Non-Binary Gender Diversity

Words: 1504
Pages: 7
Open Document
About 225,000 people in the UK alone don’t identify as a traditional gender (Knight). Today, “gender” is defined as the interrelationship between a person’s genitalia, their sense of being male, female, both or neither, and their physical appearance and behavior as male or female. Western cultures advocate a binary system for genders, meaning that someone can be identified as only male or female. However, there are many cases of non-binary gender diversity that can be recorded by historians and anthropologists. These instances can be seen in the calabai or calalai in Indonesia, the hijra in India, and two-spirited Native Americans. Although there are only two genders, male and female, overall allowing people to decide their own gender emphasizes …show more content…
Throughout society, gender is strictly monitored and reinforced to fit culture’s representation. In western culture, everything - toys, clothes, movies, books, games - is assigned a gender (“Understanding”). At the age of three, children begin to develop their perception of gender based on their environments. They are given toys and dressed in clothes that will mold them into the gender based on the sex that matches, according to society. They will fall into the lines of male and female that society has created as the norm, and none of them will question what their gender is because the system works for them. Those that do question whether their gender is the same as their sex will be discriminated and forced to comply with society’s views before they are accepted by others that follow the norm. Conversely, it is heavily believed that gender is strictly biological. Hormones and chromosomes determines a person’s sex which in turn determines a person’s gender (McLeod). The difference in the amount of hormones that occur in men and women have different effects on certain parts of the body to give a person their assigned sex. Chromosomes also determine biological sex by indicating if a person is a male (XY) or female (XX) in their chromosome sequence. By looking at the effects that hormones and chromosomes have on an individual’s body, people are able to determine sex which ultimately determines their gender. Even so, a person’s gender is fundamentally determined through the treatment of their family and society. The concept of “pink is for girls” and “blue is for boys” was never made until the mid-twentieth century (McLeod). People have a constant need to judge what others wear, do, or say on a daily basis. This need for judgment created the social standards that western cultures follow today. Whether it be through following a new fashion, doing a popular
Show More

Related Documents: Non-Binary Gender Diversity

Essay about Literature Review of Queer Theory

the sexuality, gender and workplace. On the other hand, by utilizing denaturalized, deconstructive and performative methods to queer the presumptions of the taken-for-granted norms, queer theorists question and disprove the traditions which people cherish (Seidman,1995). The purpose of this review is to narrate and provide the details of published academic studies about the…

Words 3027 - Pages 13

James Baldwin The Creative Process Analysis

Tucked away in a dusty corner of my room is a brightly illustrated children’s book about the name my parents gave me. Although it is no longer my name, on the final page is a truth that will always be a part of who I am. Scrawled in bright orange crayon, next to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is the word, “artist.” I was five years old. My understanding of what it means to be an artist has evolved since then, but what remains is my desire to create. Over the course of my…

Words 338 - Pages 2

Essay Sexuality Throughout the time

in which they are found, as many attitudes towards sex and gender are dependent on the wider culture. Peer-Reviewed Sources Petersen & Hyde (2010) completed an analysis of evolutionary psychology, cognitive social learning theory, social structural theory and gender similarities hypothesis to test 834 individuals to uncover gender differences in sexuality. Gender equality was shown to reduce differences in sexuality between the genders, with significant differences being found in attitudes towards…

Words 1188 - Pages 5

Gender Stereotypes In Television Sitcoms

real life characters in comical misunderstandings, showing day-to-day circumstances in a way that is entertaining to the viewer. Gender, gender roles, and gender stereotypes have been portrayed variously throughout television sitcoms. Some portraying women, mothers, housewives as “like a child to the man, husband, father” (Simmons and Rich 2013). Referring back to Gender Role Portrayal and the Disney Princess, and the masculine and feminine characteristics categorized, I could easily see some of…

Words 685 - Pages 3

Lydia Villa-Komaroff Research Paper

the goal of racial and gender equality. The United States has a long history of discrimination, seen in slavery, the forced sterilization of women of color, particularly in North Carolina in the late 20th century, and the continued and often fatal police brutality towards African American men. As time moves on, political activism continues, and more programs and committees continue to receive funding, equality in the professional world of medicine, as well as racial and gender equality in the United…

Words 1160 - Pages 5

Internalized Oppression

Identity Paper 2 Understanding the many facets of oppression is key in a world where people's identities intersect and unite. Gender identity and sexual orientation are essential parts of who we are and affect how we see ourselves and our relationships. In this exploration, we examine how people's sexual orientations and gender identities are made and kept in society. We focus on four dimensions: internalized, interpersonal, institutional, and ideological. To comprehend how these groups are established…

Words 1641 - Pages 7

Transgender Rights In The United States

is a crucial part when it comes to minimizing their struggles. Bewilderment normally occurs over what "transgender" means, and how it is not the same as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Transgender is an umbrella term for individuals whose gender identity and/or gender expression does not correspond to the sex in which they were assigned at birth. People in the transgender community…

Words 1023 - Pages 5

I Hear America Singing: Circle The Genre

the prosperity of a nation; “The carpenter … mason … boatman … shoemaker … woodcutter’s … mother” All these people contribute to America in a different way, yet their success is what fuels the nation. “ … the varied carols” shows that there is diversity among the singing of the people, but they are all singing songs that are“blithe and strong,” and songs full of with energy and delight. The eagerness and happiness of the people give back to society and their work is rewarded not only with success…

Words 919 - Pages 4

Beyond Culturalism Essay examples

Received: 20 July 2012 / Accepted: 28 November 2012 / Published online: 7 December 2012 Ó The Australian Association for Research in Education, Inc. 2012 Abstract This paper draws from a study that explored issues of student equity, marginality and diversity in two secondary schools in regional Queensland (Australia). The paper foregrounds interview data gathered from administration, teaching and ancillary staff at one of the schools, ‘Crimson’ High School. The school has a high Indigenous student population…

Words 8913 - Pages 36

Managing People Essay

Managing People Wednesday, 27 March 2013 3:55 PM Week 5: Power and Influence 1. Power ○ A function of:  The person □ Characteristics, behaviour  The environment / situation □ Organisational culture □ Expectations □ Structural position (authority) □ Interrelationships 2. Influence ○ Outcomes of influence attempts:  Commitment ‐ most successful  Compliance ‐ willing to do with minimal effort  Resistance ‐ make excuse / persuade / ask higher authorities to overrule / delay acting / refuse…

Words 6083 - Pages 25