Third Chapter Of Brenda Allen's Difference Matters, Gender Matters

As it’s my first semester at Chatham, friends and relatives often ask how I’m spending my time on campus. While classes and social events are not surprisingly the first activities mentioned, I also always want to describe my work-study position. I am a communications assistant at the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics (aka the PCWP when I’m short of breath). As the organization’s title would suggest, we focus on increasing women’s public influence though various programs. My responsibilities include maintaining an active social media presence, gathering information to use as content, and communicating with speakers, guests, and staff. While I’ve only worked at the PCWP a few weeks- and developed an interest in women’s involvement with politics and policy only a few years before that- the objectives of this organization relate very closely to the third chapter of Brenda Allen’s “Difference Matters”, Gender Matters.

In this third chapter, she explores the variety of issues related to communicating gender, illustrating the power relations among people.

Allen defines gender and distinguishes it from sex throughout the chapter. Initially this was a topic I didn’t understand enough to have an opinion on, but after analyzing the text I’ve found that I agree with her in this respect. She also discusses dominant value systems relating to gender, which I decided to focus the majority of my essay on. _________________ The final section dealt with the research and emotions associated with communicating gender, which I had an opportunity to do myself in this essay. I hope that my summarization of Allen’s work and description of personal experiences can reinstate Allen’s thesis/project/thoughts: gender

matters.
Sex and gender are often treated as interchangeable descriptive adjectives or expectations. However, Allen (p. ____), “sex is based on biology and genetics, while gender is culturally and relationally determined”. For example, until very recently a majority of American culture taught that all men are attracted to women, and vise versa. Still, this archaic thought that persists and harms those that experience same-sex attraction, identity changes, or no attraction whatsoever. Stereotypes and disadvantages affect the way and means that non-dominant groups (in this chapter/case, women and others who don’t belong in the cis-male category) are allowed to participate in society. On page 56, Allen states that “we reproduce gender as we perform gender through language, small talk, joking, dress, body language, marketing materials, advertising campaigns, use of space, and so on”. In the following pages, Allen goes on to describe how organizations put a preference on men (valuing work quality over appearance, orienting language towards them, and equating professionalism with masculinity) while devaluing women. She refers to a study where white professional women shared beliefs about their body and how it related to their work. Common themes of what they valued included fitness, body etiquiette, and menstrual shame t
While these issues may seem small compared to the variety of other issues facing those of a nondominant sex or gender today (child marriage, sex trafficing, economic enequities, and harassment are only a few), progress and policy will not likely occur unless they challenge the institutions that allow or encourage such abuse. I’m proud and hopeful that organizations like the PCWP work to empower the oppressed so they can improve the lives of their fellow brothers, sisters, and citizens. I believe this is what Allen was talking about when she said “