Purpose: This exercise is designed to encourage you to consider the messages about sex and gender you received during childhood and relate them to the theory and research in your text.

Instructions: Consider important events or influences during your childhood that you feel have influenced your gender identity development. Consider the messages you received about sex and gender from important people (for example, parents, teachers, peers, role models) or factors such as the media, the educational system, etc. Because there are considerable variations in gender-role socialization across social groups, consider as well the influence of any other salient factors (for example, your race or ethnicity, the historical-cultural period during which you grew up, your sexual orientation, etc.).

1. What were you told big boys should be like? What were you told big girls should be like?
2. What were tomboys like? What were sissies like?W
3. What types of games did you play with your friends?
4. Did you participate in physical education classes or organized sports (like Little League or AYSO)? If so, did you enjoy this experience? Why or why not?
5. What were your responsibilities in your family? What were your chores? Did you do yard work, housework, babysitting?
6. What did you want to be when you grew up? Why? What are your occupational goals today?
7. Do you think these experiences influenced the development of your gender identity? How? Integrate your experience with the material in your text. Which of your experiences are consistent with the theory and research reported in the text? How do they differ?