Sex and Gender 101 gives you a great understanding of what the concepts of Sex and Gender are. Based on what I read, Sex is basically a biological factor that is purely based on the genetic composition of an individual. While the XY chromosome produce male sex, the XX chromosome produce the female sex. One the other hand, gender is based on the gender role played in the society as per norms. This is an important distinction as gender role is assigned to each sex based on their capability and efficiency. And yes, the biological factors are also responsible for gender differences. For example, a female is born with a uterus which is a biological factor, and the role of a mother in nurturing a baby is given to a female which is all based on her gender role. As far as my personal life is considered, I am happy that I gave birth to 2 beautiful babies. However, this is not possible due to the biological factor which exist within me as a female. Moreover, the love and affection which a mother feels towards the baby born by her is never the same as like that of a father. Hence, the same feelings which a mother feels cannot be felt by a father as well. As far as gender role is considered, the father is expected to take care of the financial part while the mother is expected to take care of the home. I do not think a reversed role is acceptable by the male and female. This might be due to the gender role associated with each of us restricting ourselves.
In the essay, “Feminist Politics Where We Stand” Bell Hooks defines feminism as: “a movement to end sexism, sexiest exploitation, and oppression. According to Bell Hooks, she thinks feminism refers to sexism, sexual exploitation and oppression of the patriarchal society. Patriarchy is a system in society where men hold the power and women are excluded. This would mean that a new society would be gender blind where people would be treated equality. It’s a system of relationships, beliefs, and values implanted political, social, and economic system that structure gender inequality between both men and women. Things seen as “feminine” or pertaining to women are undervalued, while things regarded ‘masculine” or pertaining to men are privileged. Feminism is about all genders having equal rights and opportunities. It’s about respecting diverse women’s experiences, identities, knowledge, and strengths, and striving to empower all women to realize their full rights. She provided a critical evaluation of successes and failures of contemporary feminism and viewed a wide variety to topics like reproductive rights, sexual violence, race, class and work. One of her things she analyzed was the absence of a strong meaning of women’s liberation and the transcendence of white, advantaged feminist in the development too. In comparison to what Bell Hooks meant, I would say that I am big on feminism because I believe in equal rights for women as there is for men.
