Example of essay on basic training lesson 5

1. Gender Identity
As far as one remembers, one got to learn about gender identity from parents and grandparents, specifically through distinguishing toys and clothes between siblings. For instance, one was made aware that girls are provided with toys that focus on aesthetic value through playing with dolls, miniature houses with different parts and accessories of the living room, kitchen, and bedroom. From this alone, it could be understood that girls are expected to conform to activities in the house and also to focus on oneself through emulating the physical traits and characteristics embodied in dolls and how they dress or how they are made up. Thus, girls were expected to wear dainty clothes in shades of pink, yellow, red, or other colorful and vivid hues.
On the other hand, boys were recognized to assume a more macho image by playing with toys such as cars, guns, robots, or other toy weapons (spears, spades, or even bow and arrow). As explained, boys should be naturally courageous and exemplify strength through showing interests and competencies in handling weapons of warfare. Likewise, they are also expected to show interests in activities that exhibit speed (car racing, kite flying) or skills in some form of engineering and designs (playing with Gundam and toys that need to be formed from parts).
These stereotyped beliefs persisted until adolescent and adulthood. Society has somehow defined prescribed behavior patterns through activities that must be indulged by males and females, dress codes, and even interests in specified endeavors. From what has initially been learned during childhood, similar beliefs regarding gender identity have been inculcated and continues to exist until contemporary times. Thus, actions and behavior of males and females apparently abide by these stereotyped beliefs and people who have had traditional views find it hard to deviate from these line of thinking.
2. Personal Experience of Educational System
One’s personal experience of past and current educational system actually intensified the stereotyped standards regarding gender identity. There have been some schools or educational institutions that actually emphasized separation and segregation of providing academic instructions according to gender. There had been some private schools exclusively for boys or for girls where parents preferred to send their children to. However, in public schools where both male and female are accepted to be part of a regular educational system, the experienced widened one’s gender horizons in terms of realizing that there are in fact other gender orientations and preferences which have been exhibited and accepted in contemporary society. For instance, one got to recognize other gender orientations, such as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender which were manifested and exhibited by students in the educational system. Therefore, the strict stereotyped norm of believing that gender classification is just between male and female, the presence of homosexuals initially seemed to complicate gender identity.
Thus, one’s understanding of gender identity, orientations, and preferences were widened through immersion into the past and current educational system. Through discussions in course modules that include sociology, psychology, human behavior, and philosophy, among others, increased one’s understanding on the various issues surrounding gender identity, gender biases or prejudices, and evolving gender roles and responsibilities within family, academic, and societal settings. For instance, although some males have openly asserted their being gay in orientation, it is still accepted that their dress codes and behavior remain the same (that of males). However, there currently exists practices such as cross-dressing, or for transvestites whose appearance and personality have already completely assumed that of the female counterpart, which are now commonly accepted as part of contemporary society. With deeper understanding of these various types of gender roles and orientations through the educational system, one’s understanding of gender identity was immensely enhanced.