Every culture has gender roles as well as expectations of the way women, men and children should dress, behave and look. Gender roles are predicated upon the way people act, speak and behave to express themselves as males or females. I interviewed my aunt, Pat Johnson - a seventy-one year old mother of three about her life experiences and how being a woman has impacted and shaped her life as a whole. I will be discussing some of her beliefs as a woman as they relate to her gender and identity.
When asked the question if Johnson considered herself as a feminist, her response was that a feminist is a person that thinks a woman should be independent, not needing a man, and could do all things. She considered herself not to be a feminist and was neutral on this belief.
Gender roles can be influenced by past generations within families and ideas of certain behaviors according to gender can differ among cultures, social factors and eras. Growing up in western Baltimore in the 1950's, Johnson was raised in a large family. The family was consisted of twelve members; eleven of which lived under one roof, at one time. Johnson was the middle child, fourth from the oldest out of all her brothers and sisters. She confesses that, "I did all the washing, cooking, cleaning and caring for my siblings. I couldn't do any after school activities like everyone else"." Johnson was eleven years old at this time. .
Families actively play a role in gender-role-socialization by the ways in which they organize the environment for the child. This is shown in all the responsibilities that were bestowed upon Johnson and what she was expected to do. At a young age she found herself internalizing the norms, values, and behaviors of what was expected of her, in regards to her gender. It is important and crucial for children to develop and learn socialization skills whether it is in the home or schools. They must learn to be able to positively interact with others.