Impact of Culture on Gender Identity: How Differences in Genders Are Evident in the Behavior

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Main body
References

Introduction

In the early centuries, there were always two genders, male and female and the heterosexual society and culture helped to shape the gender identity of countless people across the centuries. Any other identities or attempts to create cross gender identities were regarded with great intolerance and gay men and women and the transgender people were regarded as social aberrations. However, since the beginning of the 20th century, with people becoming more tolerant, there has been a wider acceptance of other forms of gender identity (Shapiro, 1998). This paper examines the impact of culture on gender identity and how differences in genders are evident in behaviour and attitudes.

Main body

Shapiro (1998) argues that culture always had an impact on the way that boys and girls are brought up and that culture creates the gender identity. In America and many parts of the world, young boys and girls are dressed in pants or skirts, depending on the gender. The whole upbringing and education that forms the culture is designed to show the child what a boy or girl should do or not do. This forms the cultural fabric and as the child grows, it is increasingly segregated as per the cultural norms so that young boys are expected to work on the farm, go hunting, play rough games while girls are encouraged to take up sewing, cooking, look after the house and look pretty. If there is any cross gender behaviour such as a boy taking up sewing or cooking, then he is called a sissy while a girl trying out hunting or rough farm work is called as a tomboy and both behaviours are put down since they are against the culture. However, the author reports that in the Trobriand Islands of New Guinea and in northern Madagascar, men assume the roles of women, do household chores and take the surnames of the wives family while women assume the masculine roles.

Cante (2009) asserts that there is more to gender identity than mere physical differences between men and women. The author argues that post World War II, with women leaving the house and working in factories, there was a gradual change in the cultural norms of the society. There was a blurring of differences in the roles of men and women and the main driver was the role of the bread earner. Women also could now earn what men did, perform the same duties and tasks and hence they could demand that their differences be addressed by the society and culture. Traditional culture required that men earn, look after the family, take care of all financial worries and so on. The current impact of culture is that women have become independent, take up the same type of jobs, play same games and hobbies and demand that their sexual orientation be accepted by society. Cante argues that it is difficult to ascertain if culture has had an impact on gender identity or if role reversal and the quest for gender identity has had an impact on culture. However, the results are that society is more tolerant and ready to accept other gender identities such as gay, lesbian and transgender people. The author calls these genders as sub cultures and culture has an great impact on forming gender identities.

Thus, it can be seen that while there was a profound impact of culture on gender identity in the past, the current trend is of role reversal being increasingly accepted. It is not clear if culture and society has become more tolerant or if role reversal has affected culture and forced it to accept sub cultures. Some countries and states are willingly accepted these sub cultures while others tend to show some resistance. However, culture does tend to impact gender identity and acceptance of various sub cultures.

References

Cante, Richard C, March 2009. Gay Men and the Forms of Contemporary US Culture. London: Ashgate Publishing.

Shapiro. H. Svi, May 1, 1998. Critical Social Issues in American Education: Transformation in a Postmodern World, 2 edition. NY, USA: Lawrence Erlbaum.

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Impact of Culture on Gender Identity: How Differences in Genders Are Evident in the Behavior

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