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Gender Blending; Confronting the Limits of Duality

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Holly Devor

Gender Blending:

Confronting the Limits of Duality

(Bloomington, IN: Indiana UP, 1989) 178 pages

This book explores childhood enculturation to have either

conventional 'masculine' traits (such as being active and assertive,

and being competent to cope with the world of work)

or conventional 'feminine' traits (such as being sensitive,

compassionate, and better prepared to deal with relationships).

Parents create these characteristics in their children

by subtle reinforcement and disapproval, even while they assume

they are just observing these personality attributes emerging.

And sometimes a large girl is reinforced to be a "tomboy".

Or a frail and delicate boy is raised as a "sissy".

Some girls are raised more like boys

to replace a missing or absent boy in the family.

And some boys are raised like girls

to replace a missing or absent girl in the family.

Parents reinforce the traits they want in their children

--even sometimes when these personality characteristics

are not the conventional traits expected for a boy or a girl.

If you would like to discover other books along this line,

search the Internet for:

"Best Books on Gender-Personality".

James Leonard Park, creator of the Gender-Pattern Chart.