy) I’d put myself first, and make the rules as I go. ‘Cause I know that she’d be faithful-Waitin’ for me to come home.” This statement enforces the male stereotype that men are unfaithful, careless and selfish.

Male and female bodies scientifically are similar but not totally alike. Janet Hyde a psychologist combined 7,084 studies done by various researchers who looked at 124 alternative aspects to fully map out the difference between men and women in thoughts, feelings, behavior, intellectual abilities, communication styles and skills. “Hyde found no differences between men and woman for 30 percent of the traits examined. On an additional 48 percent, there was evidence for a small gender differences” (Wade and Ferree, 2015, pg. 37). Wade and Ferree mention these differences throughout their book, there is a statistic found that men are more likely to engage in heroic helping behavior than woman. Beyoncé portrayed this well, when portraying masculine stereotypes, she single handedly wrangles a criminal from a convince store, and aggressively slams him into the cop car, showing bravery and heroism.

Gender performance can be seen as anything that has to do with sexual identity. This can mean, the type of clothes males and females watch, type of body language, the prefix before your name (Mrs. Mr. Miss, etc.). This does not have to correlate with the biological aspect of gender. Gender performance is mental and willingly. Beyoncé expressed this throughout the video. The husband worked in a cooperate setting, and seemed fairly clean cut and groomed. Beyoncé worked for the police department and wore a little less clothing, and embodied her physique. When the roles were switched and Beyoncé was more feminine she remained timid, and wore a significant amount of clothing compared to her husband.

She wore pants, a blazer and a blouse that was buttoned to the top. The interpreter; wither it was the husband or Beyoncé, of femininity seemed much more passive, the body language was gentle and soft, and their clothing was very modest. When the interpretation of masculinity came to par, the body language was very aggressive and confident. As Nandini Seshadri (2013) stated; “Almost all gender expression is performed. That is to say, almost every way in which you communicate your gender to others around you is a culturally determined performance of gender rather than an innate biological expression.”

Intersectionality is the indifferent levels of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. Black women are often seen as less feminine, and more on the masculine side of the plane then feminine because during the time of slavery they would do equally hard of labor as the men. Black women are often discriminated for wearing their hair natural, and having darker skin because white women have invaded beauty standards (Wade and Ferree, 2015). Beyoncé fights this discriminatory outlook that women have color have pervaded through. She is known for loving her skin color and her heritage. In If I were a boy, Beyoncé made sure to have a variety of different races in the story plot. She wore minimal makeup in the beginning of the video, and wore her hair natural, which was relaxed and slicked back. As if to say “I am proud of my features”.

Gender inequality is prevailed heavily throughout this song. Beyoncé plays onto many of the different stereotypes for the different genders. When she protrudes a masculine outlook, she is very aggressive, and unfaithful, and ungrateful. She seems more concerned with herself, and too self-consumed to genuinely care for her spouse. The feminine presence stays with the masculine regardless of the terrible ways he treats her.

He ignores her, and leaves her unappreciated and out right allows the sexual tension between his partner to get so monstrous that he dances sexily with his partner at a party in front of her friends and acquaintances and in front of her. Throughout this all, she continues to remain silent and stays with him. Both genders are viewed in a negative light. The male perspective is unfair; Beyoncé uses “boy” in a loose sense making it sound that every man acts this way. And yet, the male presence is still superior to the female. He treats her horribly and knows she will stay and remain faithful.

In conclusion, If I were a boy by Beyoncé enforces at least one aspect in each category of: the gender binary, gendered bodies, gender performance, intersectionality and gender inequality through subtle hints, tasteful lyrics, and well executed music videos.

A universal theme represents a central idea about the human condition , that applies in both the boy in the striped pyjamas and the book thief in both a positive and negative aspects . These aspects give people something they can relate to and giving them a larger understanding of the context . ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Written by John Boyne and “the Book Thief ”directed by Brian Percival ( 2006 ) both explore the universal theme childhood innocence . While there context are different , john boyne and brian percival shows clear understanding of the idea of childhood innocence , the boy in the striped pyjamas where bruno is unaware of the duties that his father is doing and the book thief when rudy decides to paint himself black for the fastest runner .

Throughout the book the boy in the striped pyjamas characters shmuel and bruno both show childhood innocence , with their unbreakable bond and a great deal of things in common . Bruno doesn’t understand all the people on the other side of the fence and ends up having frequent walks to the fence where shmuel is set ( concentration camp ) and sees many things he did not understand , “Others were on crutches and many had bandages around their heads. Some carried spades and were being led by groups of soldiers to a place where they could no longer be seen” , this shows the childhood innocence on the lack of knowledge he knows about what he is witnessing . the repetition throughout the novel when father is telling him not to go into his office is very showing that he is hiding something but bruno doesn’t acknowledge it , where as bruno’s older sister has a slight knowledge on whats going on , she doesn’t tell anyone.

In the movie the book thief childhood innocence is shown through the first half of the movie when liesel shares her journey with her new family to when she grabs the book that is jewish from the fire to when she becomes friends with max who is jewish , which is also shown throughout the boy in the striped pyjamas with the friendship with shmuel . The camera shots in the book thief show the different feelings throughout the movie for example when the brother dies , the fear and sadness on his face as he had died . the universal theme childhood innocence is also shown in the long / mid shot of liesel when she is at school singing a hatred song about the jews , where a lot of the kids do not know what they are singing about , this scene shows the innocence as well as liesel almost hating towards max as he is also a jew without even noticing , some words stated in the song are raise the red flag for the german effort or we do not create a brother pact with jews or non – germanics which shows the hatred of all the non believers of hitler as they also say throughout the movie Hail hitler , as they didnt know the true meaning behind the song or of what hitler was doing . liesel was starting to acknowledge what happened around after max came in all sick and once she found out that he was jewish and that she couldn’t tell a soul

Overall ‘the boy in the striped pyjamas’ and ‘the book thief’ explore the same universal theme childhood innocence, that remain relevant regardless of contextual differences . both liesel and bruno show innocence and the beginning not knowing what is going on around them as to the end liesel loses her innocence and bruno sadly dies and never realised what was going on.

Being able to imagine allows us to escape reality and find relief and freedom in different situations. We search for new ideas and thoughts that can influence reality. Through different concepts of imagine, Fletcher Kinnear with his artwork, Albert Herzing through “A Small Boy, Dreaming” and Andy Weir in “The Egg”, we are able to get different representations of many aspects of life. Though we have multiple obstacles in life, we can find ways to overcome them in our imagination. Escaping reality and creating your own, gives you access to many things. Through our imagination we are able to confront moral and social issues.

The artist portrays his ideas of wanting to conquer the obstacles of life and to penetrate the darkness that surrounds his understanding of the world. His imagination brings about an expansion beyond reality, allowing a chance to discover the depth of the world. He draws a landscape and character where he is in control of the situation. Kinnear’s use of the protagonist’s body language displays its dominating and strong character. It suggests his desire to conquer the mountain, a symbol of the obstacles in Kinnear’s own life. Overcoming the obstacles will allow him to be in control of his life. The persona represents Kinnear’s desire for power and overcoming obstacles. The symbol of the torch displays the artist’s willingness to understand. He attempts to “shine a light on the things he doesn’t understand so that he can conquer it.

The protagonist escapes the reality of society’s dull methods of education and explores the world through his own imagination. Through his own mind and imagination, he finds a way to enjoy the beauty of the world. He is immersed in his own imagination, seeking ways to entertain himself. Herzing’s use of visual imagery in “There where the darkness and the undertow of Africa and the cliffs of Tenerife reel with the stars, where tart alluvial spray” emphasises the student’s engrossment into his own adventure. His willingness to imagine a landscape of great detail displays his enthusiasm to escape the lifeless classroom. Again, his escape into his own dream to further entertain himself and find joy is seen with the repetition of the negatives, which he lists, in “Neither the sea bird nor the bird-ringed liner nor Crusoe’s raft nor any imploring gesture of thoughtful love shall find him here.”. It shows that nothing will stop his strong desire to continue his dream. Due to him having this immense power in his own dream, returning back to the classroom would deprive him of it and so he remains absorbed in his imagination.

Weir makes a point that every man is responsible for not only himself but everyone else. Through his text of the imagined afterlife, he is able to show that each person represents the good and the evil of the world. The metaphor in “‘and I’m Hitler?’ you said, appalled? ‘And the millions he killed’” exaggerates man’s responsibility to be the good and evil. Hitler’s malevolent treatment to the Jewish, homosexuals and disabled compared to the innocence of the millions he killed portrays Weir’s message of man’s responsibility.

Richard Wright’s autobiographical novel, Black Boy, describes his life during the 1900’s, especially of the segregation and discrimination the Negroes had to go through. As Richard grows up, he notices bits and pieces of the unjust treatment blacks are given, eventually having to conform to this culture. Richard never really understands how and why his character is unacceptable, but unwillingly forces himself to change his identity to someone whites expect him to be for the sake of surviving.

Even though Richard vaguely knew of the racial tension going on in the world, he never actually processed what that meant for him and how it will affect his life and future. For instance, when discussing job opportunities with his old classmate, Griggs advised, “When you’re in front of white people, think before you speak. Your way of doing things is all right among our people, but not for white people. They won’t stand for it.” (Wright, 184) Being hit with reality gave Richard insight on why it was so difficult for him to get a job, forcing him to reassess his position in life. He realized that there existed an invisible line between the whites and blacks that was very dangerous to cross. Furthermore, after taking Gregg’s advice, Richard admitted, “I would remember to dissemble for short periods, then I would forget and act straight and human again, not with the desire to harm anybody, but merely forgetting the artificial status of race and class.” (Wright, 185) Richard puts in the effort to try to change but his opinions and mindset often distracts him from his intentions. His character does not allow him to conform to these regulations as easily, getting him into more trouble than he would’ve. Possessing the knowledge of the world’s customs made Richard more successful in the business world but less successful in being human.

Being aware of how Negroes should act around whites allowed Richard to open up more opportunities for himself since it pleased the whites, easily changing his old habits over time. Moreover, after getting multiple jobs with white bosses, Richard claimed, “I was now rapidly learning to contain the tension I felt in my relations with whites… Either I could stand more mental strain than formerly or I had discovered deep within me ways of handling it.” (Wright, 224) Over time, Richard had successfully planted the notion of being black in his head, allowing him to be more consistent in his work place. He learned to get used to the segregation going around in his daily life, marking himself off the list of unwanted workers. In addition, when a white man who Richard worked under asked how he was doing, he answered, “‘Oh, fine, sir!’… with false heartiness, falling quickly into that nigger-being-a-good-natured-boy-inthe-presence-of-a-white-man pattern into which I could now slide easily.” (Wright, 234) His instincts came into action when formerly greeting a white man so that he would make a good impression for himself. Without a good impression, Richard could lose his job leading to a lack of food, and ultimately, death, so it was important that he made sure to act as they pleased. Furthermore, after being inspired by the books he read, he claimed, “I now knew what being a Negro meant. I could endure the hunger. I had learned to live with the hate.” (Wright, 250) Richard fully acknowledged what being a Negro meant at the time, but he never accepted it as right; he could not understand why they were not considered human. However, he still understood the necessity of acting as a stereotypical black because he needed to feed himself. Although Richard had a difficult time changing his actions, he eventually learned to comply to the whites’ expectations easily even if he didn’t admire them.

Although Richard despised the whites deep down for the unfair treatment they gave, he had no choice but to surrender to their expectations since they provided him his income. For example, when discussing with his co-workers about the cruelty of the whites, he addresses, “But under all our talk floated a latent sense of violence; the whites had drawn a line over which we dared not to step and we accepted that line because our bread was at stake.” (Wright, 229) Richard knew he was not able to defend his values, no matter how strong they were, because he would be putting his life on the line. The principles of surviving was earning money and Richard would die if he were to stand up for himself and express his hatred towards the whites. Moreover, when explaining why he could not tell his boss the truth about how he really felt, he declared, “Because my life was completely conditioned by what they said or did, it would have been a tantamount to challenging them.” (Wright, 252) The white people in the South did not prefer blacks to move to different racial environment from the South, for they would change into someone almost human. How Richard lived depended on how the whites felt towards them, and since Richard knew not to tell them the truth, he was able to lie his way out of the South. Additionally, when expressing their emotions and thoughts on society’s norms, he insisted, “Each of us hated and feared the whites, yet had a white man put in a sudden appearance we would have assumed silent, obedient smiles.” (Wright, 229) This kind of behavior was a given to all the Negroes; no one acted otherwise or else they would have no job or money to support themselves. The whites who were always in a higher position than blacks were very prejudiced towards Negroes, firing them according to their preferences. The blacks had no choice but to deal with this kind of discrimination to be able to live a life that is not even fair.

Richard Wright ultimately gives in to the unexplainable guidelines the whites have set up for the Negroes in order to live. Even though Richard had a hard time accustoming to the norms in society at first, he eventually built it into his daily routines. No matter how much Richard thought things were wrong, he knew he had no choice but to follow them anyway. The way whites had taken over his life was unbearingly difficult, but he undoubtedly followed through with the right mindset, just wrong actions.

Research Task

This essay will be addressing Gender and Identity in children’s literature. These books are children’s first glimpse into education and it is partially what helps to shape their minds and opinions of the world around them, this includes how they view their own identity and how they view each gender. When referring to “Gender Identity” I will be addressing how people view what they should act like, what they should like, and what interests them based off their gender, and when referring to “Gender Equality” I will be talking about how gender isn’t depicted in certain stereotypes like “Boys play with trucks” and “Girls play with dolls.’ This essay will be arguing that books targeted for the ages of three to ten affect children’s view of their identity and that because of these books have become more conscious and aware of gender stereotypes recently compared to previous decades. The essay will examine and show how children’s books do affect and shape children’s opinions and beliefs early on, and discuss how books published in the 1900s to early 2000s depict a stereotypical gender identity while analyzing “I’m Glad I’m a Boy, I’m Glad I’m a Girl” by Whitney Darrow, Jr., discusses how books published in the late 2000s to now have become more progressive in their depiction of gender identity while analyzing “No Difference Between Us” by Jayneen Sanders and Illustrated by Amanda Guliver, and will also directly compare the effects that books from the 1900s to early 2000s have on children in comparison to books from the late 2000s to now have on children.

Children’s books are one of the primary sources for children’s development of their gender identity and their beliefs and opinions about society. Every child reads and gets read picture books as they develop and often if not always, this is their first glimpse into education and exploring different stories and worlds. Due to this whatever children get read or read has a significant impact on the way they view the world around them. In a peer-reviewed journal by Angela and Mark Gooden, they state that although children’s books can provide many hours of entertainment they are also a powerful vehicle for the socialization of gender roles (Gooden & Gooden, 2001). They also state that the development of pre-schoolers gender identity often coincides with their need to continuously read their favorite picture book, with this in mind if those same picture books they are repetitively reading are encouraging or displaying gender stereotypes during their gender identity development than those will be the thoughts and beliefs they hold true for the duration of their life, the same holds true if those books were to promote gender equality and negate gender stereotypes that books from the 1900s to early 2000s definitely do not do.

It is clear that books published around the 1900s to early 2000s weren’t as progressive as current-day books and still depicted quite a large amount of gender roles and stereotypes. Even in books like Dr. Seuss’s “Horton Hears a Who” (Published in 1954) and “The Berenstain Bears” by Stan and Jan Berenstain (Published in 1978) stereotypes can be seen in the illustrations and in books like “I’m Glad I’m a Boy, I’m Glad I’m a Girl” by Whitney Darrow, Jr (Published in 1970) it is quite literally the purpose of the book to reinforce gender stereotypes and roles. In this book boys are illustrated and narrated stereotypically with “Boys have trucks”, “Boys are strong” and “Boys are doctors” whereas females are illustrated and narrated as “Girls have dolls”, “Girls are graceful” and “Girls are nurses” quite literally engraining into the children that these are normal and acceptable stereotypes that should be upheld. Within the book, the children are even depicted as being overly happy about the situations in which they are being placed in. If what was stated previously that children’s gender identity development often coincides with their love for repetitious reading then a book like this or other more subtle ones as mentioned previously would be detrimental in today’s society, especially considering the following quote “Gender stereotypes and sexism act as limits to children’s potential growth and development (Creany, 1995)” (Narahara, 1998) quoted from a report by May Narahara done on “Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Picture Books”. However, in the late 2000s children’s literature has started changing course to make more equal and understanding books for children to try to negate the gender roles and stereotypes that were presented and endorsed prior.

Unlike the books spoken about previously and those that were published around the 1900s to early 2000s the books released in the last decade or so have truly begun the world of children’s literature on the way to eradicating gender stereotypes and gender roles. With books like “10,000 Dresses” by Marcus Ewert (Published in 2008) and “No Difference Between Us” by Jayneen Sanders although being quite straightforward are helping children understand that it is okay to be whoever you want to be and not to listen to gender-specific stereotypes. In the book “No difference Between Us” by Jayneen Sanders it depicts a pair of fraternal twins (Ben and Jess) doing activities that they enjoy, regardless of whether it is stereotypical or not, and does blatantly list the differences between them like she likes to play guitar and he likes to sing or she likes to play soccer and he doesn’t, however it goes through things they enjoy doing together like they enjoy playing with dolls together and going to the beach. Jayneen Sanders has also added onto the bottom of each page and an entire section at the back of the book questions that you can ask your child whilst reading the book to them to provoke their thoughts on what they enjoy, mostly it doesn’t feel too forced in terms of combating stereotypes it feels more natural because they ae illustrated as enjoying the things that they are doing and neither one of them is overly masculine or feminine they are just themselves. This is a really good thing for children of that younger age bracket to be reading and influenced by as it promotes a sense of enjoying your own personal identity and doesn’t force stereotypes but it doesn’t directly attack them either. A study was done that found when children aged from 4 to 5 were read egalitarian books for 30 minutes every day for 5 days it reduced stereotypical thinking as shown in a post-test measure where they were to make decisions on what play, work, and recreational activities each gender should do (Trepanier-Street & Romatowski, 1999). Considering the age where repetitious reading and gender identity development take place if children’s literature were to continue on this course gender roles and stereotypes would be significantly reduced.

“I’m Glad I’m a Boy, I’m Glad I’m a Girl” by Whitney Darrow Jr. and “No Difference Between Us” by Jayneen Sanders are drastically different books although they both have a significant impact on the young readers that indulge in them. ”Koeller (1988) suggested that young children are aided in practicing rational thinking as they mobilize, formulate, test, revise, and expand their view of the world through listening and discussing stories in books.” (Kortenhaus & Demarest, 1993) this quote reiterates what every other source in this essay is saying, children are very impressionable and they create their opinions and beliefs around what they are told, read and see all around them. So if a book like “I’m Glad I’m a Boy, I’m Glad I’m a Girl” was to be popular children would shape their beliefs and world views around these stereotypes and traditional gender roles that are not progressive and quite demeaning however if children were to read more books like “No Difference Between Us” they would shape their worldview and beliefs around a healthy development of their own identity and the things that legitimately make them happy and with the way more books are being written in this fashion we are already starting to see some positive change in children as seen in the article by Trepanier-Street and Romanowski.

As seen in this essay and that has been reiterated by “Gooden & Gooden”, “Kortenhaus & Demarest”, “Narahara” and “Trepanier-Street & Romanowski” children are heavily impacted and influenced by the books that they read especially around the age of kindergarten. Books from the 1900s to early 2000s although they get more equitable the closer you get to the 2000’s still display and promote these gender roles and stereotypes especially in “I’m Glad I’m a Boy, I’m Glad I’m a Girl”. There has been quite the progression from these books to ones like “10,000 Dresses” and “No Difference Between Us” that directly promote gender equality and negate these stereotypes “10,000 Dresses” was published in 2008 and “No Difference Between Us” was published in 2016 showing that this has been a progression slowly taking place over more than a decade. As this essay displays children’s gender identity is affected by the literature they read and this has directly resulted in authors becoming more conscious to eliminate stereotypes and gender roles in their books in recent years.

Reference List:

1. Gooden, A., & Gooden, M. (2001). Gender Representation in Notable Children’s Picture Books: 1995-1999 [Ebook] (p. 91). New York. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/docview/225378512/fulltextPDF/F1976C9DBD9A465EPQ/1?accountid=8194
2. Kortenhaus, C., & Demarest, J. (1993). Gender role stereotyping in children’s literature: An update. Sex Roles, 28(3-4), 219-232. doi: 10.1007/bf00299282
3. Narahara, M. (1998). Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Picture Books. Gender Stereotypes In Children’s Picture Books, 4.
4. Trepanier-Street, M., & Romatowski, J. (1999). The Influence of Children’s Literature on Gender Role Perceptions: A Reexamination. Early Childhood Education Journal, 26(3), 155-159. doi: 10.1023/a:1022977317864

Introduction

Every year, award shows and other musical events are being held in the music industry in order to honor and praise what was popular that year, what made a cultural impact or changed the musical boundaries for the future of the music industry. In South Korea, at the end of every year, the same thing is done but on a bigger scale than in most countries. The South Korean popular music festivals (SBS’ Gayo Daejeon, KBS’ Gayo DaeChukje) and awards show (Melon Music Awards, Mnet Asian Music Awards) give South Korean artists and K-pop Idol Groups a platform to perform their own hit songs of that year as well as re-interpret their covers of other songs. Boy groups mimic girls and girl groups also perform the songs of boy groups. This transgender role-playing became a trend, especially after 2009, the year in which the K-pop scene started gaining more success in South Korea (Jung, 2011).

Hallyu or the Korean wave, meaning the globalization of South Korean pop culture, has grown immensely in the past couple of years. From cosmetics to fashion and Korean dramas, out of all those industries, the K-pop industry has been referred to as “the heart of Hallyu” (Romano, 2018). Many articles have been written about K-pop’s global popularity gain, and a lot of those articles mention the “addictive melodies, slick choreography, and production values” as a reason for this rise of popularity (Romano, 2018). Another reason would be because these K-pop idols are not afraid to try out new concepts both visually and sonically. These concepts often go hand in hand with the idea of breaking typical gender stereotypes. It is relevant to research the way these gender roles are represented, as this music is reaching a bigger audience day by day and thus influences a great number of people. In this paper, an analysis of the most popular music video by the biggest Korean pop band will be done and so the research question is as follows: “How are gender roles represented in the music video “Boy With Luv (feat. Halsey)” by BTS?” The theoretical framework in the next section will include a discussion of the theories that need to be explained in order to understand the general context of this research question.

Theoretical framework

Theorist Stuart Hall has discussed his theory of representation in his book “Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices” (1997). He explains the role of representation in media of all texts and the cultural role that this concept entails. He considers representation in the most commonly used definition of the word, meaning to re-present the thing that already holds meaning. Language is the last thing that is needed to complete the map of representation according to him. Language in the widest sense, means; verbal communication, online communication, behaviors, facial expressions, audiovisual images, and anything that can signal something. He further argues that there really is no fixed meaning to any text. The interpretation of meaning is subjective and dependent on the person who consumes it. Despite the fact that meaning can’t be completely fixed, the idea of creating meaning relies on a temporary sort of fixing where meaning is then shaped into new forms and creates new indications of the meaning. Hall describes the importance of the flexibility of meaning since fixed meaning indicates an assigned meaning to a certain text and therefore closes the process of “meaning-giving.”

Continuing in this line of thought, stereotyping fixes the indicated meanings of particular groups in society and limits the range of impressions and ideas that people have about that group. Hall states that in order to keep representation open to new subjectivities it is essential to dive into that particular stereotype to change the part that is responsible for creating that perception. Ideas about gender are being developed when individuals are in their young childhood (Yee & Brown, 1994). Fiske and Taylor (1991) explain the theory of gender schema which suggests that people develop certain ideas about gender and its characteristics, which further guides the process of converting information that’s related to gender by observing models. Those models include the representations of gender. “Content analyses of popular media, including music, have found that rigid gender roles are often portrayed, leading to a host of attitudes and behaviors consistent with rigid gender role perceptions” (Rasmussen & Densley, 2017, p. 189). So how have these gender roles been characterized in western media?

According to Rasmussen and Densley (2017), the portrayal of women has been poor, a relatively negative term. They argue that the media has given women the submissive stereotype and that the media does not portray women in non-traditional roles very often. They then state that in television shows, traditional female occupations include the housewife or homemaker. The ones that are considered non-traditional are more “masculine” occupations such as doctors, lawyers, and construction workers. The portrayal of women in popular music videos is quite rigid too. In rock music, women tend to be portrayed as unintelligent individuals and in traditional gender roles as well (Vincent et al., 1987). Hobbs and Gallup (2011) have conducted content analyses on country music, and specifically on the portrayal of female gender roles and they found that in the lyrics of songs in this genre there are many references to fidelity and the sense of security and assurance. Terms such as fidelity and security can be considered more feminine than masculine too, as it is a term that entails a certain emotional attachment to another person. However, these thoughts are socially constructed just like the idea that a certain occupation “belongs” to a certain gender. These socially constructed ideas go much further than just occupations, of course. Colors, fashion, and mannerisms, all seem to be categorized into two genders and that’s all socially constructed, too.

Additionally, Rasmussen and Densley (2017) add (sexual) objectification of women to the list of stereotypical female gender roles. Sexual objectification “occurs whenever a person’s body, body parts, or sexual functions are separated out from his or her person, reduced to the status of mere instruments, or regarded as if they were capable of representing him or her” (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997, p. 175). Media often portrays women in this way, Rasmussen and Densley (2017) argue that this leads to women and girls to view themselves as objects that can be judged by others too. The focus is too much on the women’s appearance and external factors (such as their hair color, skin color, and body shape) instead of their capabilities. In music videos, especially in the hip-hop/rap genre, women are portrayed as submissive sex objects to men as well (Sommers-Flanagan et al., 1993). They are objectified by wearing very little clothing, while the men are staring at them. Wallis’ (2011) content analysis on MTV music videos revealed that men were most likely to behave aggressively in music videos while women were more likely to act out non-verbal behaviors that are subordinate. To show another example, in country music videos female country artists generally tend to portray women as equal to men but this was not the case for male country artists. They painted women in the same condescending and traditional roles (Andsager & Roe, 1999). There may be various reasons for why women are portrayed this way. In country music, it would be because the genre is primarily male-dominated, even though women listen to this genre as well. Country music is believed to be the representative of white, male, heterosexist culture and because it is believed that the objectification of women is the result of male-dominant ideals, therefore the genre of country music is likely to include sexually objectifying content (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997).

Moving on, the topic of stereotypical portrayals of men in media has been explored by Wood in the piece “Gendered media: the influence of media on views of gender” (1994). The author approaches gender roles in media from different perspectives, and one line that stood out the most about the portrayal of men and simultaneously summarizes the perception that is given by the media was: “Men are presented as hard, tough, independent, sexually aggressive, unafraid, violent, totally in control of all emotions, and-above all-in no way feminine” (p. 32). It seems to be the total opposite of everything that was described about the portrayal of women in media, not to mention the passive-aggressive tone from the author. In addition to this discussion, the way in which men are not presented is just as interesting. The author reports how men are rarely presented as caring for others and rarely shown doing housework for example. It’s usually the opposite, men are represented as uninterested people and unskilled enough to take care of children or to cook. This stereotype leaves a negative impression since it is about how men are non-empathetic and insensitive.

The K-pop industry is known for taking part in presenting these above-mentioned stereotypes. Female K-pop idols are expected to be polite, elegant, innocent but sexy women (even when they’re underage). They wear revealing clothes while dancing in provocative choreography and sing sensual lyrics, a famous example of this would be “Touch my body” by SISTAR (starshipTV, 2014). Male idols are often shown doing choreographies that require more strength than those of girl groups, and boy groups tend to present visually and sonically darker concepts too, whereas those of girl groups often sound more bubbly. However, in the case of male idols, there seems to be a development in breaking those feminine and masculine stereotypes. Male idols are presented wearing makeup, they have dyed hair, are covering girl group dances, and these males are encouraged to be more sensitive and empathetic not only in their lyrics but as public figures (Jang, Park, Lee & Hong, 2019). This small but significant contrast between the gender roles in the Western music industry and the K-pop industry could slowly change the way in which gender roles are represented in the Western music industry, which is one of the reasons for the topic choice of this paper.

Methodology

The chosen case study is the music video “Boy With Luv” by the South Korean boy group BTS featuring the American singer Halsey. As of now, BTS is the biggest global boy group, they’ve reached a level of “big” that boy groups like them were never imagined to reach. They account for almost 5 billion dollars of the South Korean economy, rivaling the value of Samsung and Hyundai, which are multi-national and multi-billion dollar corporations. These corporations are rivaling against a boy group that debuted barely 7 years ago, from an indie entertainment company (Pandey, 2019). A lot of people who are interested in the music industry are left confused with questions such as “How can a boy group who primarily sings in Korean dominate international markets to the point of having a best-selling record in 2019 with an EP that only had one single?” According to the writers of a Vulture article (Park & Kim, 2018), the difference between BTS and other (Korean) boy groups lies in BTS’ authenticity, their discography’s mix of genres, and blend of Western and East-Asian standards. The founder of Big Hit Entertainment Bang Si Hyuk, BTS’ entertainment label, emphasized the importance of artistic freedom and made his company’s mission to make “music and artist for healing,” and encourages the artists to create their own art, which is something that is not very common in the K-pop industry.

“BTS’s music comes across as organic because it is a natural output of the members’ own minds. It is not a coincidence that BTS began their musical journey with hip-hop, the genre that perhaps has the highest bar for authenticity. In the beginning, BTS was closer to being a hip-hop group in a boy band format, rather than a boy band trying out a hip-hop” (Park & Kim, 2018).

Spreading the message of self-love, incorporating Jungian psychology, and referencing Greek philosophy and mythology to show how they are dealing with their own struggles and sharing their own process of self-discovery in their discography is something that appeals not only to young audiences as the media illustrates. It speaks to people in many parts of the world of all ages, genders, and interest groups, while even transcending language barriers. This is why it is relevant to study and analyze their content because it tells us what these audiences are watching and being influenced by in this age.

The relevance of choosing to analyze the music video “Boy With Luv” (Big Hit Labels, 2019) in particular is not only because it holds the record for most watched video in 24 hours on YouTube (Spangler, 2019) but also because it is a perfect blend of Western bubblegum pop music and aesthetically pleasing K-pop visuals. The American singer Halsey features in this song, she is known to be an artist who tackles controversial topics that most artists would be too afraid to sing about. She fits BTS well, as she also uses the same storytelling methodology in her own albums and music videos. By analyzing the lyrics that were written by these men, their overall fashion, dance performances, and vocals, the next section of this paper will connect to the previously discussed representation of gender roles, with a focus on soft masculinity.

The aim of this thesis was to understand how gender identities and sexualities are constructed for South Korean boy bands and their fandoms. An attempt was made in tracing the development of boy bands over the years, their changing images, their popularity and the way their fandoms are perceived, and how gender and sexualities are constructed for their fans through empirical research using qualitative and quantitative data collection methods as well as articles and other such secondary sources.

The image of boy bands has changed over the years, from the Beatles to New Kids on the Block to Backstreet Boys to One Direction to BTS. The Beatles had a masculine image because of the rock music they produced which was considered to be masculine owing to its roots Black culture and slave narratives which spoke extensively and violently about the atrocities against the Blacks, New Kids on the Block had the image of being ‘a band of good looking boys crooning love songs to a crowd of teenage girls, an image which has continued to be a part of all boy bands till this day, Backstreet Boys had a gender-neutral image where they appealed to people of all genders by showing their fun side while still singing love songs, One Direction had a fashion heavy image which was supposed to appeal to all genders but maybe because of women occupying a large part of the fandom they stereotype of ‘good looking boys crooning love songs to teenage girls’ stuck with them, the present day boy band phenomenon BTS is also associated with this general stereotype but gender and identity constructs have also become a part of their public image and identity. We see that the image of boy bands have changed over the years but the image of boy band fans have more or less remained the same since the 70s as ‘teenage girls’ and with regard to the male fans of Korean boy bands, their gender and sexualities are also questioned along with the artists’.

The general stereotype of boy bands being ‘good-looking boys’, the appearance of Korean boy bands is evaluated before their music is. They are derogatorily called ‘feminine’, ‘girly’, ‘gay’ and are also racially degraded. They are criticized for their use of makeup and fashion accessories when ironically, all celebrities in the field of entertainment also use them but it is only boy bands and especially Korean boy bands along with their male fans, who are criticized for it. In one way or the other yellow-skin stigmatization exists till this day.

The use of makeup, elaborate costumes, fashion accessories or jewelry is a part and parcel of Korean boy band culture. Use of this is a performance but it is problematic when a performance is gendered. For example, the qualities of nurturing, the practice of cooking, and so on are typically attributed as qualities of a woman, making the aspects of nurturing and cooking gendered or a womanly quality. Similarly, the use of makeup is also gendered and when artists make use of makeup they are stepping into performing a gender. This is how the construct of the use of makeup works and Korean boy bands who do not shy away from talking about it fall victim to gender and sexuality constructs by the general public. The American music market and the Western society which has seen the rapid growth of Korean boy bands and its fandoms since 2016 shower praises on these bands but a lot of them criticize them with homophobic comments and on public platforms like national news and talk shows. This is a kind of attempt at marginalizing Korean boy bands from the mainstream English language music market which has its market share all over the world.

Both Black and White artists are received in the same way by the general society in today’s world with no racial discrimination made. Boy bands, be it American or European or South East Asian are received in the same way, that is, all boy bands are seen as a group of good-looking boys crooning love songs to a crowd of teenage girls but it is only the Korean boy bands and their fandoms, who are gaining more recognition around the world, whose gender and sexualities are questioned, constructed and mocked.

Limitation

The reason I chose this topic for my thesis is that I listen to Korean boy band music and am a part of a fandom and I have personally heard many of my peers and acquaintances tell me that I listen to ‘Chinese music’, they look feminine, they are gays/transgenders/girly, etc., Hence I wanted to understand why exactly these stereotypes surround Korean boy bands and why they are criticized as such. As the reason for choosing this topic for my research is personal, ‘researcher’s bias’ could be a limitation to my thesis. I have tried my best to not let my subjective opinions influence the data collection, analysis, and reading of texts, however, ‘researcher’s bias’ as a possibility cannot be completely ruled out.

The issue of talking about genders and sexualities is very sensitive and there is a need to be politically correct when making any kind of statement or declaration. When talking about genders and sexualities, the thesis primarily addresses genders of male and female and gay sexuality. This does not mean the thesis dismisses or disregards all other genders and sexualities or the preferences of people to not be associated with any gender and sexuality but is only looking at the stereotyped genders and sexualities in the case of South Korean boy bands while being sensitive to the usage of words.

The survey conducted on a random cross-section of people was not open-ended but had objective type answers for the respondents to choose from. There is a possibility that this could have directed the responses of the respondents in a certain direction but this was done with the conscious knowledge that people do not like to invest so much time in answering the survey questions of a stranger unless an interview is scheduled with them which is why the thesis also includes qualitative data along with quantitative data.

Scope for further study

Similar to South Korean boy bands, South Korean girl groups/ girl bands also are a huge part of the South Korean music industry. Korean girl groups like Wonder Girls and Girls’ Generation have crossed geographical boundaries and have captured audiences since the late 2000s. Though these girl groups were not able to make a significant and long-time mark in the Western music industry, which is the dominant music industry, their popularity, and their fandoms cannot be disregarded. Present-day girl groups like Twice and Blackpink have made bigger achievements when compared to their predecessors in the foreign markets of Japan and other Southeast Asian countries, and the latter band has also started making its way into the mainstream American music industry and its audience. These girl groups either have male-dominated fandoms or have more or less the same amount of male and female fans which is quite different from the case of Korean boy bands. Thus there is scope for further study on this subject.

Qualitative Research Methodology: Interviews

Interviews were conducted with three different people who subscribe to a Korean boy band fan culture to know their thoughts on the reception of boy band music, how gender and identity are constructed for the artists on the basis of their appearance, and how gender and sexualities are constructed for the fans of these artists. The first interviewee Ms. Angela (name changed) is a 23-year-old student pursuing a master’s degree in Industrial Psychology who has been listening to K-pop music for about 9 years and is a part of multiple Korean boy band fandoms. The interview conducted was a telephonic interview as a direct face-to-face interview was not possible because of her living in a different city. The second interviewee Ms. Diya (name changed) is a 22-year-old Psychology major who has been a part of a Korean boy band fandom for 3 years. A written interview was conducted with her owing to her tight schedule. Interview questions were mailed to her and the interviewee responded through emails. The third interviewee Mr. Faizan (name changed) is a 15-year-old school student who has been a part of a Korean boy band fandom for 4 years. A face-to-face interview was conducted with this interviewee.

When asked about the general stereotypes about Korean boy bands, Ms. Angela and Ms. Diya responded in a similar way. They said the most common stereotype was that they are ‘girly’ and ‘gay’. Ms. Angela also said that people mock Korean boy band music, which is also popularly known as K-pop, as ‘gay-pop’ because they use makeup and jewelry. She also said that people think that those who are fans of Korean boy bands are attracted by their good looks and not their music. This shows that the primary stereotype of a boy band is that of a group of ‘good-looking boys’. According to Ms. Angela, people lack exposure and openness and want to put everything they see and know under labels. What K-pop boy bands do is very different from American and European boy bands and they do not know which label to put them under so their narrow-mindedness makes them categorize K-pop boy bands as ‘gay’ and ‘girly’. Ms. Diya talked about how K-pop artists face racial stereotypes and are associated with words and phrases like ‘chinky’, and ‘ching chong music’ along with stereotypes of gender and sexuality. She also made a statement that different countries have different beauty standards and we have to respect such differences. It shows that she is unaware of the issues of beauty standards as she stated that each country has its own beauty standard which needs to be respected. However, it also shows that Western standards of appearance are appreciated and preferred on a large scale giving way to derogatory racial stereotypes, and gender and sexuality constructions.

Ms. Angela and Ms. Diya both believe that fandoms of K-pop boy bands are gendered. Ms. Diya talked about how people believe only women can be fans of boy bands and male fans are criticized for being a part of a Korean boy bands fandom and are also derogatorily called ‘girly’ or ‘gay’ (note: the use of the sentence ‘derogatorily called girly or gay’ is not intended to mean that these identities are derogatory but it is only reflective of the derogatory way in which these identities are talked about in the context of the construction of gender and sexual identities of Korean boy bands) and when male fans imitate the costumes, accessories, makeup and styling of these boy bands, they are given a constructed gender identity of being ‘feminine’ and sexuality of being ‘gay’. She also talked about how artists of Korean boy bands are often associated with the adjectives ‘pretty’ and ‘cute’ which are typically descriptive of women and their appearances. This shows that the fandoms of boy Korean boy bands are gendered. The general notion is that only women can be a part of a Korean boy band’s fan culture and if a male happens to be a part of it his sexual identity is questioned and if he happens to imitate the artists’ fashion statements and styles his gender identity is questioned.

Ms. Angela gave a visible account of the composition of men and women in a Korean boy band fandom. She spoke about the screening of a concert film of the Korean boy band, BTS, in India on the 2nd of February 2019. She said that the screen she watched the film in had just one male audience. She also said to have seen a few young boys, who were also fans, going to the screen nearby with merchandise headbands and posters. The fact that more young boys are openly being a part of the fandom could possibly be either because of their unawareness of societal constructs that are yet to influence them and their thought processes or it could be because of the changing perceptions of boy bands and K-pop music.

Mr. Faizan, on the other hand, believes that the fandoms of Korean boy bands are not gendered at all. He agrees with the fact that there are more female fans than male fans but states that there are also many male fans as the music of these artists are so good that it attracts everyone regardless of their gender. He also said that people often criticize male fans for reasons similar to what Ms. Angela and Ms. Diya have spoken about but the fandoms embrace all fans of all gender identities and sexual orientations. All three interviewees are of the opinion that K-pop boy band fandoms welcome male fans very warmly mainly because they are very rare and have gradually started breaking presumptions to join the fan cultures.

When asked about people judging them for being fans of Korean boy bands and how they deal with it, Ms. Angela talked about the practice of clubbing all South East Asians under one umbrella term ‘Chinese people. She said people do not bother learning or knowing about their different histories, countries, cultures, festivals, traditions, and practices and group all of them on the basis of their race and classify all South East Asian music as ‘Chinese music’ and derogatorily try to mimic the phonetics of the Chinese languages (Mandarin and Cantonese) in order to mock the fans of K-pop artists. She said that she has often heard people call her ‘childish’ and say that K-pop boy bands cannot be compared with American boy bands like One Direction and Maroon 5 but she is very vocal about what she likes and dislikes and does not pay attention to people’s judgments as she believes that nothing much can be done about it. Ms. Diya is said to try her best in changing people’s opinions about K-pop music and boy bands but if they fail to see her point she does not bother altering their judgments. Mr. Faizan said that some people feel weird about the whole concept of K-pop and its boy bands, some people are amazed and some people judge him for being a fan of this phenomenon. He said he actively promotes the bands among his friends but does not care about what others have to say about him and his music preferences as he believes that the support he gets from the K-pop boy band fandoms is more than enough.

The interviewees also shared that people’s perceptions of Korean boy bands are gradually changing. According to Ms. Angela, people are becoming more open-minded as years go by because of which the image construction of boy bands and of K-pop artists is becoming less rigid. Ms. Diya states globalization which facilitates sharing of cultures across geographical boundaries as the reason for which people’s perceptions are changing and to Mr. Faizan, it is the combination of good music and other talents of K-pop boy bands that has enabled the changing perceptions.

While talking about how Korean boy bands are different from American/European boy bands, Mr. Faizan spoke about the inclusion of more than just music in their performances. This aspect was also discussed in Chapter 2 of the thesis. He said that Korean boy bands give equal importance to vocals, rap, dance, and fashion at the same time in order to present a full-bodied stage performance that reflects what is shown in the music videos, unlike American/European boy bands who stick to singing with a little bit of dance moves here and there or have a guest artist to perform a rap sequence. Ms. Angela talked about how people think everything done by the Americans are cool and blindly try to mimic them and their constructs making K-pop boy bands be derogatorily called ‘girly’ and ‘gay’. Now that these boy bands are making their mark in the American music industry and there is a growing number in their fan bases, the West is slowly starting to be more open to the music of South Korea and China parallelly making the rest of the world be more open to them as well.

Conclusion

Summarising the data received from the surveys and the interviews from a bird’s eye view, we can clearly see how people construct gender identity of being ‘girly’ or ‘feminine’ and sexuality of being ‘gay’ for Korean boy’s bands and their male fans. Their female fans are mostly associated with adjectives like ‘crazy’, ‘childish’ etc., and are often criticized for it along with the criticism that they become fans of Korean boy bands because of their ‘good looks’ which is the general stereotype surrounding any boy band. It also shows how the fans of Korean boy bands form solidarity regardless of their gender identities and gain support from their social identities when it is threatened by the social identities that are constructed for them by those who criticize them. The research also has gathered that people are more open to K-pop music and boy bands and are more appreciative of fan cultures than they were in the past which shows a positive possibility of reception of South Korean boy bands in the music industry which is dominated by English language music.

The culture had created stereotypes that have clearly molded how both genders should behave and speak. In America, girls are taught to be weak and polite while boys are told to control their emotions because real boys don’t cry. Furthermore, these expectations have altered the way society defines men and women. Even in extreme cases, as some people will try to silence those who will test these gender roles. In this new millennium, nothing has changed by the ancient roles of gender norms which were demonstrated, when a boy in Maine was killed in 2007 because he was acting differently.

Gender norms by definition, are a social role that is considered acceptable and appropriate behavior in which one person is expected to conform to one group. Judith Butler is an author and activist in gender rights while also having a Ph.D. in Philosophy. She warns society in the article “Philosophe” which was published in 2007, of a boy who was murdered because of his walk. Her goal was to open up a discussion of how acting differently than a person’s gender role could magnify fear from others. Butler described, “. . . his hips move back and forth in a “feminine” way . . . And they ended up throwing him over a bridge and they killed him” (115). Our generation has been taught to isolate or in this case, erase the existence of that person as a whole because he followed his own path and not what society expects from his gender. The action is not the only way that culture has influenced what gender norms should be, but they have transformed language into how one sex will have more power even in the way they speak.

In our community, one way or another the power of language will influence the significance of a role in a group while the other would be considered less than. Deborah Tannen, who is a professor of linguistics and was on the New York Times bestseller list has brought awareness to how both genders communicate in different styles. She broke down any misinterpretation that people might have and makes aware of how society has judged women as powerless and men as powerful by the way they speak. It is through evidence that the author believes that culture has impacted how women are seen to have a lower status than men; therefore, the style in which they speak are evaluated as negative and powerless. Tannen reflects on an interview while “The journalist asked them what the meaning of “being very polite”. . . The man said, “Subservience.” The woman said, “Sensitivity” (120). She has expressed that culture has created a separation between both genders which have developed a power struggle for women. Even during the 21st Century, nothing had changed as one gender will be superior to the other through action and language. These are demonstrated throughout everyday life, even with sports teams.

When I was a part of King Cross Country, one of the coaches would select four boys to carry two large tents from the storage container to the bus before a meet. Then as soon as our team arrived at the competition, those same guys would move and set up the tents to the location that was given. I never considered how during those times, my coach would never ask girls to move the tents because the culture has influenced what characteristics each sex should do or in this case carry. In the manner that, culture had drilled into society, that girls’ muscles in their body are frail, therefore weak, and are told to let the boys carry heavy objects because they are stronger. Just like my coaches, society has further segregated boys and girls, especially in their activities.

Everyone is born with an open heart and the desire to be accepted by others. However, as they grow older and will be influenced by society, pop culture and family norms. They slowly adopt the gender roles that society sets before them. Gender roles and expectations will always be a part of our culture. It is stated best from a traditional nursery rhyme, “What are little boys made of? What are little boys made of? Snips and snails And puppy-dogs tails. That’s what little boys are made of? What are little girls made of? What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice And everything nice, That’s what little girls are made of”.

In this essay I will be discussing the different ways of how an understanding of gender as a binary, has an impact on the experiences of childhood and/or youth. I will be discussing several ideas/understandings of gender as a binary and review the influences on childhood and youth experiences. I will split this essay into three parts, starting with how binarism affects boys and young males, how binarism affects girls and young females, and the part will be how society, media and religion understand binarism and how this influences the experience of childhood and/or youth. Gender binary (also known as gender binarism, binarism, or genderism) is important because it focuses primarily on one’s innate identity irrespective of their anatomical features. The main point of this essay is to explain how the understandings of gender binary influence the experiences a child and/or a young person would go through growing up and the impact it would have on them.

The first understanding of gender as a binary is it is “a concept or belief that there are only two genders and that one’s sex or gender assigned at birth will align with traditional social constructs of masculine and feminine identity, expression, and sexuality”. For example, when a male is born, gender binarism may assume the male will be masculine in appearance, behavior, and character traits, for example, rough and tumble, naughty and more outdoors. The education system reinforces gender stereotypes throughout, from textbooks to boys/girls’ subjects to extracurricular activities. Connell (1989) discovered the term ‘hegemonic masculinities’, which refers to dominant, stereotyped and idealized ‘cool guys’, ‘swots’, and ‘wimps’ as dominant forms. Different forms of masculinity emerged as highly classed ‘cool guys’ getting into trouble as a response to exclusion from power. The gender gap is mainly the result of boys’ poorer literacy and language skills. In addition, boys’ leisure pursuits, such as football, do little to develop their language and communication skills, thus leaving an impact on boys’ childhood development and experiences. Tony Sewell reports that “schools do not nurture ‘masculine’ traits such as competitiveness and leadership”. Epstein et al (1998) identified three key discourses mobilized in the debates around the ‘gender gap’, ‘boys will be boys’, and ‘poor boys’. All these types of phrases are problematic, leaving a bad impact on a young males childhood experiences. However, some critiques may say what it means to be a man changes overtime, meaning not all males need to be ‘rational’ or ‘scientific’ to be classed as a man or a ‘real boy’ while growing up. Other critiques say, ‘there is no sex without gender’, (Judith Butler). Here we see how the education system and their understanding of gender as a binary and stereotypes influence the experience of childhood and the youth of boys.

Another understanding of gender as a binary is that “binary thinking about gender enforces a social system in which individuals with two X chromosomes are expected to develop female bodies, identify as women, and act in line with feminine stereotypes”, for example, emotional, well-behaved and caring – people focused. Growing up mothers do most of the reading to young children, in primary and secondary school the teachers are mainly females, why? Because as Tony Sewell reported, “education has become ‘feminised’”. In the education system females and males are expected to have different interests in the classroom, girls are groomed for caring roles. Ms.Nutt states that gendered practices in the classroom in the early years translate to women being more risk averse in later life and taking the route that feels comfortable. For girls the education system could be an advantage for young female’s child development, as educating girls saves lives and builds stronger families, communities and economies. “An educated female population increases a country’s productivity and fuels economic growth”. According to UNCICEF, “girls who receive an education are less likely to marry young and more likely to lead healthy, productive lives. They earn higher incomes, participate in the decisions that most affect them, and … education systems empower girls and boys and promote the development of life skills – like self-management, communication, negotiation and critical thinking – that young people need to succeed. They close skills gaps that perpetuate pay gaps and build prosperity for entire countries”. So, unlike a male’s experience in education, for females there a more pros than cons. For females binarism has its advantages, however it also has its disadvantages, for example, if a young female in school was to want to play football or choose a ‘boy subject’ she would be looked at and treated differently, also affecting her experiences growing up, because people are afraid of getting bullied for being unique or different children begin to start living two lives – one at home and one at school, and it all boils down to binarism, gender roles and stereotypes.

The final understanding of gender as a binary is heteronormativity. M.Barker (2014) states, “Heteronormativity is the idea that heterosexual attraction and relationships are the normal form of sexuality. It is rooted in a linked essential, dichotomous understanding of sexuality (a person is either heterosexual or homosexual) and gender (a person is either a man or a woman) and the perception that these things are fixed and unchanging”. The media, religion, and society carry this understanding still. Religion tends to be male ordered, and it reinforces secular traditions and gender roles across a range of cultures. Research tells me “Major religions such as Islam and Christianity act as authorities for gender roles. Islam, for example, teaches that mothers are the primary care givers to their children and the Catholic Church, the largest Christian denomination, only ordains cisgender men as priests. Christianity supports its adherence to a gender binary with the Book of Genesis in the Bible, where it is declared in verse 27 that ‘God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”. The media often portrays men and women in traditional roles stereotypical ideas about women are reinforced – beauty, ability, nature. Because of this, children believe ‘being good-looking’ is the standout characteristic. For girls, ‘being caring’ was second most important, whereas for boys, it was ‘being funny’. Butler (1990) also states “gender is inextricably constituted within and normalized through the process of ‘heterosexualization’ within children’s lives. Religion, the media, and society clearly have an impact on children and young people’s well-being. Research says, “Children learn by observing and imitating those around them. Their immediate family, relatives, friends, games, toys, and school influence their development, as do the media and society. The process by which children learn to assimilate values and norms, to live in society and to acquire knowledge is called socialization. This is decisive for them and their future since it is how they construct their identity”.

In conclusion, we see that the education system plays a significant role in children and young people’s experiences, we see that their expectations and attitudes are related to the gender of the child. For boys, it is ‘normal’ to be ‘troublesome’ and not really focused. People are surprised by well-behaved boys. And vice versa fir girls, in is not ‘normal’ for a girl to ‘give trouble’, this would come as a surprise to teachers. This attitude has an impact on childhood experiences, as these children grow up and become older they could find it ‘weird’ to hear about other genders which is not male or female, this could also cause children to have a closed mindset, so they are not open the new things, they have a very biased mindset. We also see that society and the media reinforce gender binary, with stereotypes, keeping women at a ‘glass ceiling’ (there is only so high a woman can go) and men on a ‘glass escalator’ (men are able to fly straight through). Throughout this essay we see that gender binary is very much linked to stereotyping. Stereotypes have unfavorable effects on children’s personality development and the types of activities parents allow them to do. Stereotyping also affects the careers young people choose (mainly due to ‘girl/boys subjects’).