Alvarez1

HelenAlvarez
ProfessorBeadle
English115
08December2015
DoNotPleaseSociety
Intheworldwelivein,peopledon'tfitinoratleastfeelorthinktheydon't.Almost
everyonefollowswhatsocietytellsustodo.Maleswearblue,femaleswearpink.Sincebirth
humansareseparatedandputintothecategorytheyfallunder.Someofusgrewuplikingitand
othersdidnot.However,ratherthanasocietylabelingindividualsormakingthemfallundera
section
theyarebelievedto
belongto,peopleshouldnotletthemselvesbeinfluencedbysociety,
butshouldbeabletofeelcomfortablewithwhatgenderorsextheyidentifythemselveswith.
AreWeFacingaGenderlessFuture,byBarbaraKantrowitzandPatWingertandFrom
Women,Men,andSociety,byClaireRenzettiandDanielCurranaretwoarticlesthat
demonstratehowsocietyhasinfluencedandlabeledindividualsaccordingtotheirgender.
Genderandsextwodifferentthingsyetsimilar.Sexreferstothebiologicaldifferences
ordifferentsexorgansonehas,whilegender,ontheotherhand,refersmoretothemasculine
andfemininebehaviorsorcharacteristicseachgrouptendstodo.Societyhasgivenusthese
differentlabelsandthisiswhereeverythinggoeswrong.Peoplethinkthattheyhavetofitunder
thesespecificlabels
because
societyhasmadethembelieve
theymust
doso,wheninreality
labelsshouldnotexist.
"AreWeFacingaGenderlessFuture?"anarticlebyBarbaraKantrowitz
andPatWingert
givesusanexamplewhereMayWelby,aregisteredmaleatbirthbegantaking
hormonesatage23andhadsexsurgerybutidentifiesasgenderless
(Wingert68).
Essentially,

Alvarez2

May
W
elbydoesnotfeelcomfortablewitheithergender,butyetsocietybelievesotherwise.
Therewasalsoanexamplewhere,inIndia,agroupofpeoplecalledhijra,weremalesthat
dressedaswomen,butdidnotconsiderthemselvestofallintoeithergender
(Wingert70).
Although,fewpeopleunderstandandstarttoacceptpeoplewiththegendertheyfeel
comfortablewith,othersthinkthatnotfallingunderaspecificgenderisagenderidentity
disorder.Peoplewhofallunderthisdisorderarepeoplewhodonotidentifythemselveswiththe
genderassignedtothembybiology.Thereiseventreatmenttowardsthisdisorder,suchas,
hormonesortalktherapy.
FromWomen,Men,andSocietybyClaireRenzettiandDanielCurran
isanarticlethat
stateshoweventhoughAmericanparentsdonotexpressastrongsexpreference,research
showsthatparentsdohavedifferentexpectationsoftheirbabiesandtreatthemdifferently,
simplyonthebasisofsex,(Curran76).Italsostateshowparentsmostoftenuseclothingto
avoidconfusion,(Curran77.)Thisdemonstrateshowsincebirth,oneisseparatedandputona
specificgroup.Clothingspecificallyplaysahugeroleonhowonefullydevelopsthewayone
identifiesthemselvesaswhengrowingupbecauseaccordingtothearticle,girlswiththeirfrilly
dressesarediscouragedtoplayroughandboysareencouragedandexpectedtobewaymore
activethangirls.Childrenstarttogrowhabitswithwhattheyareinfluencedfromanddothings
suchasplayingdifferentlyaccordingtotheirgender.Somechildrengrowuplikingthewaythey
are,butitisnotalwaysthecaseforeveryone.
Inhighschool,Ihadaclassmatethatwasamalebutidentifiedhimselfasafemale.
Throughoutfreshmanandsophomoreyear,thestudentwouldnotwanttodressforphysical
educationintheboyslockerroomashewassupposedto.
Asthedayswentbyandhestarted

Alvarez3

failingourphysicaleducationclassfornotdressing,hekindlyrequestedifhewouldbeableto
changeinthefemaleslockerroom.
Alotofgirlsfeltuncomfortablebecauseevenifthestudent
identifiedhimselfasafemale,hewasstillamale.Thisiswhereourfemaleormale
characteristicscomeout.Girlscanfeelreallyinsecureabouthavingamaleinthelockerroom,
andmalescanfeeluncomfortableknowingthatthestudentidentifieshimselfasfemale.Astime
passedbypeoplestartedgettingusedto
thestudent
identifyinghimselfasafemalewhichmade
iteasierforthestudenttofeelcomfortablewith
herself
andalsothepeoplethatsurrounded
her.
Unfortunatelytherearepeoplewhomaythinkotherwiseandnotsupporttheideathat
peopleshouldbeabletofeelcomfortablewithwhatgenderorsextheyshouldbeabletoidentify
themselveswith.Theseindividualswouldratherchoosetobelievethateverythingisbasedon
biologyandthetraitsoneisbornwithwhichidentifiesonesgender.
AreWeFacinga
GenderlessFuture?byBarbaraKantrowitzandPatWingert
evensaidhowthereissuchthingas
genderidentitydisorder,whichencompassespeoplewhodonotidentifywiththegender
assignedtothembybiology,(Wingert69).Meaningthatgenderhasunfortunatelycametobe
knownasadisorderthatactuallyhasspecialtreatmenttoit.
Societyhasplacedusintotwodifferentcategories.
Thisiswheregenderrolesare
sociallyconstructed.
Femalescook,maleswork.
Inchildrentoysforboystendtoencourageage
exploration,manipulation,invention,construction,competition,andaggression.Incontrast,
girlstoystypicallyratehighonmanipulability,butalsocreativity,nurturance,and
attractiveness,(Curran82).Everythingisseparated.Inmypersonallife,Ihavetwosistersand
onebrother.Ihavebeenabletoseethedifferenttreatmentourparentsusetowardsusduetoour
gender.Forexample,whenitcomestodoingchores,Ihavetodomostofthemnotonlybecause

Alvarez4

IamtheoldestbutbecauseIamalsoagirl.Meanwhilemyyoungersisterislookingovermy
othersistermybrotherisjustplayingvideogamesoroutsidewiththeneighbors.Whenmymom
andIdolaundry,mydadjustdropsusoffbecauseitisagirlthingtodolaundry.Genderroles
havebeenclearlydisplayedthroughoutmywholelifeandIseemtobelivingbyit.Another
exampleofhowgenderroleshavebeendisplayedinmylifewouldbewhenIdatesomeone.Or
evenifitisnotdatingbutwhenIgoouttoeatwithafriendwhoismale,theyalwayspayformy
food.ThoughIsaytheydonthavetotheystilldoitwhichisnotsurprisingbecausethemajority
oftimeitisahabitforamaletopay.Thatisthewaysocietyhasinfluencedittobe.ThewayI
haveperformedagenderrolewouldbewhenitcomestodoingguythings.SuchaswhenIgo
groceryshopping,Ileavemydadandbrothertobringinthegroceriesintothehousebecause
theyareheavyanditiseasierfortheboystodoit.Asmuchasonetriestonotlivethroughthese
genderroles,itisquiteimpossibletodosowheneachdayweareinfluencedbytheminourown
house,job,orevenatschool.
Weallgrowupknowingwhatmalesandfemalesaresupposedtodo.However,isit
wrongifmalescookandfemaleswork?Somepeoplemaythinkitiswhileotherswouldn'tfind
anythingwrongwithit.Peopleshouldhavethementalitynottopleasesociety,butourown
selves.
Ofcourse,attimesitishardtothinkwearenotpleasingsocietyorthepeoplethat
surroundsusbecausewemayfeelasthoughwearegoingtolookbadbut
,attheendoftheday,
eachindividualhascontrolovertheirownlifeandwhatevergendertheyidentifythemselves
withbecauseitswhattheyfeelcomfortablewith.Thereisnowaythatsixbillionpeoplecanbe
categorizedintotwogroups,iswhatKantrowitz&Wingertleaveuswith.Weshouldallstart
thinkingthesameandacceptoneanotherforwhoweare.

Alvarez5

WorksCited
Kantrowitz,BarbaraandPatWingert,AreWeFacingaGenderlessFuture?Composing
Gender.RachaelGronerandJohnF.OHara.Eds.Boston:Bedford,2014.Print.6871

Renzetti,ClaireandDanielCurran,FromWomen,men,andSociety.ComposingGender
Gender.RachaelGronerandJohnF.OHara.Eds.Boston:Bedford,2014.Print.7677