In today's society, everyone takes on gender roles that will determine the way they think, act and react with other people, but where do they come from? Many people, such as scientists, believe gender roles are a result of biology and our genetic makeup, however the authors of many psychology books and myself believe they are a result of social influence; " the process whereby our society conveys behavioral expectations to the individual"(Crooks, Baur 59). People learn their expected behavior and gender roles through observing the behavior of people such as parents, peers, teachers, and the media.
             As soon as we are born gender roles are placed on us and we begin to learn the way we are expected to act. For example, " children use gender as an organizing theme to classify and understand perceptions about the world"(Lefton 319). Children get many ideas about how they are supposed to behave, and that there are many differences between boys and girls simply by the way they are treated by their parents as a child. Boys are usually treated a little rougher than girls and get bounced around on their parent's knees more often, where girls on the other hand, are cuddled and treated delicately. The toys children are given are also different. For example, boys are often given guns and sports equipment such as, baseballs and footballs, where as girls are given dolls and tea sets to play with.
             As children grow older parents and other family members are no longer the only ones influencing their gender roles; peer groups and friends begin to play a major role in the way children develop mentally. "The influence of peer groups is formidable," which causes many teenagers and children to conform in various ways to avoid being disliked, ridiculed, or an outcast from society (Lefton 319). They conform by imitating an observed behavior and then developing their own personality to reflect that of their peers.
             Another way socialization...