I too will have to say gender has made the most impact on my concept of "self". I am a female which caused me to see many of societies differences between male and female expectations. Unlike many females my family impacted me by causing me to be more like males in order to achieve some type of equality. I became a "tomboy" and found myself bonding with my father more than my mother. I saw my mother as a weak woman and my dad as a strong person. My view was this way, due to my school interactions and goals I had obtained while dealing with my peers. I didn't want to be a housewife with a college education like my mother. I wanted to be a tough businessman like my father, someone who didn't cry when pain arose or a sad moment occurred in life. I saw how much respect my father had and his status in society. I also saw his role in our family, he made all the decisions. I watched his every move and it became a part of my next movement. I tended to carry this into my social groups in school where I lead instead of followed. I was definitely influenced by my peers as well, but I only socialized with the successful kids, the peers that most resembled my father.
In a way I am a lot like the monkey boy, who could not change his habits and patterns even when removed from his surroundings. I am now thirty years old and I still carry many of the same desires to follow the footsteps of my father. I tend to be a leader and I like to be in control. I find myself constantly competing with men in order to be a part of their world. I guess no matter how far you take me from my father, I will always mimic his ways as best I can because it is what I've always known.
My reactions have been both negative and positive to this type of socialization specifically due to my gender. In this society females tend to do better when they aren't so aggressive, assertive, and opinionated. I have both felt the pain of not following the standards set by society for females and the rewards for being independent, strong, and fearless. It is a very difficult trade off that is set by many double standards.