The Gender Binary: Presuming Alignment of Sex, Gender & Sexuality - Essay Sample

Introduction

Also known as genderism or gender binarism, the gender binary is the classification of gender into two primary forms, that is, feminine and masculine, either by cultural belief or nu social systems. Under the gender binary model of classification, sexuality, sex, and gender can be presumed by default align, the gender aspects of an individual is inherently linked to his or her genetic, or an individual's sex apportioned at birth. For instance, the moment a male child is born, gender binary can assume the child will have masculine appearance, behavior, and character traits such as experiencing heterosexual attraction towards females. The assigned aspects can involve dressing expectations, sexual orientation, behavior, particular pronouns, and names, among other qualities. Such given expectations may strengthen certain undesirable attitudes, discrimination, and bias towards individuals displaying expressions of gender nonconformity or variance or persons with incongruent gender identity with their birth sex.

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Today, some societies acknowledge even five genders rather than the usual two. Several countries have implemented laws that acknowledge and recognize the presence of third and more gender. In certain societies, non-binary or third gender are only accepted if an individual is born sex traits that do not adhere to the standard definition of female and male bodies. While other societies assign other classifications for persons with gender identities that are not identical to the sex assigned to them at birth, the presence of the third gender may be familiar to certain societies that acknowledge various genders for centuries. For instance, the Hijra; of Pakistan and India, who are men who identify themselves as women. These men are recognized legally in Pakistan and India and prefer being categorized as women. In Indonesia, the Burgis tribe identifies five genders, namely Oroane, who are men, Makkunrai who are women, Calabai ,who are womanly men, Calalai, who are manly women, and Bissu who are recognized as half-female and half-female.

Doing Gender

According to gender studies and sociology, doing gender is the concept that in Western culture, gender is a psychologically deep-rooted social construct, instead of an inborn quality of a person that dominantly surfaces in daily human interactions. The phrase 'going gender' was first initialized by Don Zimmerman and Candace West, in their article "Doing Gender" in 1987 in Gender and Society. This article suggested that a person's gender performance is envisioned to create gendered behavior as occurring naturally. This is a facade that upon which people are judged on the basis of their success or failure to meet the societal gendered obligations-known as accountability structure.

Gender Strategy is planning and monitoring of crucial actions process on mainstreaming gender equality. It explores ways in which emotions influence the laid out practices and mobilization of gender roles. Both men and women are strategically ritualized into negotiating specific domestic labor roles as a form of emotions associated with gender. Through Doing Gender, the society customizes the "go gender" by making chosen practices based on genders unique, tactical, and exceptional to communicate symbolical emotional gender messages.

Despite the role that Gender Strategies and Going Gender have played in gender, the time has dramatically impacted the societal perception of it all. For instance, in most societies, women were only assigned homestead roles such as parenting and conducting small scale farming. However, as the community became more progressed and more knowledgeable, it realized the significant role that women can also play if given equal opportunities as their counterparts. Culture as well has shown that women are capable of doing what men can do if only allowed.

Gender Rules

We can learn the rules of gender in our lives through socialization as it forms a platform in which we learn on ways of becoming members of any group and being a part of what is termed as humanity. From birth till our last breath, we are involved in a series of constant learning on how to belong to a new group successfully or adjust certain traits to fit in. It is through gender socialization that we learn gender norms within our society and develops internal gender identities. The gender norms we learn are the set of rules on what is defined as appropriate feminine and masculine behavior within a certain culture. These norms are what define the expectations of how an individual is labelled as a man or a woman and how to behave. From the various ways in which we are expected to be masculine or feminine, become the internalized part of how we think about ourselves; gender identity.

The society plays a significant role in influencing gender identity and the rules around gender among people. Society has labeled girls as vulnerable and boys strong, the hegemonic myth. If, for instance, a girl breaks out of the set rules of gender, she is labeled as having masculine traits that are associated with dominance and power. Where else, boys who act are girls are not given similar acceptance due to the lower prestige associated with the feminine traits.

According to the social construction of gender, gender roles are ascribed status with a society that openly and indirectly categorizes people, thus motivating social behaviors. The functions we perform as men and women were ascribed to us just because of our sex and not what we needed to do. How about people who do not conform to the set rules, gender policing enforces normative gender expressions upon these individuals due to their behavior, appearance or performance of the sex they were assigned to at birth.

Societies vary on their perception of how women and men should behave, look like, and the roles assigned to them. Thus what is a norm in one society may be acceptable in another culture. I agree with the No 1 gender rule suggested by Wade and Ferre as every society has its ascribe gender roles and identities.

Patriarchal Bargain

A patriarchal bargain is a tactical move by women in which they choose to put up with and uphold patriarchal norms, by acknowledging gender roles that inhibit them generally, but optimize their options, power, and safety. There are various ways in which men negotiate patriarchal bargain; for instance, the two systems of male dominance such as in sub-Saharan Africa where uncertainties of polygyny are complemented with areas of relative independence for women, and patriarchy in East Asia.

The exercise of power by women in most cases is unnoticeable due to their tactical intent to be unthreatening as well as their partisanships influence their emotions of guilt, pleasure, and shame, and they are the beneficiaries' security and protection through the existing gender relations. Motherhood and wifehood shape a woman's perception and expectation of the conjugal relationship.

The control of some aspects within society for gender non-binary individuals is quite tricky as they are still not entirely accepted within a specific part of the culture. It is difficult for several communities to comprehend the actual needs of each individual as they shift from one to another. However, the intergenerational dynamics of power can change as they can be given negotiation power to control certain elements that affect their lives.