I Was Thinking ALL Of The Major Genders

[bloodyrosemccoy]

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I think I’ve been misled.

 

When I signed up for this anthropology class, I was basing my interest on the title: Gender in a Cross-Cultural Perspective. “Say,” I thought to myself. “That could be a good broadening topic, and as someone who has been writing stories that feature cultures with interesting new gender definitions, perhaps I should take a look at some of the existing cultures’ definition of gender! This was touched upon in my introductory class, but it would be good to explore in greater detail.”

 

I was going upon the theory—which I thought was a pretty good inference, considering that title—that it would discuss the construct of genders, delving into gender identity issues across culture. We could take a look at how our and other societies divide and perceive gender, noting the challenge it presents to those who claim that gender is biologically defined. I wanted to know about all of it: women, men, heterosexuality, homosexuality, transgenderism, transsexualism, androgeny, puberty, intersexuality, the differing definitions cultures applied to gender, anything I could think of. Clearly, I thought, this course cannot cover all of that, but it could be a good start.

 

Well.

 

It turns out that I forgot to check my secret college-course-title decoder ring. It could have reminded me of one of the most important codewords of college courses: gender studies = women’s studies.

 

And now I’m eight weeks into a course on women around the world.

 

Now, clearly I’m still interested, or I would have transferred out. The women’s studies course has been informative and fun. But it’s not what I was expecting or hoping for in any sense. I wanted something much broader.

 

I guess this will have to do for now. But you’d think a school like this one would have at least some study of the rest of it. I guess I’ll have to keep looking, and remember to take along my decoder ring when I do.

Comments

[chibicharibdys.livejournal.com]

I wasn't aware that there were more genders...?

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Depends on how you look at it. *whips on anthropology hat*

"sex" = all of the biological/physical characteristics, primary and secondary (genitals, hormones, breasts, musculature and fat)
"gender" = all of the cultural definitions associated with sex, which can vary pretty greatly

So while you've got two basic sex possibilities, you've got a lot of gender possibilities. A lot of gender roles get complicated by age--I think it's a culture in Papua New Guinea that believes that women get more masculine as they age. A lot of cultures look at prepubescent children as having slightly different gender roles than their sexually mature counterparts. Some cultures had women who could become 'women-men' and take wives and do all the men's activities. In our culture we have expectations of gender that depend on sexual orientation or lifestyle--gay men are expected to be effeminate, and some lesbians are butch.. So while it's based on sex, there are a lot of other variables, too.

*takes off anthropology hat*

Also, the phrase "all of the major genders" is from humorist Dave Barry, and I thought it was funny. ;)

[chibicharibdys.livejournal.com]

It is an amusing phrase, *nod*

I was aware of the some of the cultural things... very interesting! I guess that's where the term 'gender roles' comes from?

I personally have a lot of trouble identifying people by their sexuality. It never really occurred to me as being possible until last year, when I entered college. I hardly consider my sexuality part of myself at all, so it confuses me when other people classify others or themselves on those terms?