I believe gender is the physical sense in which someone can categorize themselves or another person. This pertains mainly to the male and female roles in society. People take on these characteristics that most people try to fit in to. That is, until recently. There are certain people who are opposed to the "norms" of our society. These people are using their freedoms to explore the other options out there besides the ones they are told to have. A person can take on a new identity or conform to one that is in their mind. I believe the way in which a person sees themselves is the identity of their choosing, in relation to gender. The role in this identity can be something learned from others yet it can also be a new idea and can break the status-quot. Most often, humans, they try to take on a role that makes them feel comfortable. Others may not welcome such a plan but learn something new about themselves by rebelling against these preset gender roles.
The essay written by Judith Lorber entitled "Night to his Day": Social Construction of Gender is something that can be both agreed with and disagreed with. The idea that we as humans created or "constructed" this idea of gender is something that I can agree with and believe in. Just like no person is born knowing about discrimination, no person is born knowing about gender. The values we have in our culture put gender differences at a higher mark than most other issues. Rules are created and the social context of everyday interactions speak for themselves. People assume these are the norms and anyone who breaks them will be outcast. Girls and boys are expected to be different on many levels; from going to bathrooms and in the way they dress. These ideas that were sparked early on were what stuck and there is no real way of changing it now. Most people know this as a "rule" for years and they do nothing to stop it because they accept it.
This class, I hope, will change my perspective on women in this country and broaden my knowledge of the past and how it affects everyone now. Something that troubles me about the topic of this class is that I don't agree that women should be put on a higher rank than men. As humans and as a race people need to be equal; not one better than another. I do see that over the years there is no clear definition as to when that stops but slow changes have worked for women in the past and will work for them in the future. We do not need to radically change our world and values to make sure that people recognize women and give them more acknowledgment than men. Contrary to what most people might believe after reading that, it does not mean that I favor more support for men. I strongly believe that no one particular race deserves to be heard out more than another, so why would it be any different with gender? We are all humans and of course there have been wrongs in the past but that is what we are here for now.
What we can do now is speak out against wrongs that were made and change them so they don't happen again. Another belief I have is that life is a process and things can't happen at the snap of a finger, or we at least shouldn't expect them to. Change is inevitable so we should just continue to lobby for our interests and hope that one small step at a time is taken to resolve the issue.
Hey Nancy. I’d like to first point out something I found odd at the beginning of your blog: When you said, “I believe gender is the physical sense in which someone can categorize themselves or another person.”
ReplyDeleteWouldn’t we say that Gender is a social idea? Formal actions, and so on, and only minor physical attributes included? In example: the physicality would be a person, clearly a woman due to enlarged breasts, wide hips and effeminate facial features. Most people are uncomfortable and unsure of how to address them when they adorn themselves with clearly “masculine” clothing. It’s abnormal for a woman to adorn herself with clothing we would normally see a male in. Even then, her hair. Is it short? If so, an unconscious standard for women is still to have long hair. These would be considered factors of gender, but because the external expression of the gender is in opposition to the idea of what is proper for a female to ornate herself with.
In short, I would say that gender is more mental. It’s presuppositions we have about the tangible expressions people should have. A good example being a stay at home father. Or a male ballerina. They’re said to be effeminate but nothing aside from a digression from gender norms implies so.
Also, I strongly agree with your discomfort. As much as men should not be held higher than women, women should likely not be elevated above men. We need to reach a ground of equality for the sexes [and the in-betweens]. Not a supremacy of one or the other as we are all human beings and should be treated as such. Despite ethnicity, age, or gender.
-Ashley
In response to Nancy and the main journal entry the definition of sex and gender was a simple misunderstanding:
ReplyDeleteSex is defined as the person’s physical body designation including genitalia for example, “I am female because I have the sex organs of a female”
Gender is defined as the identity derived from social constructs for example, “I am a woman therefore I dress this way and act this way”.
I think the reasoning behind projecting the female sex as the superior sex is that if one is not the oppressed then one must be the oppressor and that having differences within a group almost always results in inequality.
Yeah, sometimes I wonder what the real purpose is for these discussions since people refuse to change gender stereotypes or fight against them. It seems like an uphill battle. Does social progress come gradually or in short bursts?
Also, who is to say that a more gender free world where people have more choices is necessarily progress? I mean, how do we define “progress”? Is “progress” a steady change from less freedom to greater freedom or less complexity to greater complexity? Do you think in the future we will have an infinite number of genders or simply one? What if it becomes so stretched that the concept of gender will no longer exist?
I agree that our society have people who are opposed to the—norms, and I am one of them. I enjoy having the freedom to change my identity at will and without being stereotyped as either gender. Because I am a female, I am not bond to the norms of this society to wear make-up, high heels, and female gender clothing to prove that I am a woman. Some days I feel comfortable in a pair of cowboy boots, jeans, a loose fitting shirt, and a baseball hat with uncombed hair underneath it. Even some occupations require employees to wear unisex clothing. I feel as long as I know what gender I am, it does not matter what I look like or what others may think if I don’t dress with gender distinction. Because this is a society that is forever changing, and we are not living in the times of our great-grandparents, grandparents, or parents; their norms are not our norms, for instinct same sex couples are getting married and adopting children, which some people still cannot believe, and are –totally against; thus, creating division in this society and in homes. I believe there are no outcasts in this society; just people with narrow minds, and others with strong beliefs. Therefore, in order to change the spark that has been lit early in a person’ life about gender, the fire must be put out through education and social understanding. Unfortunately, fear of the unknown will only hinder and suppress people into not accepting change.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you that women should not be put in a higher rank than men. I also feel woman are not equal to a man, and this stem from my religious beliefs. But when it comes to equality, every human being is entitled to be treated with equality under the laws which govern this country.