Last Tuesday evening we discussed the topic of gender in class. This altered my perception of this topic. I had never really put too much thought into the difference between sex and gender and their real definitions. To me, sex and gender were always two interchangeable words that, in my mind, relied solely upon genitalia. Then our discussion made me realize how gender is far from the same as sex.
I agree with Judith Lorber in that gender is socially constructed. From the minute we are born we are labeled by what sex we are...baby boys wear blue and baby girls wear pink. We are shaped by our social practices into what we are supposed be. I think this is what Lorber means by "doing gender," the way in which we expect and encourage people to act based upon their sex.
The film we watched, Ma Vie En Rose, showed an excellent example of "doing gender" which was completely different from what the individual, Ludovic, really felt or wanted. This was shown at many points, even the first time we see Ludovic. Ludovic comes downstairs to the party in a dress and with makeup on and his father tells everyone "It's his favorite joke." His father is upset with Ludovic for doing this because he feels that that is not the way a little boy should act. Another example from the film is when the father tries to spend more time with Ludovic and makes him play soccer. Ludovic obviously does not care to be playing the sport but his father does not notice because he feels that is what Ludovic should enjoy.
Good observations. Part of the construction of gender in our society is the collapse of sex and gender into one, thus making ideas about gender harder to question or undo, as they are constructed to appear as "natural."
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