Some Thoughts About Gender

The Term Gender and Sex Are Different

"Just do it" is slogan used by the Nike corporation to sell their specific product, but this saying can aptly apply to various concepts. Judith Lorber's writings would apply the phrase to gender. In her book Paradoxes of Gender she writes,"...gender, like culture, is a human production that depends on everyone constantly 'doing gender'"(Lorber 13). Lorber suggests that each person creates gender continuously by social practices and that gender is rarely seen as a social constructed idea.

Lorber suggests that gender is used in society as a way of maintaining order or organization. Occupations are commonly divided into men and women occupations, production is geared into two categories, even public restrooms are organized based on gender, as earlier in the century they were organized by race. These organizational divisions are in place to construct gender, but a personal influence is also necessary.

Parents teach their children gender as soon as they place them in gender appropriate clothing. Children are taught on the basis of becoming a lady or a gentleman. Thus western society has two gender categories "man" and "woman". It is during an entire life of development that gender is organized and categorized for the individual.

One facet of this social constructed gender are ideas of masculinity and femininity. Femininity or masculinity is ascribed to those with female or male sexual organs respectively, those who do not meet the level of masculinity that society has ascribed deal with penalties placed in order by the society. These penalties range from ridicule using words, violence, or discrimination in the work force. Terms such as "girly man" and 'butch" help enforce societies constructs. Lorber calls this "immediate social pressure"(Lorber 23).