Write and Reflect
Make a list of the careers or occupations that you are considering. Would anyone try to tell you that one or more of them are “inappropriate” because you are male or female? Write a persuasive statement that you could use to argue that gender should not narrow life choices or options.
The words gender and sex are often used interchangeably, but as you become part of an academic community, you will start to think differently about terms and ideas you’ve always known. Generally speaking, sex is used when discussing someone’s biological makeup, whereas gender refers to the things a person says, does, or wears that help display to the world what the person’s gender is. While sex is often thought of as either male or female, gender is generally understood as a continuum consisting of many different ways of identifying oneself.
While in college, make friends with all kinds of people, avoid stereotyping what is “appropriate” for one group or another, and don’t limit your own interests. Although sexism is still present in today’s world, there is almost no activity or profession that isn’t legally open to everyone, regardless of gender. If your school has a gender studies department, consider taking a course. Gender studies courses are generally interdisciplinary and look at subject matter from the perspective of gender. These classes aren’t necessarily about women or men; rather, they consider how the concept of gender influences the way we see and shape the world around us. Such a course could open up new ways of thinking about many aspects of your world.