Gender differences and similarities in human society

Gender

Masculinity & Femininity

Femininities and masculinities dictate more behavioral expectations for us in society. After reading through/watching the material for this week, comment on what you view as the state of masculinity/femininity discourses. How are these discourses useful? Can masculinity/femininity be a positive thing? Or should they always be critiqued for their reinforcement of strict gendered expectations? Explain.

It is always helpful to critique any social norms, especially those as pervasive and rigid as gender norms. Critiquing gender norms helps to increase media literacy, pierce through stereotypes, and hopefully also overcome structural inequities. As Allan points out in "Hazing and Gender," "gender norms are typically cast in ways that privilege masculinity over femininity." Masculinity is normalized, made the hidden and assumed default condition of humanity. The same conditions that cause white privilege to be a potent social and psychological reality are those that cause male privilege to be a genuine explanation for social injustices worldwide. Kimmel discusses the "invisibility of masculinity and male privilege."

Gender inequities can be seen in all realms of social interaction, including political and economic dimensions. The most important reason to critique gender norms and expectations is, as Bell Hooks claims, "feminism is for everybody." It benefits all persons to create a society that is gender-neutral, while still respecting the diversity within and among genders. Kimmel in "Global Masculinities" points out, "Women represent approximately 70% of the 1.3 billion poor people in the world." Thus, sexism is a major political issue. Current discourse related to masculinity and femininity is rich and nuanced, and includes pertinent topics such as the nature of male responsibility in the reproductive process. For instance, both Fennell and Weber note that men are "basically unconcerned with and uninvolved in contraceptive decisions and use," (Fennell). Masculine gender norms promote a distinct and overt lack of personal responsibility for sexual reproduction, something that must be discussed more openly.

Feminism

2. What is feminism? What does feminism mean? Is feminism relevant today? Why or why not? Please refer to this week's course material in your response.

The pithiest definition of feminism comes from Rebecca West's statement, "Feminism is the radical notion that women are people." Feminism is not about hating men; it is a basic human rights issue no different from any other. There are different types or different expressions of feminism such as socialist, reformist, and radical branches (Feminism 101 document). Regardless of the different approaches and points-of-view, it is important to place feminism within the context of human rights and not just women's rights

One dimension of feminism that is relevant today is how feminism is linked to poverty worldwide. Poverty is, in turn, related to the male domination of political and economic institutions. The Torregrosa (2012) article shows that Cuba is one of the few nations to boast a nearly gender-equal society. "Cuba has a high number of female professional and technical workers (60% of the total workforce in those areas) and in Parliament (43%), as well as high levels of primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment," (Torregrosa, 2012).

Sexuality

3. From your perspective, how has sexuality - behaviors, attitudes, identities - been influenced by society? Provide an example (using television shows, film, media, news stories, history, etc.). How does the course material for this week support (or not support) your argument?