Lesson Three: Culture and Ideology

Male is Default: In our society, there has always been a distinction between men and woman, both biologically and socially. In fact, in early medical texts, females were seen as an alternative to the norm of being born male. Today, we know this is not the case, but women are still treated this way socially. For instance, the sign above directs the viewer to bikes for all ages (and women too!) and sporting equipment and sporting equipment for women, emphasizing that woman are a deviation from the norm.

Western Beliefs about Sex and Gender: In Western cultures, particularly the United States, it is taught that there are only two genders. This gender matches up with/stems from an individual's biological sex, thus claiming gender is unchanging. Any deviation of this is considered unnatural. This is incorrect however as gender is not dependent on sex, concrete, or limited to only two versions. 

Gender Inequality: Gender inequality can be found across all societies in both the past and present. Because most of their time and energy was spent on bearing and raising children, the activities of women were limited compared to those of men. There are several theories as to why gender inequality still exists today: women and men are naturally suited for certain roles, men have always had the most power so it is in their best interest to try and maintain that power, or that gender is socially constructed, maintained, and reproduced in our everyday lives.

Gender Role Socialization: Gender roles are the everyday expressions of maleness or femaleness within a society or culture. Gender role socialization is the never-ending process of learning what is expected of each role through observation and mimicry and the rewards or punishments received for either adhering to or going against the individual's perceived gender. Historically, most people in the West have equated sex with gender, thus punishing those who attempt to express themselves the 'wrong' way.

Gendered Language: The words we speak and the way they use them also reflect gender and gender inequality. For instance, in the words listened above there are gender neutral words such as parent and sibling, however most individuals would be more likely to refer to themselves as a father or a sister, preferring the gender specific title over the neutral one. Similarly, it is more common to use language that make men appear active and women passive, especially in situations involving sex.