Blog #10 : Sexuality & Gender

In the article "Night to His Day" the author states, "As a social institution, gender is one of the major ways that human beings organize their lives". In the article the author talks about how gender construction starts right at birth and we decide how the infant should dress based on their genitalia.  “Most people find it hard to believe that gender is constantly created and re-created out of human interaction, out of social life, and are the texture and order of that social life”.

I found this article to be very interesting because I always thought of gender as my sex but that is not true at all. Gender is the “role” we are given, or give to ourselves. As I continued to read throughout this article I thought more about it. When I was little all my clothes were dresses and all were pink! Light pink, dark pink; I never liked them I hated all my dresses I always thought that it was to “girly” I always preferred clothes more comfortable such as pants and shorts my mom always made fun of me but then with the time she herself started to buy me the type of clothes I really like including all types colors, even she buy clothes like that for herself. Gender is created by a continuous process of teaching, learning and enforcement by generations over generations. Gender begins when we’re small by the assignment of gender on the basis of external characteristics. The socialization continues until we’re older though social conformity. Sex and gender are two different things; Sex is about the physical difference in men and women bodies due to difference in gene and chromosomes. But these genes cannot define social construction of gender that follows in every society.

Gender is a way in which human organize themselves. People always want to put themselves in particular gender. It provides different gender with different status and position in society. It also categorizes same gender of people with same types of works than other. And these distinctions led to greater gender gap that exists in our society. These gender roles also change. Because they are based on society, they can differ based on the values of that society. Gender roles produce different status levels: male/masculine is considered norm, and female/feminist is considered ‘other".

DEFINITIONS

Sex – A determination made through the application of socially agreed upon biological criteria for classifying a person as male or female.

Gender – A collection of expectations and privileges that we assign to people of a different sex.