Socialization into Gender Speech Communities

        Socialization into Gender Speech Communities which is found on page 110 of our textbook provides insightful information on how young children develop their communication communities through play. The author discusses how studies have shown play is sex segregated and this produces how children communicate not only within their own group but how they verbalize themselves to others.

I found this interesting because my sister and I were very different when we were growing up. She played with the boys and interacted with them in their games such as baseball and basketball while I interacted with the girls and played house, cleaned and pretended to bake. My sister was much more outgoing and stood up to people to voice her opinion. I was shy and intimidated by the rough housing boys in elementary school.

In middle school and high school things changed. My sister started playing sports on the girls’ team instead of the boys’ teams. She became more self-aware of her appearance and became much more girlish with using make-up and styling her hair. She also became more conforming to the ideas of the roles young women and young men are to play within our society. My sister definitely is more “expressive and focused on feeling and personal issues” as stated in our textbook on page 110. I became the opposite.  I communicate more “instrumentally and competitively” in person. I am very outgoing, opinionated and enjoy watching college football and professional football. I hang out with the boys and don’t beat around the bush when expressing my views even if I know the other person will not agree. I do have a few close girlfriends but my closest friends are guys. 

-Katrina