Gender studies have opened my perceptions about this field and made it possible for me to hold the view that gender stereotypes are still rampant in our society. The studies have made it possible for me to realize that the community plays a significant role in the construction of gender, which ultimately affects how members of the said society perceive themselves. It also implies that the society determines the roles of both genders through either direct communication or non-verbal communication cues that impact on the lives of members of the said society. After analysing what I have learned, I can, therefore, say with authority that my perception about gender has changed from that of merely being a man or a woman to one that sets specific roles for each gender.
One of the ways in which I have met the course learning outcomes is through changing my perception of gender. Before I joined this class, I used to think that gender is only concerned about being male or female. However, I have realized that it goes beyond that aspect and makes it possible for me to understand the society constructs gender. Liberal societies have no clear distinction about the gender roles of their members. However, conservative communities dictate the gender roles of each gender.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Something else that the course highlighted to me is that both verbal and non-verbal communication affects human activities, send strong messages to what each gender is supposed to do at any particular time. These verbal and nonverbal communications affects the entire families, schools, media, and society, which eventually perpetuate gender roles. An example is where in oral communication, the whole of humanity is normally presented in terms of men (Glapka & Braid, 2018). Women in this instance are looked upon as lesser human beings. An example is where in some subjects like Science, “he” is used to denote both males and females. In so doing, there is a feeling that males are superior to females. Nonverbal communication cues like the type of toys that children are bought while young communicate to them their gender roles in the future (Fixmer-Oraiz & Wood, 2019). Girls are mostly bought toys whose theme is the domestic environment, which implies that most of their roles will be around the family (Fixmer-Oraiz & Wood, 2019). On the other hand, boys are given toys that depict that they have to spend most of the time outdoors fending for their families (Fixmer-Oraiz & Wood, 2019). That is why boys may be bought toys like those of cars, spacecraft, and toy guns, among others. It, therefore, means that the socialization of gender roles begins at infancy through the verbal and nonverbal communication that the family society and the environment send to young children.
One of the theories about gender that has helped me gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon is the psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud. The psychoanalytic theory says that people understand their gender orientation out of the biological differences between them. At the phallic stage of the theory, it is possible to see that boys and girls start realizing that they are different from each other (Nagera, 2014). It, therefore, forces them to start looking up to the respective parents for guidance on various issues. Girls realize that there is a boundary between them and their fathers. The boys realize that they need a father figure in their lives. That is why gender stereotyping begins at such stages.
The course has also made it possible for me to become sensitive to the beliefs and values of others. One way the aspect has been indoctrinated in me is by helping me understand that some orientations that people develop later in life may have their origins in the society in which they live or how they were brought up. An example is where the sexual orientation of an individual may have been shaped by the manner of socializing the child from infancy. Parents who socialize their girl child more as a boy will make such a girl assume male features (Glapka & Braid, 2018). Even her sexual orientation is likely to be interfered with, which may make her become a lesbian later in life. The same will happen to boys who are brought up or socialized as girls. A more significant percentage of them become gays.
Some of the moral and ethical aspects that I feel arise out of gendered messages are that men are superior to women. Many messages about people appear to elevate men more than women (Glapka & Braid, 2018). Actions like how men and women are treated in the workplace show the gender disparities that exist between the two. In many workplaces, men are assigned onerous duties while women are typically assigned lighter duties. The coded message being sent is that women are not as strong as men to handle such difficult tasks.
When it comes to media, schools, and other social institutions, the language used to describe men and women differs. An example is in a sports competition where analysis of sports reporters or commentators tends to describe most of the aesthetic features of women at the expense of how they performed a given sporting activity (Segal & Damos, 2018). Even when they are captured on video or camera, their feminine features and beauty are exaggerated. Their manner of dressing may receive much airplay compared to the real sporting activity, On the other hand, men’s participation is described in a manner to show how they carried out or performed the given activity (Segal & Damos, 2018). Their handsomeness or how they were dressed may receive little attention. Their photographs or videos gravitate more towards the action than their physical appeal.
In conclusion, the course has made it possible for me to see gender construction by the society in various aspects. I have understood how both verbal and non-verbal communication send messages about a given gender and eventually shape the later roles of people of that gender. I am therefore prepared to relate to people of both genders confidently and without any form of preconceived attitudes.
References
Fixmer-Oraiz, N., & Wood, J.T. (2019). Gendered lives: Communication, gender, and lives .
New York. Cengage.
Glapka, E., & Braid, B. (2018). Gender under construction: femininities and masculinities in
context. New York. BRILL.
Nagera, H. (2014). Basic psychoanalytic concepts. New York. Routledge.
Segal, M.T., Damos, V. (2018). Gender and the Media: Women's places. New York. Emerald
Publishing Group.
