Social Construction Of Gender

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Social Construction of Gender Societies construct of gender is defined as the two binary sexs, male and female. This can come from a medical definition of gender being hormones, chromosomes and anatomy. This label is a tool used to define others as it helps humans understand their own behaviors and how to react to others. However these labels can sometimes be restricting, and pressure conforming. They help create discrimination and sexism between the genders. It is an important topic for Women and Gender Studies, as it allows one to evaluate their own behavior based on the societies pressured behaviors and to understand systematic operation of “deviant” genders. The gender binary is so ingrained in American culture that how one acts, …show more content…

Sex meaning the physical attributes of someone be it hormonal, chronological or anatomical. “...social institution of gender depends on the production and maintenance of a limited number of gender statuses and of making the members of these statuses similar to each other” (Lorber 57). To divide the sexs, and therefore gender, society puts them into masculine and feminine categories. The phallus being the underlying symbol of masculinity; there is great emphasis on the phallus and or lack thereof. If there is a working phallus at birth the child could be considered a male, if the phallus is too small or unresponsive it then may be considered a female. Then the action and emotions of the sexs are also gendered. Masculinity and Femininity are divided by the concept of intimacy. A “male” will be strong and less intimate with both their feeling and others while a “female” is allowed to be in tune and intimate about their feels and others. It is these strict statutes that define the social definition of …show more content…

With modern technology doctors try to pinpoint just what gender the child should be. However to which one of these can be credited with fully gendering an individual, for there is not one indisputable aspect of someone who is intersex, is up for debate. At this time in the infant's life these labels are pushed onto them, for better or for worse. The International Bill of Gender Rights states, “It is fundamental that individuals have the right to define, and to redefine as their lives unfold, their own gender identities, without regard to...initial gender role.” While giving an intersex child a gender seems to be the normal, natural thing to do it may not be the best. International Bill of Gender Rights also states “All human beings have the right to control their bodies, which includes the right to change their bodies cosmetically, chemically, or surgically, so as to express a self-defined gender identity.” If the child being intersex is not harmful to its healthy, why is it such a necessity to sometimes surgically alter its appearance? This alteration is usually to help the parents connect with the child more, to understand them as one sex or the other and to help strangers do the same. Yet this also takes away the child's options later in life if they had wished to look and live as someone who is intersex. It is a conformity that takes away one's

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