Gender Is On Men, Woman, And The Rest Of Us By Kate Bornstein

The biological sex of a person, in most cases, today can still be considered one of the main identifying characteristics of an individual. In the past the sex of a person was more than an identifying characteristic, it was who they were. They were either men or women, there was no in between or changing it. Society today has come a long way in terms of gender identity and gender roles, but the concept of patriarchy still has the upper hand when it all boils down. Allan G. Johnson’s, The Gender Knot, provides for a more diverse outlook on the women’s expected roles in life, how they are expected to handle difficult situations in marriage, and how they demonstrate courage, in Mona Lisa Smile.

In the reading by Penelope Eckert and Sally McConnell-Ginet “Learning to be Gendered” it states “Women are not born, they are made. The same is true of men”. Everybody has their own gender, it’s either a male or female. We think that we were born this way, but in reality we are forced to become something we are not. We are the way we are because of society its self. It affects our daily lives to a point where people have lost the will of choosing who they are or what they want. In some parts around the world it is forbidden to date or marry the same sex. Now days everything is branded for either a male, female, or both.

Transgender issues cover a a multitude of spheres: discrimination (at school, in the workplace, when looking for housing), violence, suicide, and identification through legal documents to name a few. Transgender individuals deal with greater struggles than that of cisgender individuals, or those who identity as the gender which they were assigned at birth. Perhaps one of the greatest struggles transgender individuals have to deal with is acceptance, whether it be acceptance from others or acceptance of themselves. Cisgender individuals, or those who identify with the gender identity given at birth, do not have to worry that their gender identity will be accepted; society has already dictated it to be ‘normal’ and ‘acceptable’ (“Definitions of Terms”). Trans individuals are not afforded this luxury.

The article, The Cult of Womanhood: 1820 - 1860 written by Barbara Welter discusses the philosophy towards women in America during the mid 19th century. A set of demands and expectations based upon four principles: piety, purity, submission and domesticity were placed on women as well as certain behavioral expectations left 19th century women feeling guilty. It also left women feeling this way during the industrialization period as well as having a huge presence of incompatibility with society. Welter shares her viewpoint that the Cult of Womanhood was an attempt to preserve pre modern values in the industrial age. Men held a dominant place in society and continued to prevent new opportunities for women to explore. Narrow minded

The short story ‘’The Storm’’ by Kate Chopin follows the scandalous love affair of Calixta and Alcee Laballiere, despite the fact that each are already contently married to other people. Even though this story had been written in an era where strict conservative rules and, often misogynistic, traditional gender roles dictated the social normalities of society, Kate Chopin rebels these standards in her story, by showing readers the passionate affare of two seaminly respectable people. Alcee Laballiere sudden desire to be with Calixta is symbolized by the raging thunderstorm outside, musing after touching her that she ‘’had aroused all the old-time infatuation and desire for her flesh’’ (146), as well as how ‘’Her lips were as red and moist as pomegranate seed’’ (146). Even though Alcee Laballiere had not meant to cheat on his wife, only seeking to shelter himself from the rain, he finds himself having ‘’unthinkingly drawn her into his arms’’ (146).

My Biological sex is female, my gender identity is female, but is my gender expression what I am starting to question. It was after I read Janet Mock’s book and I listened to an interview with Joy Ladin that I became aware of the similarities transgender women undertake in their process to come out, and my own process of redefining the expression of the woman that I am. I feel that the coming out of transgender people is encouraging us, especially women, to deeply question our woman expression. Trans-women like Joy Ladin and Janet Mock are raising a new conversation about gender identity and gender expression…..

Viviane Namaste is a Canadian transsexual woman, an activist, sociologist, and a women’s studies professor. In her book, “Sex Change, Social Change: Reflections on Identity and Institutions”, Namaste reveals the limitations that only focusing on and questioning identity may create. In addition, Viviane Namaste provides an alternative ‘framework’ that would allow transsexual individuals to converse about the circumstance they encounter on a daily basis. Although Namaste agrees that questions concerning identity, gender, and sex are important, these questions seem to denounce the issues that transsexuals endure on a regular day-to-day basis. This is because the questions concerning identity fail to concentrate on the restrictions imposed onto

This article by Rupert Read concerns a debate in which the acceptability of trans-females demanding their acceptance as women is questioned. Although trans-females believe that they deserve the right to label their gender for themselves, it is problematic because someone with male genitals simply stating that they are female hardly makes them so. Read makes the argument that it is irrational for those who wish to belong to a certain group that they aren’t already a part of to instantly belong to it just by stating they are or wanting to be. This raises concern within feminism as to whether or not trans-females should be truly considered females due to the fact that they don’t have experiences that other women do such as periods or menopause.

Lynn Notagge in Intimate Apparel describes the life of Esther, a gifted but lonely black seamstress, who does a wonderful job creating intimate apparel for women, both wealthy socialites, and poor prostitutes. While she is very successful sewing exquisite lingerie for women and being able to stuff a goodly sum of money into her quilt over the years, she yearns a different life. Esther has two dreams: finding a husband (a man’s touch), and owning a beauty salon where both African American women and wealthy white women would be treated equally. By writing this play, Notagge acknowledges that everyone needs some kind of physical contact in order to function properly. The play revolves around people with different gender, race, religion, and

The role of communication as a tool for developing and maintaining close relationships cannot be overemphasized. Communication plays a pivotal role as the backbone of organizational and relationship success. Chapters nine and ten of Gendered Lives by Julia T. Wood judiciously highlights gender dynamics in organizational communication and communication in close relationships. Firstly, the presumption that men can’t handle feelings is wrong.

This morning I finished reading How To Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran. As I was nearing the end of the book, I found myself dreading that it would soon be over. I did not want it to end! I love it when I find a book that makes me feel this way. I am so entertained and delighted by the world of the book that I just don't want it to stop. When I do finish it, it feels like saying goodbye to a good friend. This book was so funny I laughed out loud every time I read a passage from it and decided I just HAVE to give copies away as gifts to all my girlfriends this Christmas.

All three articles contain the topic of gender and how gender is a social construct pressed onto mankind, from birth, as a way to differentiate the sexes, female and male. The article written by Lorber, goes into specific detail on the issues pertaining to gender in the real world. Mentioning that gender is taught from infancy, where parents are told the sex of their child and immediately instill female or male stereotypes to satisfy the social norm of a female and male society. She also argues that sex and race decide the level of superiority amongst the rest of the population, stating "when gender is a major component of structure inequality, the devalued gender has less power, prestige, and economic rewards than the valued gender," She also speaks of sexuality and how, similarly to gender, it is instilled from an early age that heterosexuality is the norm, leaving children/young teens to deny their true sexuality, whatever it may be.

West and Zimmerman claim that gender is not something we are but something we do.

The role of women within society and their demand for equality in terms of profession has been the basic premise of Virginia Woolf within her work published in “Professions for Women”. This meant that her intention was to ensure that women work for their empowerment. It strongly questions the society’s expectations from women. The role of women as ‘angels’ of their families' needs to be changed and replaced with women who would be focused on the growth of their own interests. There has been a complete transformation of the role of women from unselfish existence for their society to working for their own needs in order to achieve their professional goals. “Professions for Women” shared significantly on the concepts of ‘Angel’ in another words, in the development of the ‘angel concept’. Meanly, the condition of women’s professions before and how they

This essay will navigate the differences between sex and gender through definition and discourse. First I will discuss sex with reference to biology, what it means to possess the "parts" of a man and of a woman. Within this context I will address intersex people and will examine transgenderism. I will then explore and identify gender through a discussion of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) associated with transgenderism touching briefly on the construction of gender roles. The paper will critically discuss the relationship between sex and gender, and why these concepts of identity can be fluid rather than constant.