Transition of Gender Identities in South Africa

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There has been much discussion about gender and the many different identities linked to it. Gender is the term used to describe the type of sex that a particular person identifies them self with. This sex can either be male or female. However, we live in a society with people having multiple identities. Therefore, I agree with the statement which states that gender identities are in transition in South Africa today. Many South Africans are identifying themselves to a particular gender identity. This essay will clearly show how gender identity is in transition in South Africa.

Many gender identities of South Africans are being formed by the influence of the society taking form as socialisation. According to Hacking (1999) gender is socially constructed whereas it motivates visions in which women are held to be essentially subjective to male domination. This emphasises the fact that women are fighting against patriarchy. According to Coetzee (2001) patriarchy refers to the dominance of male roles, whereas men are to take charge and are seen as the breadwinner of the family. However this is in the process of change, many women are fighting against patriarchy and demanding equal standards and rights for both men and women. These women are known as feminists. No longer are women restricted into which career path they wish to follow; however, in the past there was a separation of men and women career paths whereas women had to study for careers such as nursing. Today women are climbing the corporate ladder and finding themselves having and practicing roles of men. Society is forming the gender roles of both men and women whereas men are seen to be the breadwinner for his family and women are seen as the nurturing and caring person in t...

... middle of paper ...

...t they are also human just with a different gender identity then the usual. This essay has argued for the statement and I have provided clear examples.

Word count (1207)

Works Cited

• Coetzee, Daniella.( 2001). “South African education and the ideology of patriarchy,” in South African Journal of Education, 21(4), pp.300-304.

• Dube, Beverly. 2004. “Shall the lamb feed together with the fox?: Destroying Race and Gender Stereotypes in Zimbabwean Children’s Readers” in Journal of African and Youth Literature, vol 15-16.

• Greenberg, David, F.1990. The construction of homosexuality. Chicago, University of Chicago.

• Gurling, Deon.2010. Cape Town Gay Pride Parade 2010.pp 2

• Hacking, Ian. 1999. The Social construction of what? Harvard University Press.

• Kent, Laura. 1983. “Gender roles in transition,” The Journal Of Higher Education. 54(3), pp 309-324.

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