Sexism
When we think of sexist ideas, actions, and words are the things we’re considering really sexist? That is, are demeaning, discriminatory, and derogatory gender-based beliefs truly attacking someone due to his or her sex, or are they attacking someone due to his or her gender?
This question accepts the assumption that sex and gender are not synonymous. Sex refers to an individual’s chromosomal identity and, for the majority, their physical sex characteristics. Gender, however, refers to the set of traditions, roles, and stereotypes that guide an individual’s behavior through socially accepted norms. Thus, is the discrimination we generally think of as “sexist” really “genderist”? When a woman is paid less than a man for the same work, is she being held back by society’s notion of what a woman IS and SHOULD BE, or is she being held back by her second X chromosome and her vagina?
Accepting the assumption that sex-based discrimination is really gender-based discrimination, genderism, how does this compare to other forms of discrimination? This is fascinating. Society has no control over the pigmentation of a person’s skin, or sexual identity. Society does, however, create the gender binary in which we try to function. If genderism is accepted, then society truly creates that which it discriminates against. Unlike racism and heterosexism, in which one group subjugates another based on an arbitrary characteristic, genderism almost seems inevitable because societal forces have manipulated everyone to accept gender-based differences as biological fact and classified those differences hierarchically, placing “feminine traits” at the bottom.
Thoughts?
This question accepts the assumption that sex and gender are not synonymous. Sex refers to an individual’s chromosomal identity and, for the majority, their physical sex characteristics. Gender, however, refers to the set of traditions, roles, and stereotypes that guide an individual’s behavior through socially accepted norms. Thus, is the discrimination we generally think of as “sexist” really “genderist”? When a woman is paid less than a man for the same work, is she being held back by society’s notion of what a woman IS and SHOULD BE, or is she being held back by her second X chromosome and her vagina?
Accepting the assumption that sex-based discrimination is really gender-based discrimination, genderism, how does this compare to other forms of discrimination? This is fascinating. Society has no control over the pigmentation of a person’s skin, or sexual identity. Society does, however, create the gender binary in which we try to function. If genderism is accepted, then society truly creates that which it discriminates against. Unlike racism and heterosexism, in which one group subjugates another based on an arbitrary characteristic, genderism almost seems inevitable because societal forces have manipulated everyone to accept gender-based differences as biological fact and classified those differences hierarchically, placing “feminine traits” at the bottom.
Thoughts?