Gender A Social Issues Not A Phycological Issue?

[Guest Annaemo]

I was visiting my local book shop looking for books on transgender and gender issues. Although the shop is situated near a large university, I didn't expect a massive collection of book on this issue and didn't even find anything related to transgender/sexuality what so ever. I've been going through so many different feelings, stress, anxiety, depression so naturally there would be some thing in the philology section which was relevant. The closest I could find was Freud's sexuality theory which seemed to concentrate on sexual activity. When boys and girls become aware of sex. There was a hint on homosexually but that part seemed to be skipped over unless it appeared in later sections.

I had the most luck in the sociology section. This is quite interesting as it seems to show that gender is classed as social and not phycological. My mother is currently studying historical clothing and you see over and over that men wore what is now considered as women's clothing. For example hentry 8th wearing skirt and stockings, which at the time was a standard mens fasion http://s2.hubimg.com/u/461401_f520.jpg .

I did find a really good book: 'The essential difference' Simon baron-cohen. Reading this gave me another interesting idea he says 'In the newsagent on the railway or airport departure lounge, those with the common feminine brain will go to the rack featuring fashion, romance, beauty, intimacy, relationship advice. Those with the mescaline brain will go to the rack featuring computers, cars, boats, music equipment,guns , tools and the great outdoors.' He does state that not all men have a masculine 'systematic brain' and not all women have a feminine 'empathetical brain'.

For me I would like to browse the women's sections of shops freely but always feel such a social pressure which forces me into the correct male section of the store. I've never been told to go to the mens section or had any strange looks, it just seems to be instilled in my brain that its not the right thing to do.

That set me thinking some thing else: If there was no female and male differences in society, male clothing was mixed with female, male and female interests were mixed in shops for example male shaving products were lined up next to female shaving products. There were unisex skin creams and make up designed for males. Would our society be much better or just on a whole totally confusing?

[JJ]

The need to distinguish genders and declare what -if either-gender you are is inborn I suspect. There have throughout the world and history, always been an expression of gender differences. Culture and society dictate how those differences are expressed but the expression is with few exceptions universal. Whether talking about ancient societies, remote Amazon tribes or modern civilization -all have gender specific roles.

And in may cases the basic role has been similar for all that the expression has been vastly different.

To me that argues that it is a basic human need. Many of those societies have included tolerance and acceptance for non-typical or non-conforming gender roles. But the majority still chose to follow the roes for their physical gender.

If you look at the animal world you see in may species gender differentiated roles wit occurrences of individuals who cross gender lines. Trans animals exist too. I had a 20lb plus Siamese tomcat who regularly stole the babies from the female cat (we raised the then rare cats) and tried his best to nurse them. The mother would let him take over all the care and only came back to feed them. He was also heterosexual. An interesting example of all of this being biological.

This gender role view is uncomfortable in some ways in modern society where we like to believe anyone can do or be whatever they choose and be as good at it. I think we will need to look long and hard at the stress that view is causing as we struggle against what is probably a basic instinct that says otherwise.

John