Entry 12: Gender- "Doing Gender as Resistance"

I'd consider myself to more of a tomboy than girly-girl

any day, but in my work experience, I completely contradict myself.

While employed at the great Abercrombie franchise, I found 

myself trying to ensure confidence in shoppers by convincing

them a particular style was very in, or, my personal favorite I caught myself

saying, "very fall." What does that even mean? Anyway, I would

not be caught saying anything like that around my friends.

I think in the environment  and the provisions of the job influenced my 

gender roles. As a female employee (or model, as they call you), you are

required to wear natural make up, natural hairstyles (meaning down or in

a pony tail), no nail polish, pink or red toe polish, flip flops or gray converse,

Abercrombie jeans, and a gray, blue, or white shirt. Aside from fitting the company's

look, the requirements enforced a definite gender type. My own behavior altered

while working there for sure.

.....yep

The reading by Tibbals sort of resinated with my Abercrombie

experience as well as my experience as a swim instructor. All the 

female instructors took on roles of flirty teachers or nurturing teachers.

I chose the nurturing role, but a lot of my friends got in trouble

for using lessons as a "social" time. I feel like we've all had an experience

that supported Tibbals claims. At family restaurants, particularly this one

trucker restaurant near my house, there are a few waitresses who not only

act maternal toward me, but my whole family as well. On waitress

asked my dad if my grandparents, whom go there

every weekend, were doing ok. That amount of care displays just what

Tibbals was referring to. Likewise, I've been to McDonald's or other

similar restaurants and have noticed the androgynous personas

the servers take on. One thing I think the reading did not really address

is the treatment of customers in family-style restaurants when the

server and the customer are the same age. I don't really know 

how I act with people working my own age. I feel like I'd be

just as respectful by bonds of age and mutual understanding of work,

but I don't know if everyone feels that way. Most adults 

I witness are respectful to servers around their age, but

it would be interesting to see if there is a different pattern of interaction.