e tests that there are no internal or external sex organs whatsoever. Is this possible? Surprisingly, it is possible. It is very possible, in fact, probably more so than one thinks. Though rarely publicized, there are people in this world that are physically indistinguishable as males or females. These people are constantly pressured to make a decision to either become a full fledged male or female. Simple everyday things may become a huge problem: what public restroom do you go in; what kind of clothes do you wear; what letter is after the word sex on your drivers license? These questions are only an issue because of what society has deemed to be socially correct. The labeling theory explains deviance as a societal reaction that brands or labels as deviant people who engage in certain behaviors (Kornblum, 196). Many times, people who stray from what is politically correct gender behavior are seen as deviant or abnormal. For example, gays and lesbians are, sadly, viewed by much of society as wrong, simply because they are straying from what society considers to be normal gender roles. The labeling theory explains this, but it does not necessarily mean that it is right. As illustrated in the not so fictional scenario above, gender socialization begins very early in life. Society has accepted such stereotypical things as baby boy blue and baby girl pink to help identify the sex of a child (Adler, 455). Heaven forbid that little Joey looks like a girl or baby Michelle is mistaken for a boy. Mothers and fathers make it easy for everyone to distinguish their bundles of joy by utilizing the socially established gender stereotypes. But where and how did these stereotypes come from? In terms of gender roles, a functionalist would argue that in preindustrial societies, such as those which depended on hinting and gathering, men and women fulfilled different roles and took on different tasks because it was most useful or functional for society to ...
