Megan

How does Gender define us, and furthermore, how does that definition bind us? Based on one’s gender, they are expected to adhere to a particular set of instructions, given to them by society so they may fit in and be accepted. The moment someone steps outside of these constructs or shows any form of dissent to them, it seems all heads in the room immediately rotate in unison as to suggest it is not permissible. As social beings, it is important to be aware of the effects of the social structures we uphold. Where did these rules come from, and how exactly have they become so engrained into our minds, that we cannot remember a time that we were not mentally bound by them? More importantly, how have these rules been defined by myths of gender, and how does society perpetuate them?

We place too much faith and show a generous amount of compliance toward our society and certain social structures which hold us within its constructs. Moving past simply observing at the way in which media affects how we dress and speak, one should take note at how these social institutions construct, manipulate and perpetuate the way we act, think, dress, speak, love, and live, solely based on the things found between our legs. Furthermore, we should begin to deconstruct the system to see that it is also affecting the opportunities one will be presented with in life based on socially constructed ideas about themselves, and those around them based, again, on the parts located in ones nether regions. This is one major downfall of global society; that we have constructed it to support these ideas, and that those ideas maintain the structure. In short, I ultimately wish to point out that it is not the penis, nor the vagina, that is a valid measurement of ones’ strength, intelligence, capacity to love,  nor are they a tool of measurement of ones’ ability in life. 

There are a series of basic myths, of which I shall mention only a few, which are constructed through misunderstanding or lack of understanding all together, which plague our society and many others around the world. They influence our social structures to the point where they become “just the way it is”; they become institutionalized, and as a result become part of the framework of our societies and go un-noticed. I aim to point out a few key myths which would appear to weave throughout the foundations of the globe.

Intelligence:

 ‘Men are more intelligent than women’ or, ‘men are better at understanding more technical information’. Believe it or not, this myth is still held in the minds of many people throughout North America, and certainly throughout the world as is evident in social media and academic study. Though there does exist a resistance to this mood. Optimistically, this may be a dying breed of thought; however societies throughout the world, including the West, are constructed on this very myth. Intelligence has been a hot point on the topic of gender throughout history, and has shaped the way our society is structured; in our case, it was a patriarchal design where men stood supreme in intelligence and understanding. This idea was

“High school girls who think of math as a “male thing” are less likely to go on in math and are less likely to do well in math”.[iii]

It is the young age at which we begin to embrace our

roles in society that is disheartening.

“Would you like a girl toy, or a boy toy?”,

we hear going through the drive-thru at McDonalds.

It is at this young age when we are learning to speak

and walk that is the point at which our gender identities

are formed. Interacting in Kindergarten, we are

already being primed to think and act like our gender. 

Render By Gender

This raises more questions; like how many other things are affected by the “facts” we know and have known since we were old enough to speak? Only in the last century have we begun to see an alteration or phasing out of these gender norms, biases, and structural inequalities which have been based on a myth that each gender is inherently different in every way imaginable. Furthermore, that each is allocated certain roles in life, not by society, but by their chromosomes. It is myths which have provided history with gems such as the female inability to do math, her inability to understand complex scientific thought, a female’s lack of knowledge to make an informed vote. Furthermore, that if she demonstrates intelligence higher than that of a potato, it designates her to be a user of the black arts. These are myths from a variety of periods throughout history dating back hundreds of years or more. However, myth has affected laws, religious beliefs, and practices throughout the world and its history. These myths in turn not only affect women, but men as well

Myth 2: ‘Men are natural leaders and breadwinners’ – ‘the woman’s place is in the home’. This is a myth which in the West, is in the beginning of its decline; or I would at least hope so, as more males take on roles that would traditionally have sent them into exile from the world of men, and women take on roles which would have seemed out of place for them just ten to fifteen years ago. However, again, much of the developing world is built on the ‘fact’ that men are natural breadwinners and that women should not work outside the home, or at all.[i] The social discrimination faced by a man who may not be very good at providing for his family is made worse when the same discrimination and stigma prevents his wife from aiding him in earning an income. In certain areas of the world where these stigmas hold strong, a woman and her family may be thrown into poverty due to the loss of a husband, father, or brother due to the sheer disapproval and shame associated with working.[ii]Though there may not be laws which directly impose these values on society, their existence in the beliefs of those in charge, results in a lack of initiative to end these stigmas.

We have expectations placed on us the moment our gender is identified before or after birth. For example, the idea in society that a male must be the breadwinner, must be head of the household, must be strong and must not stray from the masculine ideal is pushed on us, still. It is enforced by what we see through television and in magazines, by parents, and even by elected officials.[i]There are still members of society who believe, that to follow a discourse of gender roles and dismiss the existence of inherent abilities unique to a particular gender, is to break down the fabric of our society. In short, yes, that is exactly what it is. The fabric is tattered and stained, and needs replacing. It is time that we begin a worldwide reflection on the ways we think and why we think them, especially with regards to gender. On this note:

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Taking into account that we have these subconscious beliefs or assumptions of the role of each gender, we should then analyze the effect these assumptions have had on the structure and opportunities presented to each gender in society. One may argue against any remaining gender inequality in the workforce; that feminists have no valid stance when claiming that, to this day, there is still income inequality based on sex or gender. Unfortunately, the legacies of a patriarchal society which still remains today maintain an unequal playing field with regard to occupation and income. Though it is illegal to pay a woman less than a man for her labor, as set forward in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it is not in fact illegal to set the value of certain work to be worth lower wage earnings than others, such as traditional women’s’ occupations. An example of such being nursing and nutrition.[i]The society which reined throughout the early twentieth century generally maintained values which confined women to certain areas of labor such as domestic work, secretarial work, primary and secondary education, and occupations which were believed or deemed to be less deserving of greater pay. This labor was undervalued, and thus, the now, “Women’s’ work”, was deserving of less pay than “Mans’ work”.[ii]The traditionally female dominated fields of work which were seen as deserving of less pay were education, nursing, nutrition, secretarial work, textiles, phone operator service, and garment work, among others; which remains in place today.[iii]It would seem more so now, that these gaps were not mended, but were abandoned as women began moving into male dominated fields of occupation, creating the perception that there is now in effect, income equality. The point of this is to draw fact to the effects that myths of gender have had on the workforce regarding female abilities, not due to her academic capabilities or physical characteristics, but because of her gender. The resultant construction and allocation of “Women’s Work” has resulted in undervalued, and institutionalized pay standards in those fields.

Now, in the twenty first century, it may be hopeful or idealistic to say we may be moving toward such a discourse which counters these myths, and as a result sends us into a regression from these values and practices, due to academic influence. However, there still remains a clear income gap, media influenced gender roles, and the perpetuation of the classic myths which brought us to this mess in the first place. It is necessary that this discourse be spilled out from the higher learning institutions, and into the secondary learning, middles school, and elementary institutions. There needs to be understanding of the origins of our thought and resulting structures in order to mend the misplacement of value and backwardness of society. We need this in order to ensure that in the future, each person is met and known as a human first and judged accordingly; that being that regardless of gender, as a human being, they are capable of anything without restriction by those parts of their anatomy which are irrelevant in the first place.

By Ryan Fernandez

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Did You Know?

- The first homosexual character to appear and be explored on mainstream television was in 1971: All In The Family. [a]

- IT was not until the early 1990s that gender specific toys were marketed in McDonalds Happy Meals. [b]