From the very beginning of the child’s life, it is important for it be obvious what gender category they are in. The first steps of gendering a child is initiated by the parents. The names given to the children are assigned to them based on their sex. They get a girl name if they are a female and a boy name if they are male. Eckert and Ginet make the point that as soon as the very first linguistic act of naming the child happens, adults can start to perpetuate the initial gender role assigned to the child. Even though it has no effect on how a child is treated medically, when a child is born, a hospital gives them a “gender appropriate” colored cap or blanket so they can tell what sex the baby is. The idea of assigning colors seems to be very significant for people when it comes to …show more content…
As boys and girls get older, the actions and characteristics they possess are the direct response to how they were treated as babies. The characteristic assigned to each gender is not the product of their sex, but the stereotypes and societal norms adults push onto them. The societal constructs are no longer just enacted by adults when the child turns three. They begin to develop themselves into the gender they believe they are supposed to be