09-05-2014, 01:20 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-05-2014, 01:21 PM by flamesabers.)
Lenneth,
Speaking for myself, I think my gender issues stem from two sources. The first is a lifelong question of why I was born male. The second is a lack of personal compunction to not push, bend or break gender norms.
I think social upbringing has a lot to do with our perception of gender. For instance, as a child it appeared to me the norm was boys are loud, aggressive, boastful and generally subpar students. Girls on the other hand were usually quiet, compliant, cooperative and generally enjoyed school. In other societies (some cultures in Asia/Pacific area if I recall correctly), the gender roles I observed are reversed. If raised in such a society, would I have had a more prominent identification with the male gender? Maybe, I don’t know.
Outside of gender, there are countless other areas that society has shaped our perspective in. For instance, at the turn of the 20th century, a person’s well-being was only measured by their physical health. Also, when our lifespan was shorter, teenage marriages were commonplace. Perhaps a hundred years from now or more the stigma of cross-gender identification may disappear completely. While this may seem impossible to conceive of, consider how the support of gay marriage is getting stronger and stronger. Those who have been around for awhile I’m sure can say a lot about how society’s attitude towards homosexuality has evolved over the last few decades.
Speaking for myself, I think my gender issues stem from two sources. The first is a lifelong question of why I was born male. The second is a lack of personal compunction to not push, bend or break gender norms.
I think social upbringing has a lot to do with our perception of gender. For instance, as a child it appeared to me the norm was boys are loud, aggressive, boastful and generally subpar students. Girls on the other hand were usually quiet, compliant, cooperative and generally enjoyed school. In other societies (some cultures in Asia/Pacific area if I recall correctly), the gender roles I observed are reversed. If raised in such a society, would I have had a more prominent identification with the male gender? Maybe, I don’t know.
Outside of gender, there are countless other areas that society has shaped our perspective in. For instance, at the turn of the 20th century, a person’s well-being was only measured by their physical health. Also, when our lifespan was shorter, teenage marriages were commonplace. Perhaps a hundred years from now or more the stigma of cross-gender identification may disappear completely. While this may seem impossible to conceive of, consider how the support of gay marriage is getting stronger and stronger. Those who have been around for awhile I’m sure can say a lot about how society’s attitude towards homosexuality has evolved over the last few decades.