Monday 13 March 2017

"Girls Can Drive Tractors"


Have you ever been judged by society for your actions or for how you choose to present yourself?  Are you a female who takes part in “boy” activities or a male who takes part in “girl” activities?  Why do I ask?  Well it’s because I have been judged and have not been taken seriously when I tell people what I do for a summer job. 

Gender socialization is everywhere.  Societal norms have been put in place in respects to gender and how male and females should walk, talk, look and act according to their genders.  Or how there are certain jobs or sports and that only males or only females should take part in them.  This is what is referred to as “doing boy” or “doing girl”. 

William Corsaro’s theory looks at how gender is learned through peer interactions and as well through the interactions we have with our parents.  Parents tend to talk differently to their sons than they do to their daughters as a way to help guide them in the right direction to fit into the norms that surround gender.

Is this right?  Should we be told how we should act, look, dress or what things we should do and what not to do?... Of course not, we all have the right to be who we are and do what we feel comfortable with.  I’m a farm girl and as most of you are probably thinking; farming is something males do.  Not often do you hear of a girl famer. 
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All my life I have grown up on a vineyard and have experienced the hard work that is put into keeping farms well groomed and maintaining great quality grapes.  Growing older and being busy with school I only work on my family farm during the four months that I am off in the summer where I usually drive tractor.  Not only am I a girl that farms, but also drive tractor?  Sure am going against those society norms aren’t I? 

Everyday or most days people drive by one of our farms and catch a glimpse that there is a girl, me driving that tractor that is working up the ground and they stop and stare or drive by very slow.  Is that what our world is, people being so surprised that a girl can drive a tractor that pulls some kind of equipment behind?  Apparently, because the responses don’t stop there.  You always run into people you haven’t seen in a while or your parents introduce you to an old friend who is always interested in what you are up to in your life.  Of course because I am proud of what I do I tell people that I drive tractor.  Don’t get me wrong there are some people who are shocked, but at the same time think that it is great and others who are just in disbelief and think that it is not a suitable job for me.  Who’s to say that I should not do this kind of work?  If I can succeed in this type of work than why not do it and prove that I am capable of a hard days work and that I don’t back down just because people do not believe that I do it.

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Judith Baker talks about the difference between gender performance and gender performativity.  I am not putting on a performance just to show people I can do a so called “man’s job”, it is not an act.  I do it because it is my families business, I grew up learning how to farm and have dealt with the stereotypes and I do it because a farm girl is WHO I AM!

 I am proud of who I am and I believe that being a girl farmer is brave, makes me strong and proves that gender roles do not need to exist and that it is okay to deviate from the norms that society has set out.

Don’t be afraid to be who you are or not do what you feel comfortable with.  People’s opinions don’t matter. At the end of the day you are probably the one who is free being yourself and are happy with what you do and they are probably the ones who deep down are not happy with how their life is shaping to be. 

“You can take the girl out of the farm, but not the farm out of the girl”.    

Me In My Natural Habitat