Monday, April 20, 2009

i doooo declare, i don't want to have to work the fiellllds where's my corset

            I believe what I have been raised to believe. Both through media perceptions and social standing I have been influenced and seen certain aspects of life typically associated with a gender and although this might not draw the thought that it’s a man vs a woman’s job or action to mind it is still associated with characteristics, and through this, the gender that society deems is to be associated with it. I believe that we are genetically and scientifically different that girls. While this from case by case may mean a given average male might be stronger than a random average girl, these are all still random cases that take individualism out of account. Characteristics and general exceptions to typical traits might be passed on within a group and while these will make the individual stand out, either positively or negatively, they exist none the less to show that there is no one definition or rule to genders. My family, the media, and my classmates have defined what gender means to me. Through this I believe that the world and its history has determined my perception. The girls at school hating to get dirty or play sports, although there were those who did enjoy these things, saw it or heard it from somewhere. The people they got it from saw it or heard it from somewhere and it goes all the way back to where women were expected to dislike manual labor and getting their hands dirty and sweaty. MY point being that our cultural perceptions today come from outdated and laughed at pieces of history, only ironically we indirectly never escaped their marks.

1 comment:

Steve N. said...

I think what you are saying is interesting Patrick. I have always thought of the gender issue as a social construct but, I have really given much time to the notion of its history. I suppose I will have to ponder what the history of gender identity really is in my eyes but, I am glad that you brought this aspect of the gender issue to light for me.