Doing Gender - How Society Creates Differences Between Girls and Boys
In this essay I discuss that "doing gender means creating differences between girls and boys and women and men...." (West & Zimmerman 2002:13) I am concentrating on the female perspective, how societyputs forth expectations of what is 'natural' or biological even though, in some cases, it can be quite demeaning and degrading. I am using some examples from the local media and also a few childhoodexperiences that have helped me to now strongly suspect that the quote from Simone Beauvoir (1972) "One is not born a woman, but rather becomes one" most likely has quite a bit of truth to it.
There is continuing controversy about the differences between girls and boys, men and women, the biological make-up and also how men and women grow up in society and are treated in different ways. Questions can be asked about the gender and sexuality of male or female when itcomes to girls and boys, men and women, and whether they are heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual or any other recognizable orientation. The 'fixed in stone' two-gender system is touted byvarious conservative groups, especially in some socio-political or religious arenas. It differs from country to country. The Netherlands seems to be ahead of many other countries in it's 'liberalism'. In anarticle called 'Pop singer steps in for pregnant MP' written in The Press by David Charter, "The Netherlands has become well known for its progressive social legislation, including the first legal gay marriage and adoption in the world as well as the first legal euthanasia." (The Press, Christchurch, Wednesday, April 30, 2008). New Zealand has considered itself progressive, in the past, as the first country in the world to allow women to vote for parliamentary elections. NewZealand also had the world's first transsexual MP, Georgina Beyer, who was elected to parliament in 1999 and who left in 2007.
My childhood experience of 'doing gender' was growing up as a girl/adolescent, and both challenging and attempting to adapt to
There is continuing controversy about the differences between girls and boys, men and women, the biological make-up and also how men and women grow up in society and are treated in different ways. Questions can be asked about the gender and sexuality of male or female when itcomes to girls and boys, men and women, and whether they are heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual or any other recognizable orientation. The 'fixed in stone' two-gender system is touted byvarious conservative groups, especially in some socio-political or religious arenas. It differs from country to country. The Netherlands seems to be ahead of many other countries in it's 'liberalism'. In anarticle called 'Pop singer steps in for pregnant MP' written in The Press by David Charter, "The Netherlands has become well known for its progressive social legislation, including the first legal gay marriage and adoption in the world as well as the first legal euthanasia." (The Press, Christchurch, Wednesday, April 30, 2008). New Zealand has considered itself progressive, in the past, as the first country in the world to allow women to vote for parliamentary elections. NewZealand also had the world's first transsexual MP, Georgina Beyer, who was elected to parliament in 1999 and who left in 2007.
My childhood experience of 'doing gender' was growing up as a girl/adolescent, and both challenging and attempting to adapt to
Bibliography: Simone de Beauvoir (1972)Quote: "One is not born a woman, but rather becomes one"Charter, David (30 April, 2008)The Press, ChristchurchB2 "Pop singer steps in for pregnant MP"The Times (30 April, 2008) The Press, ChristchurchB2 "Photos 'meant to be artsy '"Haworth, Abigail (May 2008) Marie Claire magazine, pg 82"From Russia...With Lust"Kimmel, Michael (2008) The Gendered Society, Third Edition, New York:Oxford University Press. Chapter 2, pgs 25 & 53West, Candace and Zimmerman, Don (2002) 'Doing Gender ', Gender andSociety, Vol.1, No.2, pg 125