31/10/2014
Assignment 1 – Minor Essay
OPOL216 – Sex and Gender Matters
Allysen Stewart 32579398 Assignment 1 – Minor Essay
OPOL216 – Sex and Gender Matters
This essay will critically discuss how gender operates within the setting of an Olivia Vacation (https://www.olivia.com), drawing from personal experiences from a recent trip to a Hawaiian Resort. The paper will focus on personal observations of the underlying forces involved in the reproduction and disruption of gender relations, and their resulting effects (Atwell, 2014). By focusing on the gender roles within a lesbian environment, the paper will examine topics from the course material that deliberate sex and gender, gender and nature, sexuality,
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Trans people suffer from gender dysphoria, which accompanies Gender Identity Disorder (GID) where they feel that their emotional and psychological identity is in opposition to the biological sex they were assigned at birth (Wilchins, 2004; Furnham & Sen, 2013).
Gender is socially constructed, signifying processes and practices of conduct ("doing", "undoing" and "re-doing" gender) (West & Zimmerman, 1987; Deutsch, 2007; West & Zimmerman, 2007) based on an assigned sex category (Hird, 2000; Risman, 2004; Connell, 2010). Sex, in contrast, refers to the biological differences between men and women (chromosomes, hormones and genitalia) (Harding, 1996; Hird, 2000).
According to Wittig (1992), lesbians are categorised sexually as women, yet they abandon the heteronormative assumptions associated with the female identity (Hird, 2000, Bobel & Kwan, 2011). An example of this is the social assumption that a girl will grow up and marry a man. Heteronormativity suggests that people fall into distinct gender roles (man and woman) (Woodruffe-Burton & Bairstow, 2013), challenging the essentialist view of sexuality being biologically determined (Morton, Postmes, Haslam & Hornsey, 2009) while implying the social construction of homosexuality (DeLamater & Hyde, 1998; Fuss, 1989). Within the lesbian "community", distinct gender roles still exist and are visibly adopted by members, as was evident during my Olivia experience.
In the book, Persistence (Coyote & Sharman, 2011), one of
the Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center about his hospitalization on his discharge date. The VA Inpatient Attending denied Mr. K’s transfer request after the VA Attending had a provider-to-provider conference call with the physician at the Non-VA facility and learned that Mr. K was getting discharged the same day.
Gender has been described as masculine or feminine characteristics that encompass gender identity sex as well as social roles (Nobelius 2004). According to sexologist John Money, there is a difference between gender as a role and the biologically of differences in sex (Udry 1994). Within scholarly disciplines, cultures and contexts, gender frequently has its own mean, contextual frame of reference and the manner in which it is used to describe a variety of issues and characteristics. The sociocultural codes, conventions and the suggested and literal rules that accompany the notion of gender are vast and diverse. There has been and continues to be much scholarly debate regarding the idea of gender and how it has been viewed historically; as well as changes in the grammatical use of the
Queer is a term that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people use to describe the entire LGBT community. It has made them feel like they have their own community where heterosexist people won’t judge them. “The term is used positively to say it is okay to be different and it serves as an inclusive category that encompasses the shared political and social experiences of the group (classnotes, 2016). Basing on this assertion, Queer Theory through the theme of lesbian isolation in a heterosexist world is seen in “Don’t Explain” by the ways the protagonist Letty recognizes her sexual orientation but denies it, demonstrates internalized homophobia, and the way Letty interacts with Delia and Terry. In addition, the articles “We’re Here, We’re Queer, Y’all” by Karen L. Cox and “The Paradox of coming out” by Steven Petrow further proofs how queer theory is evident in “Don’t Explain.” It is clear that stereotyping basing on sexual orientation has led to negative perceptions of different LGBT community members (McDonald, 2013). In most cases, lesbians have been painted as men haters or over-feminized just as gays have been portrayed as haters of women. These stereotypes do not apply to all lesbians but creates undue pressure on characters like Letty forcing then to live in fear because of being different. The fact that fictional lesbian visual representation has being distorted by heterosexuals males has caused Letty and her lot to conceal their true
If a respectable mother is exclusive of her sexuality, gender non-conforming lesbian mothers already exist as illegitimate parents. The heterosexual matrix instils the notion that gender non-conformity marks sexuality – more specifically, non-heterosexuality. Female bodies stand antithetical to masculinity (Moody 2011). The subtleties of Stef and Nic’s masculinity mark their lesbianism in contrast to Lena and Jules femme because without the slight masculinity, Lena and Jules’ “lesbianism disappears, or, more accurately, never appears in the first place” (Martin 1996). This is perhaps why the characters all lean toward femininity. While the productions allow room for lesbianism, it is what Roseanne Kennedy refers to as an “absent presence” (Suk Gersen 2009, 513).
As Tamsin Wilton explains in her piece, “Which One’s the Man? The Heterosexualisation of Lesbian Sex,” society has fronted
First of all I am going to begin with defining sex and gender. Sex in a sociological perspective is defined as the biological and physiological differences between men and women which are contrasted in terms of reproductive function(Abercrombie et al 2000 :313). On the other hand gender is sociologically conceived as the social roles allocated to men and women in society that is to say gender is learned not innate. However previously it was believed that sex determined gender thus the differences between men and
The issue of human sexuality is one that has been discussed for what seems like forever. Despite our towards becoming those who are accepting towards people who engage in ‘non-normative’ relationships, whether they be romantic or sexual, there are still issues. One particular problem is that of women who are interested in other women and how they are either ignored or looked down upon, more so than their male counterparts. A majority of the women, whom had to write under pseudonyms or under the mask of anonymity, during the 1800’s could not reveal who they were attracted to and could only live out their fantasies through their writing. And even then they had to be careful about how that aspect was represented in their works, though most people would never acknowledge the fact that two women interacting could ever be anything more than friendship. With this oppressive nature surrounding lesbians at the time, keeping them from showing a vital aspect of themselves that any person should be free to express, it is only natural that a good amount of these women would devolve into madness. It happens to plenty of members in the LGBT+ community who are unable to accept who they are based on the way they were raised.
Although men and women have significant biological differences, the question whether gender-specific labels stems from these biological differences or are gender constructed remains a polarised nature versus nurture debate. Whether it is through the process of socialisation or genetic make-up, “gender identity” is given from a person’s birth, determining how a person culturally interacts and the expectations society places on them. Along with a “gender identity” comes a whole set of “norms”, “values” and so-called “gender characteristics”, which are supposed to define the differences between a male and a female. According to the World Health Organisation (n.d.), the term “sex” is often used to define the biological and physiological
The concept of gender has a strong social impact on me. When I was born, I was immediately assigned to a biological sex as a female with two X chromosomes. I was then socially classified as a girl in the society with feminine gender roles. Gender is defined as a social principle which attribute to the roles and expectations of males and females through the years of different societies (Phillips, 2005). Gender can be considered as behavioural, cultural and psychological traits
For my ethnographic research paper I chose to study the life and struggle of Lesbians at work, school and on television. For this paper I will refer to the people that I interviewed by different names so that no one can be offended or embarrassed. The main focus of this ethnographic essay is to compare the lives on the television show the “L” word to the lesbians in real life and to focus on the feelings lesbians have as mothers. In “Gender, Genetics and Generation: Reformulating Biology in Lesbian Kinship” by Connie P. Hayden which focuses on the role of biology in relationships, sexuality and gender roles. Hayden discusses the role of blood relations and biology in relation to the “kinship theory” throughout the United States. The article also focuses on lesbian couples and their issues to be recognized as a nuclear family. Questions that I will be asking are how do lesbian mothers prepare for parenthood? How do they share the responsibility between the two? How do gender identities impact the role as a mother? And how do lesbian mothers who did not birth the child have satisfaction. Although lesbian motherhood is the focus of the ethnography; Lesbians that are not yet mothers and single lesbians also play a very important role.
“Gender” is a social construct that is developed solely by our society and the early developmental stages of an adolescent’s life. By introducing youths to the roles, behaviors, expectations and activities that correspond with males or females we give a clear guideline of what is accepted from a young male or female. An individual however can identify his or her gender based on their own system of beliefs without corresponding to their natural biological sex. Our lives are shaped by our true biological identities but the influence of the world and society is enough to define what a male and what a female truly is to an individual.
I will be explaining the following; Queer Theory, Radical feminism, sex=gender, biology is not destiny, youth non conformity, hegemonic masculinity, transgender and gender based harassment. I have used these six concepts because they highlight how sexuality and gender are constructed by society. This construction causes a heterosexual norm, which some people do not identify under. I have focused on Queer Theory because it depicts what is considered ‘normal’ regarding gender and sexuality. I also chose Radical theory to show how the construction of gender and sexuality can have a negative effect on women.
The “New Woman” refers to a category of women, beginning in the late 19th century, who adopted feminist ideals, wishing to break gender roles and gain independence from and equality with men (Newton, 560-61). While not one specific, real person, the “New Woman” is an overarching term that encompasses the many women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The first generation of these women strove for economic and social autonomy with roles separate from the home and family spheres of domesticity (Newton, 561). For example, they would not marry, but instead receive a higher education and work in a profession (Newton, 561). To replace their commitments to men and family, they instead formed close and passionate relationships with other women, though these relationships were not sexual in nature, people viewed women as passionless and pure. The second generation, however, living in a more modernist culture of sexual freedom, began to discuss female sexuality, and wanted to participate in more opportunities only offered to men, including drinking and smoking (Newton, 564). Because of the societal idea that only men were sexual beings, New Women had to explain the intimate relationships among them, which had become sexual in the second generation. Thus, they created the idea of masculine lesbians, who had male souls that caused them their sexual feelings (Newton, 566). The “mythic mannish lesbian” refers to these women who dressed and acted in a masculine manner
The words ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ are commonly confused with each other in regular, everyday conversations when the two have very different meanings. The term ‘sex’ refers to the biological and physiological characteristics of a person, such as male or female; ‘gender’ is a social construction that refers to masculine or feminine roles in society ( Nordqvist). For
Wikileaks main goal has been finding the truth of topics wanted to be hidden to the public, and in this case their power was used to protect Tunisia. The procedure used to spread the truth may not be the most appropriate. It is the truth, and it will always be better to hear the crude reality than some beautiful lie. “The ends justify the means” –Niccolo Machiavelli.