Social Factors Contributing to Gender Dysphoria Gender can be characterized as the state of being male or female. It is not characterized by what an individual feels they should be considered as. Throughout the movie it is shown that Bree is not comfortable with the gender she was born with. She says “nothing is going to stop me from checking into that hospital next week. I’m not going to be dragged back into Stanley's old life.” She tries so hard to separate herself from the truth of her being a male. It is shown that she wants to receive acceptance from society by listening to voice records on how to have a higher pitched voice, and trying to schedule her vaginoplasty. Social factors contributed to Gender Dysphoria include culture, race, …show more content…
This was very much a subliminal towards her parents that she had no support or respect towards her decision to become a woman. But due to her parents religion, they did not support her decision. She continues on to say that Toby would know that he's respected. Another place in the movie where Bree’s mother tries to get her to conform is in 1:20:42 when she begs Bree to not get her vaginoplasty done, because she misses her son. Bree retaliates and says “Mom you never had a son”. This opens up a can of worms and brings her mother to distraught. An example of how such environment would cause Gender Dysphoria is by forcing a person to engage in cultural norms of a gender. Elizabeth, Bree’s mother, is so stuck in her religious ways that she tried everything to “straighten” Bree out. In 1:09:56 Elizabeth says “You know what I see when I look at you? . . . I see a lost soul crying out for help. This would never have happened, if you had only come to church when you were little, instead of going to that synagog of your fathers.” But it only pushed her daughter further away. Bree even tried to commit suicide, because she wasn't happy being a male. Bree does not identify with masculinity and tries to escape from the imposed role to an extreme opposite role of a women. A way in which
A gender ideology is a “set of ideas widely shared by members of a society that guides identities, behaviors, and institutions” (Wade, et. al. 2015). Until Brandon’s sex was discovered, almost everyone that he interacted with daily believed that he was a male from birth. Nobody really questioned Brandon’s gender or sex because they believed that he exemplified the typical idea of a man. In the film, Brandon’s friends and ex-girlfriends all described him as a male based mostly on Brandon’s gender expression, looks, and hobbies. The people in the film all described how Brandon would wear clothes for men, sit with his legs open, and talk about girls and cars. Even Nissen’s sister described how one time her, Brandon, and others, were in a van and Brandon had to go to the bathroom and tried to pee out of a window. All of these factors made up the people who Brandon interacted with schemas about gender. Nobody ever thought about Brandon maybe being a female because their cultural lens, a male does everything Brandon does, so he is a male. This concept also shows up later in the film when Brandon was questioned by a woman about whether he was truly a male. The deciding factor for this woman on whether Brandon was a man or not, was determined by if he had a penis. This woman’s idea of a traditional man involved a penis; so if Brandon did not have one Brandon could not have been a man. However, the woman, because of her pre-existing conceptions, she did not think that maybe one does not need a penis to be a male. For example, disregarding transsexuals and transgendered people, a male could have been castrated, effectively removing his penis. However, just because his penis is gone, he is usually still seen as a male. Castration of males was done throughout history whether it was Chinese or Roman Slaves (Tougher 2013), or as a dedication to one’s religion
When it comes to gender, it is as easy to determine as quantum physics; all the pieces are there but it is impossible to put together. Without hard evidence, all people can do is to make assumptions. The two biggest arguments on how gender is determined right now is based upon social and biological construct. Arguing for the sociological aspect is Aaron Devor, writer of the article, “Gender roles behaviors and attitudes”. Dover believes that, “People use femininity and masculinity to claim and communicate their membership in their assigned, or chosen, sex or gender” (Devor 505). Devor considers that society has certain roles that are predetermined towards males, females and anyone in between. A man has to act a certain way to be masculine and a female a certain way to be considered feminine. On the not so opposite side of the spectrum is Deborah Blum, author of the work, “The gender blur: Where Does Biology End and Society Take Over?”. Blum doesn’t necessarily disagree with Devor, but asks the question, “Do the gender roles of our culture reflect an underlying biology, and, in turn, does the way we behave influence that biology” (Blum 512). Blum is arguing that maybe it was our genetic makeup that built the foundation on how a gender should act. Both authors present valid points for their arguments, but in the end, it is Blum who comes over on top with her usage of tone, evidence, and the use of a counterargument.
The stereotypical labeling of genders can determine one person’s outlook on life. The judgment can make one feel like there is a set rubric to follow in order to remain in the lines regarding which gender they belong to. Such influences from peers or partners can alter
Environmentally, a child’s experiences impact gender identity. Depending on family values or morals, a child could be confused by their gender. When a baby is born, there is much control on colors (if boy or girl) and ideas of the parents on how they would want to raise their daughter or son. For an example, a father would treat his son in a rough or unemotional way, while a girl would be protected and nurtured. Known as traditional roles, a boy doesn’t cry or play with dolls, but he can roll
Sexuality and gender identity issues have had a long history in the fields of mental health and public policy. There has been much debate surrounding the inclusion of issues related to gender and sexual identity in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual since its initial stages of development (Drescher, 2010). Debates in this field of interest have been fragmented between several stakeholders (Ehrbar, 2010). This fragmentation has created complications in the process of developing United States policies that are inclusive of individuals with gender identities that do not match the gender to which they were assigned at birth. Specifically, policies surrounding gender reassignment surgeries have been difficult to develop and
Perhaps, you are asking yourself this question, what is gender dysphoria? I have the answer. Gender dysphoria is “ the diagnosis typically given to a person whose assigned birth gender is not the same as the one with which they identify.” However, let’s not confuse this with sexual orientation, this does not mean they are homosexual, this means they do not identify who they are as their given birth
In class, we have learned and discussed how during the period of adolescence, it is known that this is the period of time where individuals are finding themselves and figuring out where they belong. It is during this time where individuals are the most sensitive and personal problems tend to arise more commonly during this stage. A major issue adolescents struggle during this stage is gender identity and sexuality. Adolescents are trying to figure out who they are attracted to and how they perceive themselves to be. While the norm is to identify oneself as their biological gender, there are those who develop gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is a reoccurring feeling that one’s biological gender is the opposite of one’s sexual identity (Cole,
In conclusion, if gender was really like that, we should see a lot more overlap. But we don’t, and we never will, because its instinct, not custom. For instance, the article mentions how the mother recalls a time after John had the surgery and was told by doctors to treat him as a girl. She states, “I put this beautiful dress on him…I think he knew it was a dress and that it was for girls and he wasn't a girl.” Joan likewise had favored boy’s activities and games to those of girl’s through childhood. Making that one of the many reason she understood between the ages of 9 and 11, that she was not a girl but rather a boy. John states, “There were little things… I began to see how different I felt and was, from what I was supposed to be.” Joan
Many members of the transgender community treated harshly and unfairly in professional and social settings. This leads to violet mental health problems, and devalues the lives of many productive members of society. A term used for people who identify as a different gender than the sex they were born with. Gender Identity- One 's personal concept of whether they are a man, a woman, gender non-conforming, bi-gendered, etc. Gender expression- The external representation of one 's gender. Sex- The anatomical categorization of male or female that one assigned to at birth. “I do not look like a little girl. I am a little girl. This is what five year old Josie Romero claimed in National T.V (Innes 5) Biologically Josie was born as Joey a male but now she identifies herself a female (1). Many accuse and criticize
When someone is subjected to gender roles and they are having problems with their gender identity it can because something called Gender Dysphoria. This is when someone’s gender identity does not connect with the gender roles of their assigned sex. These roles feel virtually unreachable, sometimes they might not even want to fit these roles.
In conclusion, my overall findings indicate that gender does affect attitudes towards mental illness. Male participants reported having more negative attitudes towards individuals with mental illness. This may be due to the fact that in in American society, males tend to be socialized to think and behave in ways that society has labeled as masculine which are then reinforced though the media and institutions. Males are expected to be strong, physically, and emotionally, thus any sign of weakness is seen as non-masculine and therefore, feminine, which is deeply looked down upon. Unlike the majority of physical illnesses, mental illnesses are often associated with weakness. My findings reinforce the existing research that mental illness is stigmatized,
Gender identity is the personal conception of being a man or a woman and the society creates standards and comes up with gender roles basing them on existing norms and traditions which will in turn influence gender identity. For instance, most societies associate strength and dominance to be masculine roles while caring and assisting or subordination known to be feminine roles. This clearly makes gender identity be bred within the society. One’s identity is important as it influences his or her life through events like life experiences, how one is being taken or treated, how to do one associate or socialize with others, the type of job one will have to do and also opportunities that may come up favoring a certain type of gender identity. One is also likely to face obstacles or discrimination due to his or her identity.
Gender identity gives us a distinction between two different genetic sex that was determined at birth or describing yourself to be a male or female based on your body parts. Gender Dysphoria is a word to describe an individual who is battling with their own sense of reality towards their gender they were given from birth to how they feel they should be seen as when they look at themselves in the mirror. I think that everyone should love themselves no matter what and if there are some adjustments that they feel should be done in order to help boost their low self-esteem than why not, but when the problem is making you want to take your own life or develop self-hate towards their own body or appearance, then the person should go seek professional
Starting off this essay by a question, what is gender identity? Well thank you for asking, the term means one’s personal experience of one’s own gender. Although others additionally refer to the sexual orientation, sexual identity categories gay, lesbian and bisexual. But the final and most formal diagnosis is gender dysphoria which means experience significant dysphoria (discontent) with the sex they were assigned at birth and the gender roles associated with sex.
Living a life feeling out of place, with the wrong feelings, and in the wrong body, for a person with Gender Identity Disorder, this is how they feel day to day. According to the DSM-IV-TR, Gender Identity Disorder is characterized by a strong, persistent cross-gender identification, persistent discomfort with his or her sex or sense of inappropriateness in their gender role of that sex. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), children, adolescents and adults who exhibit a preoccupation with getting rid of or losing their primary and secondary sex characteristics, associated with different mannerisms and actions of the opposite sex; while holding a belief that he or she was born the wrong sex are believed to be classified