Topic:

Family, school, peers and mass media: How socialization agents effect youth’s
gender identity
1. Provide a good description of student’s characteristics and quality tht reflect your
gender identity
2. Analyze how family affects the way your gender identity has been formed
3. Analyze how school( both formal and hidden curriculum) affects the way your gender
identity has been formed
4. Analyze how peer group affects the way your gender identity has been formed
5. Analyze how mass media, especially social media, affects the way your gender identity
has been formed

Name : Nguyễn Hồng Sơn

ID : 20070784

Class : SOC105002

Teacher : Nguyễn Thị Như Trang

Ha Noi, ngày 19 tháng 11 năm 2022

Gender refers to men's and women's characteristics, positions, and roles in all social
relationships. Men and women have irrevocable biological distinctions. The Gender aspect
includes the qualities that are transferable between men and women. Example: Women may be
powerful and forceful as well. Women may be leaders, pilots, mechanics/engineers, and so on.
On the other hand, man may be polite and patient, chefs, typists, secretaries... there are areas of
activity where men are more likely to be effective, and conversely, there are jobs that are more
suitable for women. Because gender differences are not mutually exclusive, but they are
complementary, human activities will be more favorable if they have a balanced. Traits can be
swapped out. That shift is in societal notions, beliefs, and norms. It's a gender difference that
shifts across time and space...
Gender expresses the societal distinction between men and women. These variations are the
result of a learning process that is established, diverse, and prone to change. They shift over time,
from nation to country, and from culture to culture within a given civilization, according to
social, historical, religious, and economic considerations. decision. (The social position of
Western women differs from that of Eastern women, the social status of Vietnamese women
differs from that of Muslim women, and the status of rural women differs from that of Muslim
women.)
The process of altering Gender traits sometimes takes time since it necessitates a shift in
attitudes, biases, perceptions, habits, and actions that are accepted as the standard in society as a
whole. This social development is frequently delayed and is dependent on people's willingness
and drive to change.
For me, when I was a kid, when someone gave me a gift, those gifts were toy cars, airplanes and
balls…different with girls. In terms of colors, I usually like black and red, these colors are
mostly liked by boys. When I was in 1st grade, my parents let me take a soccer course. As I got
older, it became clear to me that I would have to go to the men's restroom, not the women's
restroom.
I remind myself to always try to live life to the fullest, speaking loudly and clearly. Besides, I am
always aware that I need to help, love and take care of the women around me… I noticed that my
way of dressing is also very elegant, with a masculine style, or my accent is husky and
sometimes matter-of-fact. It is also one of the factors, actions, and personality. And then, the
male gender in me was formed.
Agencies of socialization are various groups or institution that play a significant role in the
socialization of an individual and in shaping that person’s personality. While people commute
through life, they come into touch with a variety of people, groups, and factors that influence
their development and view of the world. All of these elements are referred to as socialization
agents, and they change people as they grow through childhood and beyond. As a result, agents
of socialization are defined as the effect of essential elements on a person's growth and capacity
to participate in society.
So, what exactly are the agents of socialization?
Family, schools and daycares, classmates, and the media are the key agents. Religion and
ethnicity, political groupings, jobs, neighborhoods, social activities, and institutions are all
socialization agents. The principal socialization agents are the most visible and significant
socialization factors in a person's life. They are most influential throughout childhood, when
people are still learning how to interact with their surroundings. Family, schools, peers, and the
media are four key socialization forces.
Secondly, we are focuss on Family. Almost all children are raised by birth, adoptive, or foster
families who teach them self-care and how to interact with their surroundings. Family is often
the most influential of all instances of socialization agents. Many things are passed down via
families to their children.

Because the family is one of the most significant environments for gender socialization in
childhood, parents serve as the primary source of social learning. According to social learning
theory (Bandura, 1977), parents serve as models for gendered behavior and stereotypes through
their actions, vocations, and interests. In other words, while youngsters witness their parents'
behaviors, gender messages might be communicated indirectly. When parents convey gender
information to their children, whether directly or indirectly, they contribute to the creation of
their children's gender identity. Gender identity regulates children's behavior through social
cognitive processes once they are fully informed about their own gender or the gender of others:
self-efficacy refers to a person's belief in one's own ability to succeed in such situations,
personality standards, and expected outcomes associated to gender identity have been formed.

For instance, I remember, once my father asked me: "Do you know your gender? I laughed and
said:”I am a boy, a 4-year-old boy". Or, There's one thing I've always kept in mind. When I was
growing up, my parents often advised me: "When you get married, you will have to be the
breadwinner in the family, taking care of, loving, and protecting your wife". Or, I had attended a
family meeting about sharing a room with three brothers, when I spoke quietly and timidly, my
father said me: “Calm down, be yourself, speak more coherently, speak out loud. more and more
clearly.” That's what I learned from my father about what it means to be a man. I noticed that my
father cares and takes care of my mother a lot. Especially when she was sick. I have learned a lot
of good things from my family, which have shaped my masculine identity. That's what I learned
from my family about gender identity.
Thirdly, school is an important arena in which one can act out one’s gender identity and affirm
one’s masculinity or femininity and thus affirm one’s gender identity. Research shows that
teachers also play a part in reinforcing dominant definitions of gender identity. When the male
teachers told boys off for”behaving like girls” and and teased them when they gained lower
marks in tests that girls.
For me, when I went to school, I was taught a subject called: Introduction to sociology. My
teacher taught me how to form gender in society. Moreover, she also told us, gender is not
simply a distinction in body parts, but it is also formed by many factors such as personality,
moral qualities, lifestyle, etc.
On one occasion, I was praised by a teacher for being very honest and responsible as a team
leader. In addition, during outdoor activities at school, I am very active and enthusiastic even
though I sometimes appear to be an introvert. Those are the things that shaped my sexuality
when I was in school.

Continuous, Peers are another important socializing agent for both children and adults, although
their impact is most noticeable in youth. Peers teach children how to engage with others. In many
cases, peer groups influence children's interests, speaking patterns, worldviews, and responses to
a range of situations. Children who have pleasant interactions with their peers on a daily basis
likely to develop strong social skills and may have a better understanding of their position in
society.
Peers may sometimes be bad socialization agents. Children who are bullied, for example, may
suffer from poor mental health consequences and other issues as a result of their peer
socialization. Some parents oppose peer socialization because it exposes children to thoughts and
content that parents may consider unsuitable and detrimental to youngsters.
For me, I still remember vividly, about 3 months ago, my school organized for us to go to
military school in Holla, which is about 40km far from Hanoi. I was assigned to share a room
with 11 other friends, some of whom I knew before, and others that I did not know. Thing is, I've
noticed that my friends smoke and vape a lot, I've never used them before because I know they're
not good for my health. But whatever comes will come, my roommates told me to try smoking,
maybe I like it. I also dared to try smoking once, but then I did not use it again. As for myself, I
also know how to drink beer and wine, but I don't always drink. There were many things that I
did with my friends like going billiards shooting, and going racing at an arena. I'm happy to be
my gender identity.
Finally, Mass media includes TV, the Internet, radio, magazines, books, and more. It is an
increasingly important agent of socialization in the lives of many people, but it may be
particularly impactful in gender identity has been formed.
For example: The media's influence on gender formation is also one of the things that deserve
attention. Currently, the demand for beauty is very great, social networking sites spread a lot of
pictures and videos about beautiful boys - beautiful girls. This greatly affects life, beauty is not
only a normal need but has become a worldwide trend, everyone wants to become the most
perfect version in everyone's eyes. Myself, since going to university, my brother bought me an
iPhone 12 Pro max, I have researched and also learned about some tips to be able to take good
pictures. I am more and more concerned with my appearance. I bought myself a straightener, hair
glue, and many other beauty tools. Not only do these things define my gender identity, but they
also give me many opportunities to impress other girls. And in fact, I've recently been impressed
with a female friend I've made on TikTok. The above is enough to show that the media is also a
means to help us better identify a part of our true gender.
Conclusion, gender determination is not only a recognition of the appearance from the outside,
but we must also clearly define the inner capacity, morality, lifestyle, and specific actions of each
person in the family, school, and mass media. In society, it is necessary to clearly define the
qualities and characteristics that reflect gender identity in order to be worthy of being a man or a
woman in the culture. We cannot live superficially, but we must carefully observe how society
affects us.