Evaluate what is meant by the following terms:
Sex
Gender
Gender roles
Masculinity
Femininity
Gender identity
Sexuality
This is a lot to cover as this is a big topic. I am young woman who is heterosexual and all of the above ask me questions that i will try and answer by trying to understand each one of them.
Sex is a biological traits to define whether you are male or female this can be by chromosomes, hormones and other physical features. For example men and women have different body parts this is what is meant by sex. Some people don’t like to identify themselves as male or female. The way the brain of the girl is wired, and the quantities of male hormones (testosterone) that exist in the babies are responsible for influencing this sexual difference (Williams, 2011). Sex can also mean what your sexual preference is, there are three different types of sexual preferences such as heterosexual which means to be attracted to the opposite sex, bisexual which is to be attracted to both sex’s and then there is homosexual which is someone who is attracted to the same sex. On the contrary, the social roles and behaviour associated with both males and females are due to their cultural awareness and the way they were brought up (Lippa, 2005).
Gender comes down to how you see yourself and how others try and see you Society makes us believe that we have to play with or wear as boys or girls. Gender is a term that refers to social or cultural distinctions associated with being male or female. Gender identity is about much we dentify as being masculine or feminine (Diamond 2002).
Gender roles are learnt in childhood and are normally followed through to adulthood. Gender roles determine how men and women shout act, dress and interact with other people in society.
Studies have shown that children will most likely choose to play with “gender appropriate” toys (or same-gender toys) even when cross-gender toys are available because parents give children positive feedback (in the form of praise, involvement, and physical closeness) for gender-normative behaviour (Caldera, Huston, and O’Brien 1998).
I learnt about gender and being a princess watching Disney and cartoons e.g. Cinderella, Beauty and the beast, Princess and the Frog, Snow White
It is important to note that people who cross-dress, or wear clothing that is traditionally assigned to opposite gender, are not necessarily transgendered. Cross-dressing is typically a form of self-expression, entertainment, or personal style, not necessarily an expression against one’s assigned gender (APA 2008).
When I think about masculinity what comes to mind is a manly man who does everything, he’s the bread winner, he’s strong. It can also mean aggresive, doesn’t do anything around the house, doesn’t work. what I also think is that this someone who gets loads of women, and has lots of children. And that’s me thinking this as a woman.
This is different to being a princess or feminine. Being feminine means ‘to be a woman’ supposed to define us. It means being girly and looking yourself like in your body and your looks which is an act of feminity. Its somebody who doesn’t work and is there for her man.
So being masculine and feminine are complete opposites and this does not reflect the real world.
“To speak of masculinities is to speak about gender relations. Masculinities are not equivalent to men, they concern the position of men in gender order. They can be defined as the patterns of practice by which people (both men and women, though prodominetly men) engage that position.
“There is abundant evidence that masculinities are multiple, with internal complexities and even contradictions; also that masculinities change in history, and that women have a considerable role in making them, in interaction with boys and men.” http://www.raewynconnell.net/p/masculinities_20.html
The last quote looks lie its blaming women or saying at least that women make men’s masculinities. I don’t think that true I think that men make it by acting out the above things and women sometimes that what a man wants.
Sexuality is often connected with masculine and femininity, when we are younger we are often told that we will be attracted to the opposite sex
. Sexuality is not sex or gender, although sexuality is somewhat entertwined with the two. Sexuality is sexual behaviour. The ‘behaviour related to copulation and similar activities’(Oakley, 1985 p.99: as cited in Zajdow 2002:63).
Femininity is about how women are supposed to act for example; soft, emotional, weak, easily influenced, a damsel in distress. It’s about being ladylike, it’s about being pretty, fashionable, dependent. Which is the opposite of being masculine.
Colley (2004) in Haralambos and Holborn, sociology themes and perspectives, 2004 argues that research has shown that certain attributes are seen as desirable for men and a quite different set are seen for women. Masculinity is positively associated with ‘self-reliance, individualism, ambitions, dominance, the ability to lead, which have been summarized as instrumental’. On the other hand, femininity has been positively associated with ‘kindness, being affectionate, being eager to soothe hurt feelings, reflecting a dimension to expressiveness’.
Feminism is about power and understanding power and powerlessness of women. It’s not about hating men but empowering women. Feminists think everything is political including what happens in domestic arraignment and the home and the family and the role of the family.
There are different types of feminism radical feminism, Marxist feminism, liberal feminism.