Gender and Social Identity

This semester I am taking a sociology and anthropology class from Professor Nordstrom called Gender in a cross-cultural perspective. In the few classes we have had so far, we talked about gender roles, both in terms of biological aspects and social and cultural aspects. We also talked a lot about how human are shaped into their gender role from the particular society a person is from, and how the environment such as peers, parents, and other media of contact impacts a person. I think this is pertinent to our discussion of gender identity in Ragtime and American society. Ragtime is set in the era of significant women's movements. Women were employed away from home, their images had changed, and they were pursuing higher education and even a career. However, women were still women. Even today, sexual dimorphism is still very apparent- the society "excepts" a woman to act this way and a man to act that way. The intersection between gender and social identity in my opinion is that both men and women are seeking for the so-called correct or better class and identity by presenting, even exaggerating, their "gender expectation code".  By doing it, they get approval from the society, and thus gain a certain kind of identity.