Reconstructing gender - Essay Example

Reconstructing Gender Reconstructing Gender Judith Lorber introduces her article by first looking at the fact that to the common lay person, gender is a binary option where one is said to belong to either of the two commonly known genders; male and female. However, she explains that gender is something that is produced by the human interaction and perception (Disch, 1997). She says that people do not realize that gender, both that the chromosome and that the social levels is not a binary option.

This is very true. Recent events where a lot of people have decided to change their gender indicate that gender is more than just a binary opinion caused by chromosome. Although chromosomes do play a certain role in gender development, it is definitely not the only determinant (Gibson, 2014). Social interactions and especially socialization of gender roles also play a part. The other important issue that is discussed here is the fact that gender is not a choice between two gender types, but it is a spectrum whose range cannot be defined definitively.

Michael Messner also agrees with Lorber. In his article which looks at organized sports and its use on the gendering process, he argues that gender is not something that people have, but is a process, which he calls gendering process. Michael Messner goes to the point of arguing that the development of organized sports in the 20th century was a gendering process and a response to the rising economic feminist movement. He argues that organized sports were deliberately made over competitive and physically demanding in an attempt to make the male gender look more powerful and to give it hegemony.

Michael Kimmel also agrees with this view. He argues that he father is the first person who evaluates the masculinity of the person and that this then affects a man for the rest of his life. Additionally, it is evident that gender is a scan process rather than a genetic one. Jill Nelson talks about gender, especially femininity and the way it relates to race. She argues about how three features have always defined what a beautiful woman is; hair, skin complexion and body shape. And because all the three factors with regard to how a woman is regarded as beautiful or not seen to favor Caucasian race as opposed to the Negro race.

The black woman has always not received the appreciation she deserves as a woman. Although Jill Nelson’s essay seems to border more on the issue of race and not gender, she does forward a string point of how social processes define gender. According to what she talks about, not only is gender conceived as a binary option, it is also clear that women are supposed to fit a certain category, which include having long straight hair, toned skin and an hourglass. In this definition, most black women would hardly fit to be the perfect women because their features are quite the opposite of this.

Tommy Avicolli gives an account of his own story. Sad, but true, the story is much as it is a story of the bullying in school; also betray how gender socialization and gender polarization is an issue. He was defined as a sissy because he did not act the way a boy would be expected to act; violent, unemotional, naughty among many others. Additionally, he was also defined as a faggot because he did not fit into the group of boys. The same sentiments are shared by Linnea Due, who having been a gay woman, she experienced the same stereotyping that Avicolli went through and as she said, it was hard times for her.

ReferencesDisch, E. (1997). Reconstructin Gender, A Multicultural Anthology. Boston, MA: Mcgraw Hill Higher Education .Gibson, M. (2014). Gender Development . 2009: Pearson Books.