Monday, February 14, 2011

Two Sexes Are Not Enough & the Social Construction of Gender

After having read the readings I came across very interesting points, and some information that I was not aware of or never took the time to closely analyze it. One point that caught my attention was the fact that in the reading it states that some people are considering adding on 3 more categories making it a total of 5 categories to gender, so it will no longer just be male and female but more complex types. The example given on page 140 concerning Suydam was very interesting to me and made me think about how politics and this controversy blend in with each other. How Suydam's vote was not counted due to his unknown gender until a physician went and took a look at him and determined his gender and therefore his vote was counted.
On the other hand I agree with the point that Judith Lorber had to make in her reading that gender is socially constructed through the years. Even before the child is born the doctor is able to determine what sex it will be according to its genitals, then when the babies are born their room is already decorated according to the sex that they were given, and from that point on their life will revolve around that gender, and their family surrounding them and society as they grow up will shape their thoughts and will treat them according to their gender. Society has a strong impact on other people’s lives and how they live it. If people break the norms they will be concerned of how society will react to it and treat them, because a women are viewed in one way and men in another way.

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