Gender Constructions

Gender Constructions

Being born male or female is natural phenomena but the nature of the human society attracts certain perspectives on the type of life that one assumes. There are profound social implications on either gender due to the prevailing gender constructions and ideologies. As life progresses, cultural and social norms around gender begin to be manifested and the individual must come to terms with the type of life trajectory that the rest of the society expects. Culture plays a definitive factor in the way that the rest of the society approaches gender issues, with different cultural environments representing different scope of life to a particular gender (Dickemann, 55).

One of the most conspicuous challenges of the social distinction of the genders is inequalities observed between men and women. Gender inequality originates from rather traditional mindset with heightened ideologies that masculinity may be superior to femininity. Such inequality thoughts result in problematic reservation of inferior roles in the society for the disadvantaged gender. Gendered roles and social stratification which are based on inequality are however declining due to the recent development in campaigns to create gender parity.

The type of society within which the gender elements are considered contributes to the extent to which gender stratification is a problem (Meissner, 29). Generally, the Western countries dropped the masculine superiority thought before the rest of the world. A scan of the development of the different human societies demonstrates that the western countries have a better rating for gender equality. However, there are issues of gender discrimination despite liberal approaches to several social fronts.

The seriousness with which gender discrimination issues must be tackled with is based on the premise that human beings are equal, particularly in this age where it has been demonstrated that virtually all ability is possessed across the genders. Harboring thoughts of gender superiority among men is not only backward but proved to meaningless in the society. The potency of the discrimination impacts across the developing world is represented by underdevelopment. Human rights and sociology studies that underdevelopment in the most gender stratified developing world is attributed with inequality. Liberalism has relatively failed to deliver the promised score of equality as democracy purports to implement (Stopler, para. 1).

The construction of gender stratification is merely fueled by the sociocultural ideologies and thinking that the majority in a society hold. Expression of the magnitude of the impact of gender stratification is withdrawal and reservation of women from important community decisions and development. As an illustration, poverty levels as well as illiteracy among women in Africa and Asia can be extrapolated to directly reflect the economic underdevelopment. This relationship may go beyond the social withdrawal of women or other individuals who feel discriminated to include their psychological state of mind being adversely affected.

It is perhaps important for the modern society to implement measures that can improve the state of gender parity across the global village (Lorber, 204). With the continued spread of democratic institutions, it will increasingly be possible for policy makers to have a chance to enshrine gender equity in their policies. Human rights activists must continue to champion for gender parity since the benefits thereon are important barometers of the expression of other rights. The private sector will realize that encompassing individual development of members of the society opens up investment opportunities thus their role in gender parity must not be underestimated in terms of investment.

Works Cited

Dickemann, Mildred. “Reproductive Strategies of Gender Construction,” Journal of Homosexuality, 24.3-4(1993):55-71

Lorber, Judith. Paradoxes of gender. NewHaven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995. Print

Meissner, W. W. “Gender Identity and the Self: I. Gender Formation in General and in Masculinity,” The Psychoanalytic Review, 92.1(2005):1-28

Stopler, Gila. “Gender Construction and the Limits of Liberal Equality,” Texas Journal of Women and the Law, 15.43(2005-6)