Gender is a social construction

[PaulinVA]

The problem is, gender is not really binary.

Due to the Fall, there are people who have ambiguous gender when they are born. They may have problems later in life if their parents subjected them to surgery to “correct” the problem.

Transgender people have decided to trust their brains instead of their body, in terms of what gender they are. I would go with the body myself, but I have not had to make that decision.

You need to know about these issues because they could come up in the classroom. You don’t have to believe that it’s the way God intended.

 

[StevenFrancis]

Just speaking for me alone, I’d probably give my own beliefs on the final, and fail the class, in hopes of having to explain it to anyone who cares.

If you don’t feel the strength to do that, than at least drop, and take the incomplete, and state your reasons for dropping the class.

Best of luck and may God bless, fortify you, and bring your strength and resolve.

Peace,

Steven

 

[edwest2]

Here is some information from the National Catholic Bioethics Center:

ncbcenter.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1039

Hope this helps,
Ed

 

[Moscati]

Hmm . . . I would say what we consider “masculine” or “feminine” is part social construct and part natural. And I can see the value in not ‘tracking’ children towards one or the other: making the girls play Barbies while the boys play trucks, or whatever. Girls can do science, boys can write poetry, etc.

But not using gender-binary language seems ridiculously extreme. Are they going to stop having boys and girls restrooms? Or ban separate sports teams? What about theater? You couldn’t have tryouts for specific gender roles. Or ballroom dancing.

I would bring this sort of stuff up, in your class, if you get the opportunity. Carry out the principles to their logical ends, and see what people say. Don’t be confrontational, but a serious line of questioning would probably be helpful.

 

[ChemicalBean]

But not using gender-binary language seems ridiculously extreme. Are they going to stop having boys and girls restrooms? Or ban separate sports teams? What about theater? You couldn’t have tryouts for specific gender roles. Or ballroom dancing. .

It’s already being done. Not much question there.

• Family restrooms, and private unisex restrooms, particularly in new shopping malls and renovated university buildings.
• Some sports teams are integrating.
• Theater has always had actors/actresses play roles that were not necessarily matching their biological sex. Ancient greeks had all male casts. Baroque operas had castrati playing women’s roles because they could sing treble with powerful timbre.
• Ballroom dancing can have “lead” partners instead of exclusively male partners.

 

[Moscati]

It’s already being done. Not much question there.

• Family restrooms, and private unisex restrooms, particularly in new shopping malls and renovated university buildings.
• Some sports teams are integrating.
• Theater has always had actors/actresses play roles that were not necessarily matching their biological sex. Ancient greeks had all male casts. Baroque operas had castrati playing women’s roles because they could sing treble with powerful timbre.
• Ballroom dancing can have “lead” partners instead of exclusively male partners.

Ah. I actually think “family” restrooms are a great idea, and I can’t really oppose private unisex ones (I’d actually like that). And I suppose you’re right about theater and ballroom.

But . . . sports will never work! Maybe for team sports, if the male-female ratio wasn’t too far off. But integrating the individual sports like swimming or running would put the women at a serious disadvantage. The swimmer in me is sad.

 

[snowlake]

Here is some information from the National Catholic Bioethics Center:

ncbcenter.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1039

Hope this helps,
Ed

THIS is the best answer. Hope everyone has read it.

Copies should be made for everyone in the class who is interested. Obviously, since
the document encourages psychotherapy for those w/ this illness, there ARE psychologists/psychiatrists who have not bought into this error. I think I heard a few of them speak on EWTN’s “Abundant Life” show once. I forgot their names. You might be able to find out about them, and they might be able to give you a list of doctors who have not fallen for this line of thought. You could bring up the existence of such in class.

It might throw the prof into tailspins. Be prepared. A true University allows for open and honest discussions. The administration should be on your side if there is a problem w/ your free speech being hampered.

 

[JimG]

From the article linked above: “A person’s sex identity is not determined by one’s subjective beliefs, desires or feelings. It is a function of his or her nature. Just as there are geometrical givens in a geometrical proof, sexual identity is an ontological given. Psycho-therapy and loving acceptance of such persons suffering from sexual identity confusion is the proper way to love them. Mutilating their bodies is not.”

 

[Ridgerunner]

In these cases, because they have constructed their identity as a member of the opposite sex, many will seek sex change operations or hormonal treatments to “be in the right bosy” as it were. They will dress like the opposite gender, and call themselves the opposite gender. To call them the sex they were born with would be like coming up to me (a female) and calling me male in their eyes.

The challnge this class is putting forward is how to respect them in the room. Ways of doing this includes not using gender specific words such as “hey you guys” or “ladies and gents” and so on since gender is no longer a binary concept. (male and female)

Needless to say, I am having a hard time with “gender is not binary” idea. I believe you are male or female depending on your sex (gender and sex is the same thing) where gender roles are what changes. There is no rule that women HAVE to dress and act a certain way. Same for men. Femininty and masculinity mean so much more than dress and decorum.

I dunno. I just want to hear thoughts from good christian people on this. It helps to bolster my opinions and correct errors.

I’m not sure I could be considered a “good Christian”, but here’s my take, and I hope it helps.

There are going to be times in life when one has to keep his/her head (oops, is that a violation of gender neutrality?) below the parapet. For the most part, there’s no shame in doing that, since we have a moral imperative to live; to survive in order to do those things we are going to be charged with doing in life. This woman is not important in the grand scheme of things. As I understand it, you have to take this class. No way around it. This professor is a pig’s rear end and insists on using the little bit of authority she has in life (and it isn’t much, and it isn’t earned or deserved) to impose her beliefs on people she has to realize are not going to buy it.

So, her whole presentation is a lie. Her profession, as she exercises it, is a lie. Her distinction is a bunch of horse dung, but because of whatever psychological weevil is boring into her brain, it’s important to her to maintain it and to force it on others if she can.

Your “remedy” is to succeed despite her. Play her game and beat her at it without her knowing it at the time. People like her will fail you if you defy her, because her beliefs are more important to her than fairness or justice or even humanity. A year from now, if you wish, you can go tell her you succeeded in your goal despite her lies and her pitiful attempt at totalitarianism. Personally, I would then spit on the floor at her feet, but, being a lady, you probably won’t do that. That’s a “guy” thing.

 

[ChadS]

It seems to me that people are using the terms gender and sex interchangeably, as if their meanings are identical.

Sex is what makes us male and female, it’s our XX or XY chromosomes, as such they cannot be changed.

Gender, what makes us man or woman, on the other hand is a societal construct – perhaps not wholly, but partially rooted in our culture, language and history. One only has to look so far to see how roles for men and women differ around the world. In some Asian societys women are supposed to walk a few paces behind their husbands. In the Middle East women are supposed to be covered up and can’t appear out in public without their husbands or male family members. One would be extremely hard-pressed to argue that these differences reside in our chromosomes.

God has carved out different roles for males and females. The Church rightly notes that these roles cannot be changed or given to the other sex. For example the role of mother is given solely to females the role of father is given solely to males. That can’t be changed. However, what is expected of males and females in their respective roles as mother and father can change in societys over time. At one point in time males were the breadwinners and sole job holders in a house, the woman stayed home to take care of the house. These roles have changed over time in western culture.

Trans-gendered people cannot change their sex, even with surgery – they will always have XX or XY chromosomes. They can choose to live as a male or female, but even at that they will be mere shadows of the gender they are trying to mimic and never able to become what they seek. In my opinion many people who are trans-gendered are deeply troubled with psychological issues and wrong understandings of themselves and in many ways the world. As such, it seems to me, that we should be trying to get them help as opposed to facilitating their “changes.” This isn’t meant to be mean or hateful, but seems to me to be compassionate.

ChadS

 

[zarathos_khan]

I have a class that is really starting to get to me. I’ll spare you the painful details and skip to the one thing that I am having a lot of trouble ignoring, and am really biting my tongue on.

This is the idea of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender roles in regards to social justice - particularly in the classroom.

Here’s the thing, the teacher is saying that gender is a social construction (not tied to biological sex in the slightest) and for us to be good teachers, we need to know that just because someone is born male, their gender is not male.

I don’t know how much longer I can keep silent on the issue. I mean, as a ccatholic I obviously believe that gender and sex is synonymous. How can I keep my mouth shut so I don’t mess up my G.P.A. or, what can I say to this teacher? Should I say anyhting? How should I say it? I feel so conflicted.

Just FYI- this is a required class for my certification… I can’t drop it and school transfer isn’t an option (lest I want to drive 6 hours a day to the other nearest school). I just have to get through this.

what you do is object and keep objecting. if your teacher is a real teacher then they will welcome your objections (use reason and not emotion) if they are not a real teacher then your not really learning anything of value anyways so it does not matter. remember the best thing you can do in school is to challenge authority and think for your self.

 

[Dale_M]

Here’s the thing, the teacher is saying that gender is a social construction (not tied to biological sex in the slightest) and for us to be good teachers, we need to know that just because someone is born male, their gender is not male.

Hoo boy… I wonder if your instructor knows what a can of worms s/he has opened.

A lot of the discussion will revolve around definition of terms.

For example, 'sex" does not equal “gender.” And “gender identity” may not equal “sexual identity”. Furthermore, sexual identity may not equal sexual organs/physical characteristics. And “transgender” does not equal “transsexual.”

If your instructor is simply saying that to live as a woman or a man involves a gender identity which is, in part, a cultural creation, I don’t think there can be any doubt. Our culture dictates very different expectations of how boys/girls and men/women behave and what they should value. Each of us grows up within a culture which shapes our experience and identity of being male or female. As Simone de Beauvoir famously noted: “One is not born a woman, but becomes one.”

However, if your instructor is saying that whether a person identifies as either male or female is culturally determined, I think he is seriously in error. Sexual identity seems to be determined by the time a person is born. If you accept the arguments of transsexuals, then sexual identity does not always align with a person’s genitals. This is a rare condition, but it is a generally accepted medical diagnosis.

At the same time, “transsexual” does not equal “transgender.” This is where things really get sticky. According to transgender proponents, someone could have a female sexual identity but a male gender identity (which they may live as part time.) The distinction between transsexual and transgender is a hot issue among people concerned about such things. There is a lot of acrimony between the sides. I wonder how much your instructor knows about the controversy?

BTW, I am presenting this from a secular point of view rather than a Christian point of view. If you base your objections on religion, I think you will lose. However, I think there may be good reasons to challenge what your instructor may be saying.

 

[foreignerstudy]

Need of distinctions is important, here. But your quote of Simone de Beauvoir isn’t exactly pertinent. It come from her book “the second sex”, and implying a believe in artificial construction of feminity. A woman would be free to construct his own life representation, without femininity, if she want. “what is woman ?”, was her reflexion and she answer, biological basis and historical construction. in this view feminity, womanhood isn’t a shape for women experience, this is experience of life itself. She lived with Jean Paul Sartre, and her intellectual streaming was existentialism: philosophical conception that implies focus on acts and engaging only.
Her conception is the ground of gender theory How thinking the woman isn’t only a biological shape ?
She had promoted sexual deviations in bourgeoisie and intellectual milieu. women have need of comprehension and autonomiy, but why in a war against nature ? If all is cultural, nothing is natural and other thing are mechanicals ?(that’s sound like loudly “masculine”.)

If gender is social construction, in catholic thruth, transsexuals are perverts only.
Why transsexuals are in solidarity with gender theory ?