Gender, who needs it?
Tags: Gender Roles, Genderism, Gender, Gender In Early Childhood, Gender Identity

Gender vs Sex

In the year 2020 gender seems to be on the mind of many as we are all locked up with ourselves, and the only thing we have is time. What better way to pass the time than to reconsider the concept of gender. Somehow the concept of gender has become one of controversy, with many people arguing “that there are only two genders”. The argument is that this is basic biology, and that there are only two chromosome sets, female(X,X) and male(X,Y). But from a biological perspective that is not the case. As there is a difference between the idea of gender and the biology of sex. Scientifically speaking there are more than two sexs, on top of (X,X) female chromosomes and (X,Y) male chromosomes there is also several variations of intersex chromosomes that can be seen in people. Intersex is defined as bodies that fall outside the strict female/male binary. According to planned parenthood approximately one to two people out of every one hundred people are born intersexed.

Now that I have established the multiple differerations of sex that can be found in nature, on to the concept of gender. As time as progressed and humans have evolved different terms have been established for different feelings of gender. Such as the traditional women, men, transmen, and transwomen. But what about the people who feel a disconnect from the traditional women and men. There are now many different categories of gender, and it keeps growing. As the human brain likes to label things, gender is no exclusion.

In the year 2020 there are at least sixty-four different terms to currently describe gender. This is because gender is not something that people inherently are. In Classics of Organization Theory Shafritz as an entire section regarding gender and the organizational theory behind it. Shafritz even goes as far as stating that “Gender refers to patterned, socially produced, distinctions between female and male, feminine and masculine.” He even goes as suggesting that the idea of gender is more of a conscious thought rather than a subconscious one. But what does this mean for us? Well it just brings about the idea that gender is more of a social norm and one that is forced upon us at a young age in society.

Gender Norms

The idea of gender is forced on us before we even get the chance to breath air by ourselves for the first time. It starts the minute parents decide to find out the sex of their baby. Baby showers have been around since ancient times. With reports of baby showers in ancient egypt through the modern era. It was a way to celebrate and welcome new life into the world. But around the 1940s the tradition behind them started to change. This was post WWII and the economy needed a boast. The best way seemed to gender inanimate objects such as clothing for children. Up until this time children’s clothing had been completely neutral. As having a child run around in a dress was easier to clean up after and hand me downs were extremely cost effective for those in lower income homes. Especially during the Great Depression, WWI , and WWII. It seemed necessary for the economy.

But this wasn’t the only time that this happened to baby showers. Once again forty years later during the 1980s obstetricians were now able to determine the sex of the baby. Thus allowing people to once again put the social pressure on babies before they are born. Baby showers now were able to be color coded. Girl showers would be pink and boys blue. This traditional color set developed during the 1940s as well but now the technology was able to put it on infants.

Nearly another forty years later the traditions of gender reveal parties started to become the norm. The first recorded roughly in the early 2000s. Though gender reveal parties to force those who participate to take a set back and not assign colors to the sex of the infant. Though it still solidifies the idea that sex and gender are the same thing, which they arguable are not. On top of that some gender reveal parties are catastrophic, like the one just a few months back in september of 2020. So can we expect another odd gender relevant trend in forty years? Probably. As long as capitalism is alive and well.

A Gender Market

Capitalism has long profited off of the gendering of inanimate objects, such as colors, clothing, and toys to name a few. But why is this? Its because people now had to purchase different things depending on the sex of their child. The market was able to re enforce ideas of masculinity and femininity with simple things such as colors and clothing.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough the market once again profited with the gender dysphoria that came to those who were misgendered by society due to their assigned sex at birth. Gender dysphoria is difficult to deal with especially when you do not know how to describe it. But even those who do know how to describe it, what measures are there to go about fixing it and helping a person heal? Well there is therapy, there is also gender reassignment surgeries, as well as cosmetic surgeries. The worst of it being that even if you went for gender reassignment, some doctors will not consider it unless you have gone through gender counseling. All of which are expensive, hard to acquire, and profit the economy. It is all a cycle.

Gender for Privilege

The way that capitalism has marketed the concept of gender to the people makes it so that those who are in lower income situations cannot experience gender the same way those in higher income situations can. The gap between those within high income and low income have always been apparent, but when we think of the divide gender is not really on the list. But gender is very clearly influenced by the area you are raised in. With the area’s own concept of gender norms. Such as jobs that are distributed between people. What types of environment they work in, and the pay they receive.

On top of this there is also a limitation of gender expression within lower class people. The resources that might make it easier for a person to express their gender identity might not be readily available depending on their income. Therapy is not always accessible and usually does not come cheap. There are plenty of people who can not receive treatment for mental illness let alone gender dysphoria. Then there is the price of gender reassignment surgeries or cosmetic surgeries to feel more comfortable with one’s own body. Not to say that genitalia has anything more to do with gender but they way society feels about genitals people who fall out of the gender binary often feel dysphoric due to what they were born with simply because of the way society labels sex as gender.

Work Cited

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