Reading Response 6: Gender and Sexuality
This response focuses on how anthropology as a discipline is affected by gender ideology and gender norms. According to the original article, one’s biological sex does not define their gender. Gender is a set of social expectations which composes of the roles one assumes and performs in the community. This paper differs from the common perspective that gender is the sexual component in an individual. It is further noted that women and men have many differences that are not only based on their sexual sides and orientation (Singh, Nandita, and Om, 2015). In some cases, many men share similar characteristics with women, and therefore it is hard to differentiate them based on gender.
The author also discussed gender and sexuality based on culture. In relates to gender with the cultural invention and social roles. It is forwarded in the article that some roles have been stereotype to women while others are assumed to be for men. For example, in some cultures, women are noted to be responsible for domestic roles, while men are supposed to be breadwinners in the family. The paper borrows from William H. Masters, who argued that men and women have equal biological capacities despite their sexual differences. Personally, I agree with William’s proposal that women and men may have equal biological capacities when addressing only sexual activities. From the perspective of social life, duties, and daily responsibilities, I think that women and men have no equal capabilities. Every human being, whether woman or man. The article creates a transformation of how we think about gender and sexuality. It shows that the reality of human biology is that males and females have shockingly similar characteristics.
References
Singh, Nandita, and Om Prakash Singh, (2015). Climate change, water, and gender: impact and adaptation in North-Eastern Hills of India. International Social Work, 58, no. 3: 375-384.