Gender Identity
The human race is made up of men and
women. You are born one or the other. However, gender can be changed
by way of modern medicine, but this delves more into sexual identity
rather than gender identity. A newborn child is given either blue
clothing if they are male, or pink clothing if they are female, even
though the child has no perception of gender at this age. The concept
of gender identity relies on the culture within. Females and males
have different roles in society depending on where you are in the
world.
What does it really mean to find your
gender identity? Some of you may have seen the Miller Lite
commercials on TV encouraging the viewers to “man up.” In this
clip that I have chosen, the masculinity of the male actor is called
into question. He is carrying a bag that some might mistake for a
purse, which is a very common accessory for females in western
society. He is shocked when the female bartender questions his
“manhood.” Even his male friends get in on the action, and make
jokes at his expense. In the United States the general consensus is
that men should not act like women.
Gender identity is always in the back of your mind, it's just the way we are hardwired as humans. Even though we may not think about it every minute of the day does not mean that it's not important. We as humans make assumptions based on appearance and other factors. It is important to embrace your own gender identity, but to also recognize the similarities and differences in other gender identities.
Works Cited
"gender identity." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/228219/gender-identity>.
Martin, Judith N., and Thomas K. Nakayama. "Chapter 5: Identity and Intercultural Communication." Intercultural Communication in Contexts. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2010. 180-82.
"Gender identity is always in the back of your mind, it's just the way we are hardwired as humans." I agree with that statement and with the video you attached with the post. We are always thinking about how we look or how we are perceived as people. No one wants to be a "lesser" form of a man or woman. I think you hit this topic well.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was the perfect example for gender identity. Your example of the culturally constructed gender identity from birth was very interesting. I think it would be interesting to see if males and females would enjoy and participate in activities that weren't socially acceptable if they weren't labeled "masculine" or "feminine." For example, why wouldn't men carry around purses if it wasn't lashed upon in society? Someones gender identity is completely constructed by society and the culture.
ReplyDeleteI love that you used the Miller Lite "man up" commercials. It's amazing how much damage can be done in those 30-second commercials. Also Applebee's commercials are really offensive as well. Great example and formatting for the video. Do you think that gender identity might be a focus of your cultural reporter project?
ReplyDeleteFor your next blogs think about how you can expand on a few of your paragraphs. Specifically the definition paragraph by citing the text book in that paragraph. Use your text to help define and describe. Also expand on paragraph 3 by also relating this concept to you personally and your future interactions.
See http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/ for APA format guide to help with in text citations & reference page.