... janitors And it continues to be transformed as our family status changes as we learn to be wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers, grandmothers and grandfathers ... 10 Language and Gender Sex and gender Gender is not something we are born with, and not something we have, but something we (West and Zimmerman 1987) something we perform ... into being For example, we automatically say, ‘‘Mr and Mrs Jones’’ not ‘‘Mrs and Mr Jones’’; and ‘‘husband and wife’’ not ‘‘wife and husband.’’13 While this is a matter of convention, the...