Gender identity project

In the past when i would hear the term gender, I automatically thought of my biological sex . In addition to that thought I also thought about feminine behavior. Us humans have been shaped by social construction , and we have continuously tried to reach the expectations of what being a real ‘woman’ or ‘man’ is. The world seems to always decide what is appropriate behavior for male or female. Our names for instance, it is expected for a girl to have a feminine name and a boy to have a masculine name. When the gender roles in names switch , it is looked upon as unacceptable. The name Jordan or Alexander gives off a masculine sound and would not be expected to be given to a female. However, I have met females named Jordan and Alexander . I remember i was in middle school and some of my classmates would say to Jordan and Alexander “that’s a boy name. ” Yes the society restricts certain names to be either belong to one sex or gives permission to be unisex. I wonder what the thoughts of Jordan and Alexander were. Did they feel less of a female because of their name? Unfortunately at times perceptions of a persons entire identity may change due to one thing that may seem masculine or feminine of a person.  I must admit I have been guilty a few times of falling into the small mindset of society. In my adolescence I can recall a time when I went to a family members birthday party. My father had introduced me to one of his childhood friends, his name was Ashley. I can remember me immediately wanting to laugh because I thought to myself , why does this grown man have a girl’s name ? I was a kid at the time and did not understand that a name or interests of a person does not define what your gender identity is.

According to Gender in communication A critical introduction by Defransisco, Victoria and Catherine Palzcewski With Danielle Dick McGeough, it discusses one of three theories. Which is the physiological theory, this theory is based on developed triggers that result from our early child hood experiences. What we are taught as children grows with us into adulthood. The dos and don’ts including the values and morals that were installed in us . Growing up my mother would always have a discussions with me in regards to my dress code around men. Men referring to my father, brother or any family member that was a male. As i became older I began to develop physically like any young woman would. I never thought that if I wore shorts and tank tops around the people i love in my house hold, that it would be a problem. My mother would tell me things like ” you’re a female and we have men in the house . You shouldn’t walk around with shorts anymore , you’re not a little girl  ” I  would always try to point out the fact that my father and brother wasn’t looking at me in that way . It was never an issue before so it shouldn’t be an issue now. My mother stood her ground to say it was inappropriate. My issue with this is , I didn’t believe that gender was necessarily the problem in this case. I believe it is a persons character that we should focus on , rather than their sex. My mothers concern was my family members possibly looking at me the wrong way because they were men. But it was never much of a concern when it came to women. According to CDC nationally representative data statistics states 79 percent of men who has been sexually assaulted has been victims of women committing the act. This proves that gender isn’t always the issue , it is the character and mind of a person.

I was taught many things just based on my sex growing up . A Psychologist came up with a theory named the cognitive theory. The Cognitive development is a theory that helps explains the behavior of an human. This development theory focuses on the process of our identity and behavior influenced from teachings and environment in our adolescence. Some of the teachings my parents installed in me i still highly value today, and some i I have grown out of. Through out taking this class my perspective on gender has changed . One of the exercises that brought light to this topic was the sex, gender and sexuality interlace diagram. This diagram was a basic layout but it was detailed on each term when it came to explaining gender. It explained that the sex of person isn’t only the biological identification male or female , it also broke down the biological sex functions. Which are chromosomal, genetic, hormonal, reproduction, gondal and sex organs .It also detailed the worlds meanings of attraction, sexuality etc.

In the reading of Gender stories it introduced a concept. The concept of agency. Agency is the process by which we can make a change in how we ourselves are viewed by others including how we view ourselves . How we carry ourselves and what we stand for sends clear messages towards those you are around. For me due to how i behave and express myself, I send the message of being kind and a great listener. In addition I also carry myself with respect which sends the message to others to respect me as well. When you send clear messages through your character  to others , better understanding comes into play.

I have learned that there are so many layers to understanding and learning gender. One of the many layers i have learned about gender is body politics. Body politics is an assumption of a persons sexuality and character based off of our physical appearance. How many times has a person misjudged you based on how you look or dress? it sounds silly to label a person on who they are and who/ what they like by there appearance. This happens often and again i have fell guilty of it. I believe when we allow body politics to have a place in a relationship it can blind us of the true identity of a person. It can also make communication difficult. We may approach someone or interact with someone the wrong way because we have our own personal ideas on that individuals character. Overall gender communication isn’t a one time thing, i will keep on learning and we all should as the world continues to change and evolve throughout our lifetime.