Gender Binary system and its influence in our society.
‘’ The gender binary system defines the existence of two opposite gender, race, and class, black and white. Masculine and feminine. Rich and poor. Straight and gay. Able-bodied and disabled’’.
Male and female, are the genders accepted by society, anyone who doesn’t fit these characteristics will be considered abnormal and will be pushed away from the society unless he or she can adjust her body to be normal according to the norms that were decided within the community.
According to Gayle Rubin (1984), “the link between biological sex, social gender, and sexual attraction are products of culture’’. Each induvial role is decided based on her or his physiology even before birth. As soon as the parents know that they will be having a baby girl or a baby boy, they will be making decisions accordingly. A room can be painted pink or blue, baby shower themes must match with the baby’s gender, gifts, toys, and outfits follow the sale rule.
eventually and we all grow up with the idea that woman is destined to nurture and to care for their families while men have more power to decide and are always the house leader.
The gender binary system is present in every aspect of life, home, work, relationships, family. I believe that its graved into our head. When I think about changing a light bulb or moving my bed, I always think that I ask my husband to do it because unconsciously I feel that his body is stronger even if I can do it. The culture and the community’s impact is huge and can reshape our thinking and behavior positively or negatively.
The binary system considered the existence of the black and white race in America only. What about the rest of the population and minorities: Spanish, Asian, Arabs …? I believe that the concept of the social class and the Cultural capital will have a huge impact on integrating them into the society.
According to the late sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (1984) ‘’non-monetary class differences such as tastes in food and music or knowledge of high culture’’ will influence the integration of these nonwhite population and eventually considering them as White population and vital part of the society like what happened with the Irish and the Jewish population.
Can we embrace our differences, consider them as unique, look beyond races, social class, other identities, and reduce our difference to simple binaries? Or is it simply said but never done.
I like where you get at the end. Great point about race and binaries. The perspective we get is certainly a western one. The other ideas you ponder in your final paragraphs are worthy of further consideration.