Gender Identity Gender And Masculinity Essay - 1509 Words

Gender plays an enormous role in every society around the world. There are debates about whether gender is defined by strictly biological characteristics or social attributes. Others argue that gender is a spectrum, rather than the dichotomy of male and female. Masculinity and femininity are sets of attributes, roles and behaviors that are associated with men and boys and girls and women, respectively. Both masculinity and femininity have specific traits that are both biologically and socially defined. People are expected to conform to these traits depending on their biological sex. However, there are people who do not relate to either masculine or feminine traits, and do not feel that they are a â€Å"man† or a â€Å"woman†. This is when the topic of gender identity comes into the discussion. In the past decades, more research and on gender identity have been conducted. Gender identity is significant in how people are viewed and treated in society. Gender identity can be defined as â€Å"a person’s acceptance of the roles and behaviors that society associates with the biological categories of male and female† (Berger 461). This process of formulating an identity usually â€Å"begins with the person’s biological sex and leads to a gender role that society considers inappropriate† (Berger 461). All societies differentiate between male and female roles. Gender roles have evolved overtime and vary across different cultures. In the United States, for example, men were supposed to be theShow MoreRelatedGender Identity : Gender And Masculinity1285 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is gender? Most people feel as though gender consists only of the terms â€Å"boyâ€Å" â€Å"girlâ€Å" , but it’s so much more than that. Gender is a very complex reality that is not just about what genetalia you have. In this paper I will explore all the subcategories and misconceptions of gender. The range of characteristics pertaining to and differentiating between masculinity and femininity is the definition of gender. We usually associate gender with genetalia and in our society, we like to stuff everyoneRead MoreHow Gender Operates Within The Setting Of An Olivia Vacation1481 Words   |  6 PagesMinor Essay OPOL216 – Sex and Gender Matters Allysen Stewart 32579398 â€Æ' 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 resultingRead MoreGender Masculinity : The Brony Fandom997 Words   |  4 Pagestraditional understandings of masculinity cannot take into account. Connell and Messerschmidt establish through hegemonic masculinity the development of hierarchy within the constructs of gender formations. Their framework provides the negotiations regarding the desirable masculine traits for a given society, thereby creating representations of a dominant gender construct. However, it is not the sole creator of masculine identity. â€Å"The concept of hegemonic masculinity is not intended as a catchallRead MoreGender As A Primary Cultural Frame1517 Words   |  7 Pagesexample of such categories of differences is gender. For that very reason, Cecelia L. Ridgewood (2009) defines gender as a primary cultural frame. It not only shapes our interactions and but also how we organize social institutions, â€Å"Thus, difference and inequality codetermine each other in our shared gender beliefs, and coordination on the basis of them produces social relations of inequality as well as difference† (Ridgeway 2009:149). These shared gender beliefs are socially constructed differencesRead MoreTaking a Closer Look at Gender1311 Words   |  5 PagesFrom the beginning of their lives, individuals are associated with a specific gender, influencing behaviour, opportunities and expectations. The basic inequalities and disparities between men and women are generally seen as the result of the innate, essential differences between the two biological sexes. This theory presumes that each and every member of the female gender is identical, and that the same ca n be said for males but â€Å"not all women are the same, just like all men aren’t the same† (TarrantRead MoreThe Effects Of Traditional Masculinity On Gender Equality1318 Words   |  6 PagesEffect of Traditional Masculinity on Gender Equality The idea of â€Å"doing gender† was introduced by West and Zimmerman in 1987. They conceptualize gender as a routine accomplishment that is created and maintained through everyday interaction. Instead of seeing masculinity as something that just happens to men or is done to men, masculinity is seen as something that men do. Specific patterns are learned through the socialization process that appropriately represents masculinity (West, Zimmerman). ThisRead MoreSexual Identity And Gender Expression1399 Words   |  6 PagesTo conceptualise sexual identity and gender expression, Judith Butler (1990) proposes a poststructuralist perspective; that gendered behaviour (masculinity and femininity) is learned, a performative act, and that gender is constructed through a ‘heterosexual matrix’. She describes this as [A] hegemonic/epistemic model of gender intelligibility that assumes that for bodies to cohere and make sense there must be a stable sex expressed through a stable gender (masculine expresses discursive male, feminineRead MoreA Critical Discussion On Gender, Masculinity, Power, And Gender Politics1656 Words   |  7 Pageson the Ways in Which Sociologists Attempt to Study Aspects of Gender In order to study gender, sociologists must adopt particular research methodologies and examine certain theoretical perspectives when conducting research in gender. The study of gender is broad and consists of many different aspects regarding masculinities and femininities including hegemonic masculinity and the concept of ‘doing/undoing gender’. These aspects of gender and the methodologies adopted by sociologists to study thesesRead MoreThe School s Policies For Boys And Girls980 Words   |  4 Pagesclothing, hairstyles, tattoos, piercings, or even gender swapping. For a short time, the question of letting women wear pants was denied because of the stereotype that women should wear dresses and skirts to exude their femininity. In modern days, women’s equality has advance greatly in the world. For instance, women wearing pants is not the issue however, man’s wearing skirts has been stigmatizing throughout the time, because it shows a lack of masculinity. Boys in schools should have the freedom to wearRead MoreThe Effects Of Queer Theory On Post Secondary Sport Teams1397 Words   |  6 Pagescontroversial. Through queer theory, it enables one to challenge traditional and heteronormative assumptions regarding gender and sexuality by reconstructing labels used for sexual identification, emphasizing both physical and mental strength and skill among British male university students and rejecting the notion of stable sex and that subject’s positions as disciplined constructions of identity in sporting environments such as post-secondary youth sporting teams. This paper will explore that through the