Research Investigation
When I wanted to do a research investigation of “Sex, Gender, & Sexuality” and how the subject applies to the social sciences, I found that the issue is seen in every aspect of our world today in many significant ways. At this present moment in history, the issue has taken on different definitions and ways that have yet to be seen and are currently at play every day among our neighbors, our courts, and now our classrooms and schools.
The long-debated topic has changed our society and culture in ways never thought of. In many aspects of our lives, we have grown and moved forward, and in some ways, our society and country have become demoralized and values diminished. Specifically, this subject’s main concentration pertains to gender identity, social norms, and gender norms among our young children. This is of the utmost importance among our youth because crucial decisions are being fought in our courts every day by introducing this subject into schools. The opinions make these rulings of some lawmakers and advocates of the LGBTQ community that gender identity and the expanding gender norms should become part of teachers’ lesson plans for young children in PreK and K schools.
These rulings that hope to accept the non-conforming genders among the public may have lasting adverse effects on generations to come, proving detrimental to our society. However, as our country has experienced, when beliefs and opinions are forcedly laid upon a people, it usually lends itself to disastrous outcomes. There is growing concern that gender roles, when taught to children at too young an age, are complex and confusing to understand. This issue, along with the societal changes in domestic, social laws or norms and the acceptance of other gender norms, brings into question what outcomes this may have for society in the future and those children who may learn about such issues early age.
Three Resources and their Findings
- The 1st resource was research done by The University of Washington in Seattle for the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, and the Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services et al., 2020).
- The 2nd resource is an article by The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and their contributing doctors and sponsors (The Hospital for Sick Children, 2019).
- The 3rd resource comes from Alberta Health Services in educational articles based on ongoing research and studies about teaching sexual health. Note that the teachers’ portal did not have lesson plans until Grade Four (Alberta Health Services, 2019).
The similarities among these resources are that they all agree that children in the ages of daycare, PreK, and K are not developmentally mature enough to discuss gender outside of the traditional gender roles, male and female, as they are still getting used to their bodies and the functions of them. They are curious but have no understanding of sexuality.
In two of the three sources, they break down by age, starting with 0-2 years of age, 3-4, leading up until age 18. Consequently, all the three listed resources have to do with young children. These, and several other sources considered, were the most relevant and had research findings that coincided with this research investigation and held usable data.
It was imperative to look for sources that would give information regarding children’s developmental stages of physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and most importantly, sexual development. All the sources mentioned do include. It was then necessary to investigate what experts say of how and when young children should know issues surrounding sex, gender, and sexuality. According to the timeline and guidance of the studies performed by the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services and Alberta Health and Human Service and participating organizations, all three sources state that these topics are best understood by children when discussed by their parents.
The choices, among other sources, support the common knowledge that children are not developmentally mature enough to understand gender norms, gender roles, non-conforming genders, and sexual orientation when they are still unaware of the differences between genitalia and their full functions.
The long-documented global history of sex, gender, and sexuality has found its way into society’s consciousness throughout ages. With the magnanimous scope of the entire topic and attempting to grasp a complete understanding through the social sciences, all principles need to be applied: social roles, social norms, social institutions, and beliefs and values.
Social Science Principles
The principle of social roles as applied to sex, gender, and sexuality defines a gender or sex as a “role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on that person’s biological or perceived sex” (Levesque, 2011, p. 32) This is in direct support that the social constructionism “theory of knowledge that holds that characteristics typically thought to be immutable and solely biological—such as gender, race, class, ability, and sexuality—are products of human definition and interpretation shaped by cultural and historical contexts” (Kang et al., 2017).
The research investigation regarding this issue on social norms determined that gender norms are a subset of social norms. These are the behavioral expectations around a person’s sex. Historically, social gender roles have mainly been binary—masculine and feminine. There are many well-documented gender stereotypes associated with masculinity and femininity (Heddleston, 2015). Differences that stray from these norms can raise many questions among those looking to uphold social order, especially when it pertains to the innocence of a young child’s youthful understanding of the issue until presented to them. Social science then begs the question: why is it necessary to explain it to them? Perhaps to make them aware, thereby more accepting and less prejudiced in later stages of life? This research investigation will try to understand the thinking behind this choice.
When it comes to social institutions, the choice falls to that of religion because, as a social institution, faith helps society meet its basic needs. It holds many sacred beliefs that this country and nearly all the world rely upon for its moral code. Although, as a country, we have fallen very far from our beginnings of a ‘Nation Under God,’ this ideology that our forefathers and countrymen died to grant us must be upheld. The disintegration of religion within a society has most often made way for debased minds and immoral thinking to flourish, thereby eroding moral values. If one does the research, this is evident throughout the world’s history, not only those of polytheism but also monotheistic societies.
Different people and groups uphold different beliefs and values; thus, social science must ask whose beliefs and values? The answer would differ depending on what an individual or group holds to be the truth. A personal opinion on this subject aside, and as an example, I am a devout Christian. I pray and read the Bible every single day. I hold sex to be a sacred institution and a blessing from God to be shared between a married man & woman.
Conversely, in my youth, I was a completely different person, and if you asked what my beliefs were on this issue at this time in life, I would have an entirely different response than the one given today. This is why I do not believe this issue will resolve to a point where all parties involved in this discussion will feel satisfied with the outcome. In the end, opinions, beliefs, and lifestyle choices should not be forcible upon one another. When people are given the freedom to demand changes and those changes are granted to them, other people will begin to look and request for their beliefs to be upheld by everyone.
For example, religions and morning prayer have been forced out of the classroom for some time now. Although the bill passed through New Jersey legislation, young children have become forced to learn things concerning gender identities, gender roles, sexuality, and sexual orientation long before it is necessary. Why then is religion and prayer not upheld in the classroom? Prayer is asked to be kept within one’s household and outside school, so should gender choice and all such issues. Not all things are necessary for one’s freedom, but all things should be respected.
Audience
It is crucial that lawmakers, and those in power, who are making decisions on behalf of the country, and best equipped to help address the issue, are informed of those researchers’ findings in all social science communities who have contributed to studying this issue. Inviting the higher authorities of the religious orders, bishops, priests of all religious denominations would be beneficial. Also, it is necessary to inform & educate the parents, families, caretakers, and teachers of children of these findings.
The highly debated topic among those involved, either for or against the issue, has little understanding of the subject matter’s depth. Although deep research of psychological and sociological findings would not be common knowledge, further explanation will have to be explained in layman’s terminology to clarify the information introduced. Likewise, terminologies and language will have to be presented in laymen’s terms. This will be the case due to the sophisticated understanding of this issue’s mental, behavioral, and sociological aspects.
Because this is a hotly debated topic, it is an emotional debate; it is not simply a scientific debate regarding humanities. As such, the anthropological viewpoints surrounding this topic will be presented. The difficulty will be remaining unbiased and delivering the research without personally hoping to have one side with personal beliefs. However, emotional attachment to this issue allows me to relate the information to my audience effectively.
Significance in Anthropology: Research Questions and Social Science View Points
- What will the lasting effects be on young children being taught about gender identities outside those of the social norm and gender norm?
- Will it influence their undeveloped mind to choose a gender identity different person than their biological sex?
- What is the specific reasoning for young children to understand such an issue at such an age?
- What long-term societal consequences would this have on our country and globally, and what might those consequences look like for future cultures?
- Psychological Viewpoint- Determine what factors have influenced a young child’s mind that has already considered themselves transgender.
- Sociological Viewpoint- Determine the effects, if any, that having a transgender child in a PreK and K environment would have on those children who do not exhibit childhood gender variance.
- Anthropological Viewpoint– Identify ways in which culture shapes sex/gender and sexuality.
References
Alberta Health Services. (2019, December 5). Information by age. Teaching sexual health. https://teachingsexualhealth.ca/parents/information-by-age/
Antrosio, J. (2020, June 27). Sex, gender, sexuality. Living anthropologically. https://www.livinganthropologically.com/anthropology-sex-gender-sexuality-social-constructions/
Berkowitz, D. (2019). How do I see myself? How do others see me?: Exploring identity in kindergarten. YC Young Children, 74(5), 22-27. doi:10.2307/26842302
Brown, N. (2020, January 1). Gender and sexuality – Perspectives: An open introduction to cultural anthropology, Pressbooks. (2nd. Edition) https://perspectives.pressbooks.com/chapter/gender-and-sexuality/
The Hospital for Sick Children. (2019, June 6). About kids health. About kids health. https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/article?contentid=716&language=english
Heddleston, K. (2015, March 26). Social norms and gendered expectations. Kate Heddleston. https://www.kateheddleston.com/blog/social-norms-and-gendered-expectations
Kang, M., Lessard, D., Heston, L., & Nordmarken, S. (2017, June 30). Social constructionism – Introduction to women, gender, sexuality studies. Open Books – Open Access Books published by UMass Amherst Libraries. https://openbooks.library.umass.edu/introwgss/chapter/social-constructionism/
Levesque R.J.R. (2011) Sex Roles and Gender Roles. In: Levesque R.J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Adolescence (pg. 32). Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1695-2_602
Little, W. (2014, November 6). Chapter 12: Gender, sex, and sexuality – In Introduction to Sociology – Pressbooks. (1st Canadian Edition) https://opentextbc.ca/introductiontosociology/chapter/chapter12-gender-sex-and-sexuality/
Sadjadi, S. S., Amherst College, & Paris Institute of Advanced Study. (2020, February 27). View of deep in the brain: Identity and authenticity in pediatric gender transition. Cultural Anthropology Journal. https://journal.culanth.org/index.php/ca/article/view/3728/430
Solomon, J. (2016). Gender identity and expression in the early childhood classroom: Influences on development within sociocultural contexts. YC Young Children, 71(3), 61-72. Retrieved March 9, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/ycyoungchildren.71.3.61
Upton, R. L. (2016). Gender. Anthropology, I–69.
https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780199766567-0009
U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center, & The University of Washington. (2020, May 6). Healthy gender development and young children. ECLKC. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/publication/healthy-gender-development-young-children
