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Anthropology...

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Ken Guest: Gender Gives a definition on gender studies discusses gender studies: research into cultural construction od masculinity and femininity across cultures as flexible complex, and historically and culturally constructed. Several Questions brought up to tackle: -

Are men and women born or made? o Starts off by distinguishing sex and gender:  Sex refers to more of the physical differenced between the male and the female  Gender is more so the expectations of though and behavior that each culture assigns to people of different sexes.  With this they challenge the idea of certain stereotypes and explain how these stereotypes are more so imposed because of cultural expectations instead of biology. Anthropologists looks at how knowing a person’s biological sex doesn’t mean that we know what role that person will end up playing in life (pg 272)  An example that was given in this reading was that in western cultures both men and women cook and there is no biological reason for that o The Cultural Construction of Gender:  As humans we are born with a biological sex but we learn to be men and women  He discusses how from the moment we are born we are already put into these roles and are raised like this as well. We learn how to walk, talk, dress, and express emotions like a man and women and this is what we call cultural construction of gender  This becomes the norm: parents assign your gender from when you are born by giving you the appropriate clothing, haircuts jewelry and more. Throughout our life we earn the ideas of masculinity and femininity by categorizing roles.  Constructing masculinity:  CJ Pasco ethnography Dude you’re a fag discusses the construction of gender specifically masculinity. He noticed in the suburbs students would bully and harass other students by calling them fags and found out they ere directed at guys who danced like girls or cared about clothing or more sensitive. It was towards students who weren’t considered masculine.  He also discussed how girls can also be masculine but its more towards their physical state such as the way they dress or they way they display their sexuality o The Performance of Gender:  Here they discuss how gender is an idea that is more so expressed through actions  Masculine: is seen as aggressive, tough, and competitive  Feminine: gently, smart, nurturing  Eve though its termed differently man and women can share any of these characteristics. People also choose to display different characteristics at different times

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Are there more than two sexes? o Here they discuss how biological sex isn’t always as it is and we cant predict what roles people play o One example is Caster Semenya who in 2009 surprised everyone by winning the gold medal in a 800 meter race. However it was all taken away when rumor spread that she was not a women despite her birth certificate showing that she was female and growing up as a girl. Her physique and running prowess stirred up questions. She ended up doing a series of gender tests to determine her sex and how to decide whether she was women or not. When her tests were leaked they said she might have been intersexed which shows that biology isn’t always the answer. o A theory of five sexes: discusses that two sexes aren’t enough because millions of people are born intersexed which is usually ignored. Not only that by western medicine have take steps to supposedly “manage” intersexuality through hormonal treatments and surgery How do Anthropologists explore the relationship between gender and power? o Besides looking at gender in a more personal manner anthropologist started to look at how gender structures relationships of power. o Early research on male dominance: When looking at male dominance across cultures gender roles have been split between public and private lives. Because functions like reproduction and child rearing is associated with women, it keeps them in the private sphere. Men would ten in pubic spheres like politics and economics which is why they maintained more power. o However some of this was untrue, when Annette Weiner looked at Bronislaw’s research on Papua New Guneies she noticed how their economic system was working. There were local exchanged f yams in exchange for shell necklaces, bundle of banana leaves and skirts. This exchange was what the women were involved in. women played a part in the economic system. o Gender Stereotypes, Gender Ideology, and gender stratification:  Gender Stratification: unequal distribution of power and access to a groups resources, opportunities, rights, and privileges based on gender  Pg 293  Man the Hunter, Woman the gatherer: Here they discuss how hunting required dominant behavior, aggression, mobility, less time with child which was the role of the man where women were gatherers and collected fruits, seeds, and was more home orientated. This comes from the physical and mental differences that was developed over time.  However this is a myth: Human pattern of group interactions were developed through gathering and sharing of plant and seed resources. Hunting wasn’t the foundational activity.  (talk about gender violence pg 297)

Susan B. Anthony “A women’s right to vote”:

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A speech by Susan b Anthony: at a time where women a very few legal rights and was arrested for casting an illegal vote in the presidential election on 1872: o She stated that she had not committed any crime because this was her right o She specifically pointed out in the preamble that it says “We the People” not male citizen’s or white male citizens but people. It is for everyone because we are a union. And also that we need to secure our liberty that is our right o She explains how discrimination has taken affect in the government even though its suppose to mean that we are all equal an that we all have rights This pts husbands fathers and sons over mothers daughters and wife’s. The men are put in a higher status even though we are all the people. o She questions in are women persons? Women are persons and they are citizens and not letting them vote is going against the law

Red Emma Speaks:  On loose-leaf...