Category: Gender Identity Project

Lisa Blamfort Institutional Artifact project

As someone who grew up in a Catholic family and who went to a Catholic school since kindergarten to senior high school, I am confident that religion is among many important characteristics associated with the differentiation of gender inequality in society since the beginning of the world and all over the world. The role of a women in religion nationwide  especially in a Catholic religion is in the household by being mothers and wives, it is also grant on the respect for women and their vital role in family life, but Catholic Church does not promote emancipation a complete equality with men because the opinion of women most of the time is hardly heard. The artifact that society uses to apply its norms to people is a holy book called the Bible, it also uses the 10 Commandments of Moses, the rules of the Catholic Church, 7 Deadly Sins in Dante’s inferno etc.…

The connection between religion and gender equality can be interpret clearly by the very first pages of the Holy Bible in Genesis 2:4-3:24 that explain God or Yahweh created Adam who is man before and Eve a woman is created from one of Adam’s ribs to be his companion/servant. The holy Bible even accused Eve to seduce Adam to eat the Forbidden fruit and make him lose his place in the Garden of Eden. Another disturbing part in the Bible is men did polygamy like King David had many wives and multiple concubines in 2 Samuel 5:14-16 KJV but if women committed adultery, they will stone to death in the Gospel of John 7:53–8:11

Another artifact that really affects equality issues in the society is the most powerful characters in the Catholic bible almost all the religious leaders are men such as Daniel, David, Paul, Job, Joshua, Jesus, Moses, , the Pope Francis for catholic church, even Yahweh AKA God who nobody never sees face to face or even talks to is considered as a white man. In more than 10,000 saints recognized by the Roman Catholic Church that I used to pray every day, only 20 women Saints who made a mark on the Catholic World.

Jesus did make a contrast of gender in the Bible by choosing only 12 Jewish men as apostles that means for a religious person that women are invaluable and inequal to men. Because of that theory in the Bible, women are barred from becoming pope, priest and cardinal, the catholic church even argues that “If Jesus wanted women to be priests, he would have called them to be his apostles.”  Women were not allowed to aid in the revitalized diaconate by Pope Paul VI in 1967 and the church refuses to admit women to the priesthood, the catholic delivers a message to the world: women are inferior to men and they are still going be and nobody cans anything about that in the Catholic Community.

The Bible tell us “Obey the government and its rules, for God is the One who has put it there and if we refuse to obey the law punishment will follow.” This verse in the bible makes everybody fearful and this example is a Psychological theory include psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic feminism because most people go to church and follow their gender through memories related to their religious norms or the bible rules but not based what they truly feel inside themselves.

The Bible is known as the oldest book in history of mankind, people didn’t have access to other books in the past because books were considered as a luxury limited item own by rich people and religious leaders only, our peers did grew up through and by the bible because it was more accessible than other well informed books. And this this where the critical/Cultural theory come play a role in the inequality of gender. And unfortunately, this biblical culture was transmitted from generation to generation.

Social Constructionism play a big part also in gender aspect because those holy books have a lot of common despite their differences in name and location, all the powerful minister of religion in the Bible were male, most of them were white with green or blue eyes like Jesus who is described as a blond hair and green eyes man, rich in power and material because most of them were kings and those are the same people who wrote those holy books. This theory helps the feminist movements how to end bias in our society.

It is evident that the study of the rank of women in religion also affects the status of women in society as a whole that’s the reason I choose religion. The man was created before the woman and therefore may have authority even if the first human body ever discovered was a woman named Lucy.  Man’s dominance over woman is presented as part of the consequence of sin because eve ate the apple and force Adam to do so, suggesting that such dominance was not God’s original intent. And the last page of the Bible Apocalypse concludes that a woman will give birth to the anti-Christ. The Problem with that those religious institutions such as religious school, universities, seminaries and religious homes and orphanages they are woman’s enemy. The Catholic religion is there to oppress woman in every aspect in their life, it lifts men up and women down just for their own self-esteem. The issues with exclusion of women and girls makes our society unhealthy and unbalanced. We need to educate each other how to love and respect others for a better world.

 

 

Gender Identity Project

My culture and background had a huge impact on my gender identity. I am a black middle class woman, born and raised in Jamaica. I am a cisgendered heterosexual woman. Being Jamaican I was sheltered from the idea that there could be other genders outside of male and female. When sexuality is spoken about in my country anything that is not heterosexual is looked down upon. Growing up around Christians I was taught that homosexuality is a sin. Even around non Christians they I found that they would cite the Bible as an excuse to be homophobic. Coming to America was an important way for me to unlearn these harmful rhetoric. 

My first learning experience was meeting a gay person in middle school. We became friends and I was able to ask as many questions as I needed and I learned so much. My assumptions were quickly disproven and I was able to become open and accepted. What was really sad was that although I saw that homosexuals were becoming more accepted transphobia wasn’t as easily accepted. I soon learned to be an ally to all members of the LGBT+  community. I used resources such as social media to learn more about these marginalized groups and accept them for who they are.

Growing up Caribbean there were gender roles placed on me from such a young age that I couldn’t handle. I was expected to know how to cook and clean. My family preferred that I spent more time inside than outside. I was told that it wasn’t ladylike for wearing pants to church or to sit with my legs open. I remember an elderly woman in Jamaica telling me it was a sin for a girl to whistle. A lot of these things really bothered me as a child especially seeing the boys in my family get the freedom to really express themselves. Even during school I experienced this hardship. I was very outspoken and liked to talk a lot a a child and I was often punished for it because it isn’t ladylike. As I grew older I started to rebel against these stereotypes until my parents finally saw how unfair these expectations were.

I believe that a number of things contribute to ones gender identity. How they grow up and the culture they see around them can influence this. One thing that I strongly believe that someone should be able to express themselves however they choose to. I hope we get to the point where society accepts everyone for who they are. I plan to continue to learn and teach others around me so they can unlearn their ignorance and accept people for who they truly are.

Gender Identity Project

Growing up, when I heard the word gender, I thought of the binary genders male and female. Automatically, I thought yeah I am biologically a female, I have all the parts of one and I look like one, I wasn’t aware of the things I know now like gender, sex, and sexuality. Society had formed this image in my head that as a female I should act, talk, walk, and behave as such.

I remember growing up it was just me and my mom, we were in a shelter at first but then had an apartment; looking back at those times I realize now that gender binary was never a thing I thought of. The way I dressed, talked, acted, and behaved was different. I didn’t care about the fact that I was a female and didn’t always dress girly, or I didn’t hang around the girls in my class or that I played tag and football with the boys. I was being me and doing, dressing, etc., how I wanted to act; I was being the person I viewed myself as not tied down to the fact that I was born with womanly/ girly features. Again growing up without the common gender roles that some grew up with, actually experiencing it was a weird and challenging time for me.

Where my mom grew up in Grenada these roles are a very common aspect in life after my mom went to basics (in the Army) as well as my aunt, I had to live with my grandmother there and it was not an enjoyable experience. Since I was a child who is old enough to take care of people by their standards, so ultimately I had to take care of the two cousins that were also with me, not to mention help my grandma with washing the dirty clothes, cooking, and cleaning up after my two uncles. One of my uncles worked, the other one didn’t do anything at all besides watch anime in the living room, on my grandmother’s computer but, even though my working uncle had a job that’s all he did besides tinkering with broken electronics. As a female child, he would tell me “I should know my place” and that “girls shouldn’t be playing games”. Now at the time, he said that it didn’t quite register in my mind, what he meant as he said it but now, I understand what he meant. Just because I am biologically a female doesn’t mean I should be doing what a female “has” to do. I am a person when I see myself I don’t see gender, when I look at others I don’t see gender, to me you are who you are, and that’s all that matters. The sad part about this is that some people in my family still think this way, for instance, my grandfather; he treats the females as if they are supposed to take care of him and spoils the boys. Making me and especially my 15-year-old cousin does EVERYTHING for him, wash his clothes and cook for him especially. Treated like a maid at the age of 15 because of her gender and refers to us jokingly as his “girlfriend’s/wives”, this is disgusting, disrespectful, and uncomfortable. In addition, if you don’t do what he asks he gets mad at you and starts acting like a donkey, we have even physically fought each other even though it was a one-sided fight. It was over the dumbest thing too; a can of Pringle’s. I ended up getting punched, my hair pulled and thrown down some steps. Some may think that has nothing to do with my gender or sex but that is where you are wrong because again the females in my family are treated lesser than the males. My grandpa doesn’t fight with the boys but will fight the females.

The emotions I was feeling I had never felt before, pure and prominent rage, hate, and the utmost and purest form of disrespect. I still think about what happened and the emotions that come up aren’t as bad but the respect is still the same and won’t change. What’s happened in the past though has really shaped who I am today and has helped me to develop my mentality further. I am more patient, calm, understanding, and I don’t dwell on what people think about the way I am, how I act, the groups I hang around and most importantly I am more comfortable in my own skin and more reassured in my own identity. I consider myself a cisgender person and I couldn’t be happier about it but, at the same time, I sometimes don’t even think about my gender. It is not a thing that I really talk about or cling to and quite frankly I don’t care about it; again whatever I like and whoever I like is that simple as my ABCs and 123s. I will never let someone tell me that because I am a woman, I am incapable of doing the same things a man can do or, treat me less than I deserve. At the end of the day, we are all people, and we all deserve to be treated as equals.

Gender Identity Project (Draft)

Growing up, when I heard the word gender, I thought of the binary genders male and female. Automatically, I thought yeah I am biologically a female, I have all the parts of one and I look like one, I wasn’t aware of the things I know now like gender, sex, and sexuality. Society had formed this image in my head that as a female I should act, talk, walk, and behave as such.

I remember growing up it was just me and my mom, we were in a shelter at first but then had an apartment; looking back at those times  I realize now that gender binary was never a thing I thought of. The way I dressed, talked, acted, and behaved was different. I didn’t care about the fact that I was a female and didn’t always dress girly, or I didn’t hang around the girls in my class or that I played tag and football with the boys. I was being me and doing, dressing, etc., how I wanted to act; I was being the person I viewed myself as not tied down to the fact that I was born with womanly/ girly features. Again growing up without the common gender roles that some grew up with, actually experiencing it was a weird and challenging time for me.

Where my mom grew up in Grenada these roles are a very common aspect in life after my mom went to basics (in the Army) as well as my aunt, I had to live with my grandmother there and it was not an enjoyable experience. Since I was a child who is old enough to take care of people by their standards, so ultimately I had to take care of the two cousins that were also with me, not to mention help my grandma with washing the dirty clothes, cooking, and cleaning up after my two uncles. One of my uncles worked, the other one didn’t do anything at all besides watch anime in the living room, on my grandmother’s computer but, even though my working uncle had a job that’s all he did besides tinkering with broken electronics. As a female child, he would tell me “I should know my place” and that “girls shouldn’t be playing games”. Now at the time, he said that it didn’t quite register in my mind, what he meant as he said it but now, I understand what he meant. Just because I am biologically a female doesn’t mean I should be doing what a female “has” to do. I am a person when I see myself I don’t see gender, when I look at others I don’t see gender, to me you are who you are, and that’s all that matters. The sad part about this is that some people in my family still think this way, for instances my grandfather; he treats the females as if they are supposed to take care of him and spoils the boys. Making me and especially my 15 year old cousin do EVERYTHING for him, wash his clothes and cook for him especially. Treated as a maid at the age of 15 because of her gender and refers to us jokingly as his “girlfriend’s/wives”, this is disgusting, disrespectful, and uncomfortable. In addition if you don’t do what he ask he gets mad at you and starts acting like a horses behind, we have even physically fought each other even though it was a one sided fight. It was over the dumbest thing too; a can of Pringle’s. I ended up getting punched, my hair pulled, and thrown down some steps. Some may think that has nothing to do with my gender or sex but that is where you are wrong because, again the females in my family are treated lesser than the males. My grandpa doesn’t fight with the boys but will fight the females.

The emotions I was feeling I had never felt before, pure and prominent rage, hate, and the utmost and purest form of disrespect. I still think about what happened and the emotions that come up aren’t as bad but the respect is still the same and won’t change. What’s happened in the past though has really shaped who I am today and has helped me to develop my mentality further. I am a more patient, calm, understanding, and I don’t dwell on what people think about the way I am, how I act, the groups I hang around and most importantly I am more comfortable in my own skin and more reassured in my own identity.

 

Abdoul Galiou Dabre Gender Identity Paper Final Portfolio

Gender and decision making is still a critical subject when it comes to social construction. How people ascribe various gender roles to both men and women has been a hot topic, especially in the era of feminism. In most cases, families are led by men, and they are the breadwinners of the family. This makes them have power over women, making it difficult to have a say in the decision-making process. In most settings, girls grow, knowing that their duties are house chores while male children are educated and trained to be leaders in society. Many biological theories agree with this idea by suggesting that somethings come naturally, such as being male or female (DeFrancisco et al., 2013). This makes gender roles naturally acquired, and trying to change gender roles is a taboo in many communities. Despite most international conventions stressing on the importance of participation and equitable access when making decisions, studies show some communities still disregard other genders based on gender identity. In some settings, feedback from men is likely to be considered and utilized when making decisions on issues. In some cases, women are expected to follow decisions made by men as opposed to women. These cases possess a question about what influences decision making based on factors such as sex, race, class, and other identities.

Growing up in a village setting where people value culture and social norms in decision making allowed me to encounter a particularly interesting case. I was raised by a single parent who worked against odds to ensure I got the basic needs, including education. In my community, women are not entitled to own hereditary or communal land. My grandparents owned more than 30 acres and had four children (two sons and two daughters). Unfortunately, for some reasons I had to live with my grandparents and aunt who was a twin sister to my late mother.  Since my aunt was not married, we stayed with my grandparents until they all died when I was at a tender age. When the time came for the division of family land, my aunt was left landless since our norms never recognized women as part and parcel of beneficiaries. Furthermore, women are not allowed to own any property or piece of land in the area. My uncles sub-divided the property within them and never allocated any land for my aunt to use. This left my aunt homeless and a squatter in her own land.

My aunt then decided to approach family members in a bid to get some piece of land to enable us to sustain herself. This plea fell on deaf ears as none was able to hear her since she was a woman. She then tried to approach the local authorities and elders. My uncles were summoned to make their comments before the community land committee. My aunt’s arguments were simple; she is not married and has a child to raise. My grandparents never left any will, which should have also guided on the proper way of sharing the land. My aunt received support from other women who were single parents. Unfortunately, during the ruling, the land community followed my uncle’s suggestion, which said one acre of land to be bought outside the family land and given to my aunt. Upon further inquiry from the state authorities, the decision of the community land committee was upheld. By advocating for equal rights when making decisions, he was branded feminists and regarded as someone who does not honor the cultural norms .

Whenever issues arise in my community, the elders set a date for  public hearing, and this is where decisions are made based on peoples’ suggestions. However, this committees are made up of men, making it biased for women. Unfortunately, women who attend these forums are not allowed to speak. Only men are allowed to give their opinions and participate in decision making while women are supposed to listen and adapt to the final rulings. Women, in this case, are classified as children and cannot give sound judgment. This case extends to the family setting where fathers have the final say when making any decision for the family. For instance, when determining economic activities such as farming, a man is the only allowed when making this decision. Women are allowed to access education, but their place and role in society are still defined and fixed. This is because of the power that the community has given men, making it easy for them to rule over women.

According to psychological theories, individuals’ identity is not set at birth naturally but is developed through an experience such as childhood interaction (DeFrancisco et al., 2013). In many communities, there are cultural and social norms that everyone is expected to subscribe to and adhere to. When children grow, they develop a finite mindset that defines an individual’s specific role in society. In many communities, people grow up knowing that women are not entitled to own a piece of land. They also develop a mindset that depicts women as inferior and cannot participate in decision making without a factual basis. When they grow up, these people will continue practicing the same norms without enquiring (Eisenberg, 1996). In my case, my aunt was denied land-based on gender, and her arguments were disregarded without a real basis. In this kind of setting, girls also grow knowing the defined role and remain submissive to men without valid reasons.

Social scientist suggest that some things are natural and cannot be changed. In this case, being born a male or female naturally outlines your role in society (Foss et al., 2013). One of the theory shows men brain is distinct from the females. For instance, men can confront challenges better than women, while women are wired to more empathetic and detail (DeFrancisco et al., 2013). From this research, people in society classify being born a girl or boy will naturally define your role (Foss et al., 2013). This can be one of the reasons my aunt was not even heard during the land case dispute. She is expected to get married elsewhere, and giving them rights to own hereditary land is not right (Eisenberg, 1996). When not approached well, this theory tries to disadvantage and rule out others in the decision-making process.

In conclusion, theories in gender suggest that some things occur naturally, such as a person’s sex. Since one cannot choose to be male or female, gender roles occur naturally where women have specific duties, and men have other different roles (Foss et al., 2013). In many settings, women are low in the hierarchy of authority, making it hard to contribute to society. In my aunt’s case, she never received justice since she was a widow and nobody to protect her. This made it easy for my uncles to grab her share of land, leaving her homeless. Girls should not grow with a mentality of being submissive to men even when they are being oppressed. Women should not be controlled like children, but should be allowed to be free and contribute in decision making. Gender roles should not just be assigned according to someones sex of birth, but through the skills acquired in the learning process.

 

References

Andler, M. S. (2017). Gender identity and exclusion: A reply to Jenkins. Ethics, 127(4), 883-895.

 DeFrancisco, V.P.,  Palczewski C.H.,  & McGeough, D.D. (2013). Gender in Communication A Critical Introduction, Second Edition. Sage publications, Inc.

Eisenberg, N., Martin, C. L., & Fabes, R. A. (1996). Gender development and gender effects.

Foss, S. K., Domenico, M. E., & Foss, K. A. (2013). Gender Stories: Negotiating Identity in a Binary World. Langrove: Waveland press.

 

 

 

Tiffany Zeno Gender Identity Project

In the recent years, the conversation about gender identities has been growing tremendously. Numerous factors are associated with the increased popularity of gender identities. One of the key influences has been the modern society shifting away from the two traditional genders, male and female. The world comprises over 50 genders and it is upon someone to determine their specific identity. In simple terms, gender identity refers to an individual’s perception and idea of possessing a specific gender, which may or fail to adhere to their birth sex. Aspects such as social class, race, and culture among other identity categories influence the gender identity that individuals select. I identify as a cisgender woman and the development of this identity is related to body politics and the social learning theory. Every individual should seek to identify a gender identity that they feel is suitable for themselves and should avoid doing it at the behest of the societal, racial, or cultural pressure and expectations.

Gender identity is an important part of the being of a person. Cultural norms and institutions play a crucial role in the gender construction and maintenance process (De Francisco, Catherine, and Danielle 29). As mentioned above, I identify as a cisgender woman, which means that I identify with the same gender assigned at birth. One of the main possibilities behind my gender construction process is because of the environment I was brought up in. Ever since I was a child there was always the need to act prim and proper always backed by the phrase “act like a lady.” My father enforced rules regarding wearing “appropriate” clothing for women, not to speak a certain way, and how women are expected to date. This unconsciously made me wary of the way I acted and the way I conducted myself. Therefore, I grew up with the condition that I always need to act like a girl or a woman and meet all the societal expectations.

Looking back, I understand the role of the social learning theory on my upbringing and gender construction process. The social learning theory identifies that social conduct and behavior emerges from imitating and observing other people (De Francisco 38). In addition to my father’s strict rules, I was always given examples of behaviors that I ought to copy and adopt from other women. Such behaviors and conduct revolved around numerous things such as dressing, talking, and relationship expectations. As a result, I grew up observing and imitating these behaviors and they had a huge influence in the development of my gender identity and how I behaved.

The body politics that come with identifying as a female is enormous. Body politics refers to how the genders are expected to care for their bodies as well as the way everyone’s body should look. Growing up, there was always the constant urge about how to mind my body as a female. If even a hair was out of place, it would elicit teases. Therefore, I find myself being very mindful about how I carry myself around. Even despite this caution, I often feel like it is very unfair to have all these conditions and expectations involving women, yet men are exempt from them. It only goes to prove how the society is very critical of women while being unfair in showing the same criticism towards men. The modern society and future generations should move away from these traditional societal and gender views and perceptions.

Sadly enough, being a female often comes with some form of objectification. Objectification refers to how society views people as solely objects meant for the pleasure of the viewer. Some cultures and societies often and still objectify the women, despite the progress that has been achieved towards their empowerment. The society is often filled with perceptions about how people who are cisgender should behave and mostly this stems from a point of objectification. The depths of the objectification of women trace back to the traditional societies and their gender roles. Women were considered property in these societies and their main role was to cater for their families and husbands. It explains why they lacked any form of power and authority, at home and in the society.

Personally, this form of objectification has made me at times be wary of myself in order to conform to the societal constructions of being a female. The “rules” for being a woman in society often contradict themselves. For example, women are expected to be sexy yet classy, resilient but not to overbearing for the man. Oftentimes we work hard to educate and make a living for ourselves, to then be downplayed in the work field because we are viewed as less than. It is very unfair for societies and cultures to continue objectifying women and treating them in that manner, yet we have proven that we are deserving of all the privileges accorded to men.

Although I identify as a cisgender woman, I am open to all other sexualities and I believe that everyone has the right to be who they want to be and do what makes them happy. Regardless how someone identifies I believe everyone should be treated equal and should not be expected to conform to societal standards. No one has a right to judge and reprimand other gender identities, instead the world should works towards being more accommodating and trying to understand the different identities.

 

Works Cited

DeFrancisco, Victoria, Catherine Palczewski, and Danielle Dick McGeough. Gender in Communication: A Critical Introduction, Second Edition. Sage Publications, Inc.: 2013.

Gender Identity Project Draft

I just wish they would get to know me. I just wish they would of actually gave me a chance. Is it my fault that my presence intimidates them without me even trying? It is right to exclude me because I may be a tad bit different than the others? These are the questions I think about when I think about the experience that changed my life. I like that this class is not only about the scientific version of gender. I appreciate that we learn that factors such as race and social class can play a role in gender discrimination. This experience that changed my life includes me being discriminated against based on all of these factors.

My gender identity is one of being a young black women. I believe my gender identity is based on biological theories, brain development, and psychological theories. Learning that there are many other factors that contribute to gender roles has given me an appreciation for others ideas and feelings as it pertains to gender. I will be discussing how biological theories, brain development, and psychological theories are some of the top factors that influence my gender, and why I most likely experienced the discrimination that I have.

I like to wear my hair in a variety of ways. Different textures, colors, and lengths. I like my nails long most of the time, sometimes I want neutral colors, sometimes I want bright colors. I naturally have a strong presence, yet I am balanced. I am confident. I speak up, I am the person to raise my hand when no one does. I stick up for myself, I do not let people run all over me. Unfortunately, all of my qualities stem from being a black woman. I say unfortunately because these qualities should not be assigned to only black women. Because of our oppression, these qualities are then considered ghetto, or intimidating. So, on top of me being African American I’m a woman as well? What a double threat, not only for others but for me as well. Because of this I have to conform to others idea of what professional looks like. I have to mellow out my personality to fit in with others. I am the outsider when I am in environment that usually do not accept many of my kind.  This type of environment do not accept different personalities, and creativity. Yet this type of environment promotes diversity, and inclusion.

My biological make up says I am a woman of African decent. So I do things that girls do with the influence of black culture. I wear cornrows, I embrace my curl pattern, I cant help that my lips are big or my hips spread. The walk I have is strong, it comes from my black mother. I cant help that either. My brain development comes from what I grew up around. Growing up in the time of 1998-2020, times did drastically change in front of my eyes. Ideas of gender, racism, technology, and more grew drastically as I grew into a young woman. I’ve watched same sex marriage become legal (which is great for equality), I have watch flip phones turn into smart phones. Because of smart phones, I’ve watched along with millions of other people live footage of racism. My generation have seen the ideal body type change from slim and tall to thick, very thick. Even facial features have standards; big lips, small noses, chiseled cheek bones, perfect teeth and more. It is so easy to be influenced by society’s standards, this is a mixture between brain development and psychological theories.

“Gender identity is our internal experience and naming of our gender. It can correspond to or differ from the sex we were assigned at birth…This core aspect of one’s identity comes from within each of us. Gender identity is an inherent aspect of a person’s make-up. Individuals do not choose their gender, nor can they be made to change it. However, the words someone uses to communicate their gender identity may change over time; naming one’s gender can be a complex and evolving matter. Because we are provided with limited language for gender, it may take a person quite some time to discover, or create, the language that best communicates their internal experience. Likewise, as language evolves, a person’s name for their gender may also evolve. This does not mean their gender has changed, but rather that the words for it are shifting” (Gender Spectrum). I really like this piece of writing from Gender Spectrum because it conveys to its audience that a persons identity is to be respected. This piece of writing recognizes the shift that is happening in this world due to gender identities. Just as I expect respect because I identify as a black woman, the same goes for anyone no matter how they identify.

Guidelines: Gender Identity Project

For this personal reflection essay you will apply course readings and discussions to identify and examine the social construction of your own unique gender identity. Remember, that there is not one gendered experience; rather gender is influenced by race, social class, and other identity categories. Include specific gender stories, observations, and concrete descriptions of your own experiences to demonstrate what you have learned regarding how gender is constructed, and how that construction influences your worldview and expectations.

In addition to including personal stories or anecdotes, you will theorize your experience by applying a minimum of 3 relevant concepts from the course.  Be sure to define your terms, rather than just name-drop.  Write a coherent personal reflection essay that features your voice, not just a list of concept applications.  Creativity is encouraged. No external references are required. 

You will be asked to share your essays with our learning community. If your essay includes sensitive material you do not wish to share first consider if it is necessary to include in your paper. If you decide it is, please make your post private. Private posts will not receive feedback from classmates because they will be hidden.

Use proper MLA formatting and edit your paper to be free of writing errors. It should be 750 – 1000 words and posted to OpenLab on time. To submit your Gender Identity Paper,  go to the plus sign at the top of the site > type a title* and type the body of your post > choose the category “Gender Identity Project Draft” on the right > publish.

*Please use the title format “[FirstName] [LastName] Gender Identity Project Draft” 

Check out some examples from previous semesters.

RESPONSE GUIDELINES: GENDER IDENTITY DRAFT

You will not respond to three as you normally would in a discussion. This is how we will respond.

  • If your first name begins with A through L, read and respond to ALL of the Gender Identity Drafts of those who have names that begin M through Z.
  • If your first name begins with M through Z, read and respond to ALL of the Gender Identity Drafts of those who have names that begin A through L.
  •  Do this by Thursday, 6/11 at 11:59 pm.

How do you find them? Use the “Learner Writing, Etc.” drop-down menu on the right-hand side to select their name. The Gender Identity Draft will most likely be at the top. If it isn’t, scroll through and you will find it.

Your responses should be about the paper and what they did well. Please also note an area that you would like to see them expand or make clearer.

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.

Jhulio Vargas Gender Identity Project Draft

Gender Identity project 06092020

My Gender Analysis

I grew up in a two-parent household with my brother and my sister where the men have always pictured as the head of the family. My father did not cook or clean; he only worked. On the other hand, my mother worked too and did all the cooking, cleaning while also bringing money to the table and taking care of us. Unfortunately, she was never seen as a strong contributor to the family, although she was doing more. All because she is a woman. Despite the fact that some people think that men shouldn’t be cooking or cleaning because that is known to be women’s duties. I know that as a society we can progress, by accepting that we are all equal. Women and men are both capable of doing the same jobs. A lot of this programing is created by generations after generations and it is shown through stereotypes and lack of knowledge.

Furthermore, after learning and reading the material in this class I started to understand a lot more about the programing of my own identity by my parent and society. For example, I remember that as a kid, every time my brother and I fell or got injured, my parent will say, “stop crying, be a man,” or “stop crying be a boy.” I didn’t realize that this communication between my parent and me was building my gender identity. I grew up thinking that men are not week, that men don’t cry, but all that was how they perceive gender and probably without them noticing they were passing it down to me. Also, I remember my dad saying that boy are not supposed to wear skirt or even dye their hair because that was for women. Again portraying the steriotipe in his mindset. According to the Sex, Gender, Sexuality Interlace diagram Sex could be explored or perceive through your biological, anatomical, and physiological characteristics. Biological is the standard way in which babies are identified at their birth moment. That’s when I realize that my parent viewed gender in a very biological way.  I grew up thinking that because I was a boy I was intended to act extreme, battle when being disregarded, play sports more regularly than tag . My sister on the other hand is treated differently. My parent had a binary perspective os sex and gender that it was inherit by their pass generation they belived that the sex you was boin as is your destined sex. This view neglects to represent human intercession. We, as people, need to understand that we affect the social courses of action of society.

Growing up I thought that people that identify themselves as other and not as a male of female was incorrect because of the mindset I grew up with. We, as members of society, need to understand gender binary because, when it comes to sexuality, society tends to have a binary gender perspective and denounce other possibilities. It assumes that only men and women exist, not considering gender diversity and not considering the presence of people who do not identify as men or women. Gender, sexuality is neither binary nor fixed. There are straight individuals and gay individuals, yet individuals, bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, queer, and heteroflexible. That is how the Sex, Gender, Sexuality Interlace” diagram depicts sex and gender. For example, in society, the programming of sex and gender begins even before a baby is born, you see parents say things like if I have a boy, he will be treated like a king or if it is a girl she will be treated like a queen. This picture the mindset that immediately is created when we think of a specific sex, and we start to quickly attach the different ways we should be treating a human base on sex. This can be recognized by society as your destined sex. This view neglects to represent human intercession. Furthermore, understanding that there is not just to sexual identity bring comprehension to understand the issues with inequality. People identity can be varied, and it is different for everyone, and it is diverse for each individual. Our identity s formed by a wide range of experiences that we all have in life. That is why if we want a more inclusive and fairer world, we need to stop the culturally dominant binary model that neglects to precisely accept the wide variety of sexual and gender lived experiences.

According to Theories of gender/sex; I found out about the speculations of sexual orientation and sex. Analysts utilize these theories to clarify where the different perspective on sexual orientation originates from. For example, we can perceive gender and sex through the lenses of these three theories, biological, psychological, and critical/ cultural. These theories have a tremendous impact on the way we identify our self’s, especially when we try to justify our features. For example, when you see yourself through the lens of the biological theory, we tend to say, “ I was born with whatever biological features, and it’s unchangeable.”Furthermore, the psychological theory and the Critical/ cultural theory go hand in hand. Psychological theory focus on the internal development triggered by early childhood experience. Critical/ culture is how gender is viewed in different cultures. For example, the ideas of women being home caretakers and men being the provider invite simplistic comparisons that rely on stereotypes to define how women should be perceived in society. These theories emphasize that by the way we communicate, we can construct norms that physiologically can impact the way we see sex and gender and even the way we identify ourselves. Also, we attached to our cultural identity and later on enforced by how we communicate in society. We as humans need to be more aware of how human intercession can impact selves identity and norms. The outer influence of an individual should define no body’s character, but from within. Society has created a lot of stereotypes. No girl or boy should be growing up thinking that boys are not week, and that women are week—all for a better world.

Social learning theory, biological theory, and psychological advancement are compelling in deciding how we think and perceive sex. These speculations were the brain behind the experiences, which molded the manner in which I consider sex. My goal is to continue to expand my mindset on gender/ sex and understand that most of our belives is based on a paradigm. It is basically a mental program that has almost exclusive control over our habitual behavior.