Gender is commonly believed to be a categorizing device. Most people see it simply as a way of distinguishing between women and men, as nothing more than a way to label people. Throughout history—and certainly continuing into modern-day society—men have been expected to be masculine, and women have been expected to be feminine. Men have been expected to dominate in society, and women have been expected to serve the men. The list goes on and on. Humans have always been more or less born into their respective castes. But gender is now more personal than that, and there is significantly more crossover between traditional gender roles.
An individual’s gender is really whatever he/she wants it to be. Even though every person is handed a gender at birth (“It’s A Girl!”), we live in a world that allows each person to ultimately decide which gender he/she wants to spend his/her life as. Gender, in modern times, is intimately connected to personal identity, and some people struggle to choose which gender they relate to most: man, woman, both, or neither. They can also choose to fill whichever gender role they wish.
To see a deviation from traditional gender roles, I need to look no farther than my own upbringing. I was raised in a non-traditional household. My mom was the one who brought home the bacon while my dad stayed at home to teach online and care for my three younger siblings and me. He has never felt any less of a man for being a “stay-at-home-mom,” and he has no reason to. Gender roles are more flexible in modern times, partly because ideas about gender have become less rigid.
As far as my gender identity is concerned, I was born a male and will continue to be a male throughout my life, but that isn’t to say I don’t have certain qualities that could be viewed as feminine. I never really participated in contact sports, I enjoy cooking and baking, and I have been known to occasionally cry during chick flicks. I may have certain traits historically attributed to femininity, but I am not ashamed to admit them. I choose to be a man, and participating in something—no matter how feminine—doesn’t affect my gender.
I appreciate that you can admit that you cry during chick flicks! Haha. My mom also wore the pants in my family, so I can relate on that point. I don't know if gender has become less rigid in modern times, though. In fact, I'd like us to think together as a class to figure out how it has actually become *more* rigid. And more importantly, how and why?
ReplyDelete