Does Gender Serve Us?

Fair warning… I doubt many people will agree with me here. As I always caveat my writing, this is MY opinion, I would love to hear yours but remember, opinions are not fact. The likelihood is that both of us will be wrong!

What Do We Mean By Gender?

Let’s get one fact out of the way before I begin this discussion…

Gender is a construct, it is a set of contextual behaviours and appearance norms that are assigned to sections of humanity based upon their genetic makeup. That distinguishes ‘gender’ from sex, which is scientifically factual.

In no way would I ever try to minimise or argue the scientific principles that two designations of sex exist, with intersex making up a third designation that is not widely understood or used.

As many of you will know, I don’t really fit neatly into any of the gender expression boxes, I suppose technically I sit on the feminine side of non-binary, but I don’t feel like I strongly identify with that description. I generally describe myself as a ‘transgender individual’ as it doesn’t need much more explanation. I only say this to help frame my viewpoint.

Anyway…

A History Of Subjugation.

As a non-gender confirming individual, I don’t compare my experience directly with the struggles of women through history, but I do feel the echoes of gendered expectations and how they can feel overwhelmingly negative in my own life.

If we delve into the world of gender expectations it becomes clear that the principle of ‘gender’ in the binary sense historically benefitted one section of humanity…

Gender-congruent males (in the modern world it seems that it doesn’t even benefit them any more judging by suicide rates and the ‘male loneliness epidemic’).

Disregarding transgenderism and the spectrum of non-binary identity it is clear to see that one side of the binary understanding of gender has been VERY badly treated through time immemorial!

We only have to look back through the last 200 years to see that women have been subjugated by men, been treated as property, had to fight for the most basic of rights and have still to reach equality in real terms.

The fact that movements such as the suffragettes and the #metoo movement were needed. The sheer weight of legislation that has had to be enacted to counteract discrimination, sexual harassment and forced marriage. Plus the litany of other injustices (feel free to insert ‘atrocities’ here) show that the balance is very much skewed in one direction.

This begs the question – why is it that we are the only species that subjugates one half of the population?

Well, as I am not a historian or a sociologist I did what any committed amateur researcher would do, I asked Chat GPT!

Here is what it had to say

‘Why humans are different

              •           Complex societies: Humans developed language, culture, property, inheritance, and institutions. This allowed power inequalities to be codified and passed down across generations.

              •           Property and inheritance: Once farming began (~10,000 years ago), wealth could be stored and passed on. Men often controlled land and livestock, so controlling women’s labour and reproduction became tied to controlling inheritance and lineage.

              •           Reproductive certainty: In patrilineal systems, men wanted assurance that their heirs were “theirs,” leading to cultural practices of controlling women’s sexuality (marriage systems, veiling, seclusion, etc.).

              •           Division of labour myths: Physical differences (on average) were exaggerated into rigid gender roles. Over time, these got reinforced by religion, law, and custom.

              •           Culture & ideology: Unlike other animals, humans can create stories, laws, and moral codes that justify inequality. This makes subjugation systemic, not just situational.

This is not universal, not inevitable

              •           Anthropologists point out that not all societies were (or are) patriarchal. Many Indigenous groups had relatively egalitarian or complementary gender roles before colonisation.

              •           Patriarchy as we know it became especially dominant with state formation, organised religion, and capitalism, which scaled and entrenched male dominance globally.

So the short answer

Humans are unique because:

              •           We build complex institutions.

              •           We pass down property and lineage.

              •           We create cultural narratives that normalise subjugation.

No other species has combined biological differences with symbolic systems (religion, law, ideology) to subordinate half its members so thoroughly and enduringly.…’

To my mind, that makes tough reading!

But there is a really interesting point I would like to draw out, the reference to indigenous populations.

Lessons From Indigenous Societies.

If we look at pre-colonial gender roles within indigenous populations there were, of course, differentiated roles (hunting vs farming, political, spiritual authority etc), however these were always viewed as complementary rather than hierarchical, meaning they were of equal value.

Some examples, women in the Haudenosaunee carried very strong political power and could both nominate and depose chiefs. Also, within African, Native American and Pacific societies (I find it interesting that these societies would never have been in contact with one another, so, could it be argued that this should be the default human condition?) women controlled farming, trade and land rights.

If we think about the few traits that seem to link indigenous people there are…

  • Lack of modern religious beliefs, but still a belief in spirituality, perhaps even more so than modern western religion
  • No personal claim to ‘property’ either in land or possession generally
  • A society revolving around co-operation within the group rather than hierarchy

The other interesting (from my point of view) thing is that in a lot of indigenous societies, gender diversity was welcomed, even celebrated. The ‘two spirit’ people of Native American nations held important community roles as did the Samoan fa’afafine.

So being an individual that embodied masculine and feminine energy was somewhat of a gift (I tend to agree but am aware of my own bias in this regard – lol).

So do gender norms serve us as a society or do they actually harm our progress as a species?

Do Gender Norms Still Serve Us (Have they ever)?

My argument would be that nowadays, in our so called ‘civilised’ society they don’t. The fact that a ‘glass ceiling’ still exists within professional environments, the judgement that non standard families (stay at home fathers and working mothers etc) face, the vitriol that is directed at non conforming communities and the epidemic of mental health issues that is currently being faced by men, that are failed miserably by the assumption of masculinity, are all examples of where these norms hold us back.

Imagining A Different World…

Bear with me, I am about to step into the world of hypothetical thinking…

  • Imagine a world where professional AND familial roles were performed by the most appropriate person for that role based on their personal skillset – without question
  • What about giving kids and young adults the ability to express ALL of their personalities without the fear of judgement AND without trying to put them in any specific box before they fully understood themselves, personally I can point out at least two lives that would not have suffered long term damage if this had been possible
  • How about people all over the world improving their mental health because the paradigm of being ‘strong and silent’ did not exist
  • On a personal note, imagine a world where everyone can align with the personality traits and outward appearance that feels most comfortable to them without fear and without ridicule

Would it not be beautiful to be able to value individuals as just that, individual, judged on their own merits and not forced to adhere to some historical archetype that could be argued was created with the purpose of subjugating one section of our species into servitude and possession of another?

Now don’t get me wrong. I know that we are waaaay to far down the line for this pie in the sky thinking to be a reality. That is not the purpose of what I am doing here.

What I really want to achieve is to provoke thought, if you are now thinking that we are being disadvantaged by a system of classification created entirely by humans then I have achieved my goal!

Because if gender is holding us back more than it lifts us up, maybe the question isn’t whether it matters, but why we still cling to it at all.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments or as always you can email me – lisa@becominglissy.com