Lindsey (2015) asserted that gender separation is the cultural, physical, and in some instances, legal segregation of individuals based on their biological sex. Gender segregation has been viewed through controversial lenses citing the fact that it is a deterrence of human rights and a cause of widespread economic inefficiencies. However, supporters have intimated that it conforms to religious and sociocultural tenets of various traditions. Several factors have played a significant role in the historical and institutionalized separation between men and women. Examples include historical practices, societal pressures, and socialized preferences. Although sex separation has primarily meant the segregation of the two genders, the term can also refer to the exclusion of particular sex from their participation in various institutions, occupations, and groups. Gender separation has continued to define roles and shaping perceptions regarding what is appropriate for every sex.
Many societies across the world have a historical relationship with the institution of gender roles. Patriarchy defined many societies with the man regarded as the provider of the family while the women played subordinate with their roles destined in the house chores. Today, gender separation has continued to show its presence in the social sphere. Based on research, both men and women continue to hold stereotypes that the role of women belongs to the kitchen while that of the man remains with the breadwinning responsibilities. However, with the growing feminist sentiments, many more women have continued to redefine their roles in society and moving from the role of a typical housewife to that of a breadwinner (Lindsey, 2015). As such, this leads to another level of gender differences in the occupation setting, something that has grown into a major concern in the recent past. First, although men and women engage in almost the same jobs, research has proven that the gender pay gap continues to be a significant issue. Research has shown that on average, women earn approximately 80% of what their male counterparts receive for the same job (Lips, 2013). It, therefore, illustrates how gender difference has created an enabling environment for occupational discrimination.
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The second significant area where gender separation has taken its toll is on the private space. Examples of some common private spaces include the washrooms and restrooms. As mentioned earlier, one of the factors that have played a significant role in the segregation of sexes is the laws. For instance, throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, laws were passed to enhance strong gender-segregated restrooms. Massachusetts, for example, enacted its laws in 1887 requiring women to have their unique toilets separate from that of women. Psychologists have intimated that the act of going to the restrooms makes people feel exposed, vulnerable, and unsafe. It is in this regard that laws have required such private places to be used according to the sexes assigned during birth. Consequently, this has placed the transgender people at crossroads. A similar level of separation has been witnessed in clothing where outfits are classified according to gender. The symbolic interactionism theory would describe this in the form of symbols, where meaning is attached to different types of clothes (Lindsey, 2015). Although various cultures have transcended this, it remains essential to note that many societies continue to attach gender symbols to various clothing.
Furthermore, it remains significantly critical to note that so long as people live gendered lives, their experience of the world including the rituals will show gender dependency. One of the most discussed types of rituals that follow this pattern is the religious ones. Most importantly, they begin during childhood. For instance, in Judaism, the boys have to undergo the process of circumcision which primarily occurs after eight days following birth. It is regarded as a way of reestablishing the covenant that God made with Abraham in the book of Genesis. Although this could be viewed as an overt way of commemorating religious rites, it also plays a vital role in creating gender differences by emphasizing “that being male is a prerequisite for full participation in Jewish rituals” (Lutkehaus & Roscoe, 2013).However, it would be foolhardy to think that rituals are only specific to men only. Several communities and cultures have gone to an extent in their bid to institutionalize rituals particular for girls alone.
Authors have specifically cited Kinaalda celebrations in the Navajo community as a typical example. They celebrate the maturity of a girl at the onset of her first two menstrual periods. According to Bruce Lincoln, an author, the purpose of celebrating the menarche is to indicate the young women has matured and is ready to bring life to earth. Therefore, the ritual is all about celebrating the ability of a girl to bear a child (Lutkehaus & Roscoe, 2013). Also, there is an increasing body of research that has sought to focus on how imitating a specific ritual known for a particular gender has led to many problems. Female circumcision practiced in many African communities has received backlash from many quarters citing that it is not only unhealthy but unconventional.
In conclusion, gender separation has continued to exhibit itself in many aspects of society such as domestic, private, and ritual lives. Human beings have created historical connotations and stereotypes that have clearly defined roles, expectations, and perception regarding gender. As a result, this has meant that men and women have operated within a narrow social spectrum that has sometimes implicated their overall viability as human beings. However, thanks to movements such as feminism and human rights groups, more effort are applied to negate the implications of gender differences.
References
Lips, H. M. (2013). The gender pay gap: Challenging the rationalizations. Perceived equity, discrimination, and the limits of human capital models. Sex Roles, 68(3-4), 169-185.
Lutkehaus, N., & Roscoe, P. (2013). Gender rituals: Female initiation in Melanesia. Routledge.
Lindsey, L. L. (2015). Gender roles: A sociological perspective. Routledge.
