Gender is a socially constructed status. Based on how others perceive us we are labeled as men or women, the only two genders recognized in Western society. Walking to class I notice everyone is ‘doing gender,' or they display evidences of masculinity or femininity. I see a heterosexual couple holding hands, the man carrying the woman's backpack, the woman wearing a frilly, white blouse – from how they dress to how they behave, this couple is ‘doing gender.' Similar in how Judith Lorber recounts seeing a baby on the subway in her article, ‘“Night to His Day': The Social Construction of Gender.”
[...] Doing gender: Reasserting masculinity Gender is a socially constructed status. Based on how others perceive us we are labeled as men or women, the only two genders recognized in Western society. Walking to class I notice everyone is ‘doing gender,' or they display evidences of masculinity or femininity. I see a heterosexual couple holding hands, the man carrying the woman's backpack, the woman wearing a frilly, white blouse from how they dress to how they behave, this couple is ‘doing gender.' Similar in how Judith Lorber recounts seeing a baby on the subway in her article, to His Day': The Social Construction of Gender.” She notices the “tiny earrings little flowered sneakers and lace- trimmed socks” all outward signs of appearance that indicate the child's gender Gender exists apart from biological orientation; a person may have male or female organs, but they can display outward signs to clue the viewer into how the individual wants to be perceived. [...]
[...] We have seen how men reassert their masculinity through power, in committing terrorist acts, behaving in a sexualized predator/prey relationship with pledges in a fraternity, and drinking alcohol. These men in the journal articles are ‘doing gender,' or they are showing obvious signs of their masculine identity. However, what happens when there is the presence of both genders? As we will see in Lois Gould's story, A Fabulous Child's Story,” gender is a social construction that rests solely on how it is perceived by other people. [...]
[...] As we have seen, males reassert their masculinity in acts of terrorism, fraternity behavior of displays of power and victimization, and drinking alcohol. Lois Gould shows the importance of gender as a social construction it is all based on society being able to correctly, and easily discern whether a person is male or female. All of these articles show how gender is more than just biological differences; they depict how gender can strain an individual in society, strain the person to adhere to traditional identities of masculinity, strain them to conform to the proper ‘male' or ‘female' labels. [...]
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