bashoGWSS1

Gender is a social construct. With assuming this, we should also assume that every socially active person has knowledge of gender and experience with it. We see it in our everyday life, whether conscience of it or not. It depicts the way we "perform" every day and the way others see us in everyday interactions. When I think of performing, I think of circus acts, theatrical shows, and plays. In these cases, a person is acting as a character to entertain a group of people. So the same can be discussed with gender because gender can be a front, in some cases, that a person acts upon in order to fit into the social constructs of the gender roles.
Although we may not agree with the way gender is socially constructed it is a "real" existence within our lives. Gender is a performance because it depicts how a person is going to act.
When I think of gender roles and performance, I personally tune into how my parents interact within my family household. The gender "norm" for a female parent in the household is to take care of the house, children, and family needs. The gender "norm" for a male parent in the household is to work, be the bread-maker, and protect the family. In my household, my parents don't typically fit these stereotypes. When I was growing up, I would assume that my family was unhealthy since we didn't fulfill the socially constructed gender "norms." Unconsciously I was making an assumption based on the influence of the social construct of gender.