In this class I have learned about the anatomy of the human body, difference between the words sex and gender, and what it means to not follow the gender roles. But more importantly I have learned about discrimination based on gender and how different cultures treat different genders. A lot of the discrimination I learned about is due to cultural and religious attitudes which makes it harder to bring about a change.

Sex is defined as the genetic difference in a species which characterises them as being either male, female, or other (Artifact 1). Gender is different in that it doesn’t so much look at the genetic difference but the social difference which is more based on physical appearance (Artifact 1). Gender has a number of forms to it such as the psychological side which is how the boy or girl feels, the social side which are the beliefs that are held and the responsibilities that come with it, and the behavioral side which is how a boy or girl dresses and acts (Artifact 1). Often parents try and conform their kids at an early age to what they believe their gender should be by giving them clothes and toys that are supposed to belong to their sex. Because of this notion of global gender roles people who do not follow the gender stereotypes are ridiculed.

Another issue is the gender gap in society which typically affects women around the world in different ways (Artifact 2). The gender gap can affect whether a woman can get a job or and education and can even be dangerous. According to data the United States is pretty good when it comes to discrepancy of education but in places like India and most of Africa have more than a 16 percent difference between male and female secondary education levels (Artifact 2). This is an issue that is harder to fix because of noticeable differences in strength and speed, pregnancy, and genitalia (Artifact 2).

India has a very noticeable difference in gender gap between males and females (Artifact 3). Women in India are seen as subservient to men and are meant to do the housework (Artifact 3). When women violate these roles that are given to them they are often subjugated to threats, harassment, and murder. These negative feelings towards women causes the abuse and neglect of girls through insufficient feeding and ignoring illnesses (Artifact 3). Now that there is ultrasound which can determine the sex of the baby inside the womb the rate of abortion of female fetuses has increased in spite of the laws against it (Artifact 3).

Often when people think of gender they think of either male or female but in reality there are others that do not fit into these categories. Transgender is when a man is turned into a woman or a woman is turned into a man. For a transgender in the United States life is hard, transgenders have a 1 in 12 chance of getting murdered and on top of that they have a 49 percent chance of committing suicide (Artifact 4). Sweden is trying to take steps to avoid this discrimination by creating a gender neutral environment (Artifact 4). Different cultures look at gender in different ways, while some condemn it in other countries it is very accepted (Artifact 4).

Another problem is with the gender health gap in that the model of women is based off of men. Men and women are both externally and internally different so it makes sense that there are at least a few differences in health and diseases between men and women (Artifact 5). When it comes down to it women are actually better at surviving when it comes to health (Artifact 5). Men and women do share 22 chromosomes together but the last pair known as the sex chromosome which is why men and women are so different (Artifact 5)

Males and females go through a process of genital cutting known as circumcision (Artifact 6). In males this process of genital cutting has health benefits but for females it has no benefits and can be harmful or dangerous for them (Artifact 6). The circumcision for males is the removal of the foreskin that is over the penis (Artifact 6). This circumcision for males is done in most countries right after the baby is born and it has a considerable amount of benefits. Some of the benefits include reduced risk of urinary tract infection, prostate cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, and reduced risk of cervical cancer (Artifact 6). The female circumcision on the other hand is dangerous and in these regions it is often done with unclean items which increases the transmission of diseases (Artifact 6). The reason that these harmful circumcisions occur is usually for cultural or religious reasons and because of that it is harder to get rid of especially when the religious leaders still want it.

Menstruation is something that separate women from men and is often looked at in a negative way. In reality menstruation is perfectly natural and is the time when a woman shed the lining of her uterus (Artifact 7). But still menstruation is seen with negative feelings because it is something that only women have, so men are unable to understand what they are going through. In foreign countries menstruation is seen as an abnormality or something that should be avoided (Artifact 7). In foreign countries women actually are forced out of the house live in little huts during their period. This fear is linked with a lack of understanding as well as religion and tradition (Artifact 7). If men had periods as well this wouldn’t even be an issue but because this is only done by females it is seen as gross and unnatural.

Women in general are discriminated against a lot throughout the world, in some places more than others. I feel that if women were the genetically stronger species that the roles would have been reversed. What is important now is closing the gender gap between males and females and I feel that can be done through education. Older people tend to be more stubborn when it comes to changing their values so in order to bring about a change the newer generations have to be the ones to implement this change in thinking.

Reflective Tag

Being transgender in this country is very taboo and is often frowned upon because it conflicts with peoples idea of gender roles. Robert Eads transgender man who was faced a lot of this gender discrimination especially when it came to hospital care. We have come a long way from a long time ago but this discrimination is still way too common.

Artifact 8

Transgenders are still discriminated against in this country even when it comes to hospitals. Robert Eads was turned down by a dozen doctors who claimed that taking him in would hurt their business. It turns out that Robert Eads had ovarian cancer and it wasn’t until a year afterward that he was finally accepted for treatment. In spite of the aggressive treatment he received he ended up dying at the age of 53.

The point of this movie was that just because you were born a certain sex doesn’t mean that you have to have a gender that corresponds to it. It is because we made these gender roles that there is a problem today and people who don’t meet the gender roles they were assigned are seen as different from everyone else. Sexual orientation also has nothing to do with being transgender, they do it because they don’t feel comfortable with who they are.

This is an issue that should have been eradicated by now but humans have trouble accepting things that are different from them. Another reason why people are more critical of transgenders is because they choose to change their gender as opposed to gay or differently colored people. The transgender community is also a lot more quiet in that you don’t notice them as much. People aren’t able to understand the reasons behind it because they don’t think the same way so it makes it harder to make a sympathetic point. I have faith though that in a few more generations that this idea of discrimination will eventually be eradicated for good.

Reflective tag

Menstruation is a perfectly normal thing but in some cultures it is seen as an abnormality or something that should be avoided. This fear of the menstruation is most likely linked to lack of understanding as well as religion and tradition. Education could go a long way in helping a lot of women deal with unfair treatment because of something that is very natural.

Artifact 7

Menstruation is the time when a women sheds the lining of the uterus which occurs once a month often lasting about 2-7 days. In foreign countries and different cultures the menstruation period is thought of as something unnatural and unclean. People often fear what they don’t understand and menstruation is no different, people actually believe that you can get sick from being close to someone who is menstruating. This is largely due to being uneducated, religion, and tradition.

In the United States women have it better off then other areas but there are still negative views when it comes to girls menstruating. The main reason for this is the negative side effects that are related to this, one of the most noticed being the change in mood that can occur. Females who are on their period are thought to transform into monsters but that is not always the case, some girls have little to no symptoms when it comes to getting their periods. Back in the day women could get away with crimes just by saying that they were on their period because people believed that these women were under the influence of raging hormones and therefor were not responsible for their actions.

Meanwhile in other countries women are getting punished for their normal cycle by keeping them away from the village not because they did anything wrong but because they are seen as dangerous and unclean. Typically in places with little education such as tribes is where this discrimination against the menstrual cycle is commonly seen. Often women have to live in little shacks alone or in groups completely exposed to the elements even during the wintertime. They are unable to go near the livestock or the males in fear of contaminating them and making them ill which we see as absurd but they see as possible due to years of tradition.

The Jewish Orthodox religion also has an extreme view when it comes to the menstruation cycle of the females not because of lack of education but more because of religion and tradition. During the time a female in menstruating a female can not touch a male or hand him anything directly. After the time a period is done she then goes to a special place to be purified so that she can once again touch her husband. This is an interesting practice and the rules regarding it are still being debated among the community especially when it comes to whether a female can read the holy book during this time.

Menstruation is a very natural thing in girls and the fact that it is portrayed with negativity I find to be a little ridiculous. The only reason it is portrayed negatively is because of the way people interpret what is going on during that time of the month. If people looked less at the negative side of what was happening it probably wouldn’t be perceived in such a negative manner. The period is a sign of fertility and it is perfectly natural and normal.

Reflective Tag

Males and females go through a process of genital cutting known as circumcision. In males this can have some health benefits but in females the process has not benefits and can actually be harmful. A lot of the reason the harmful circumcision still goes on is because of traditional and cultural reasons.

Artifact 6

All around the world children are going through a practice of genital mutilation known as circumcision for reasons that are purely traditional which in most cases are harmful to the child. Circumcision for males if done properly can have a number of health benefits but for females it serves no health purpose and can be harmful.

Female circumcision is the removal or alteration of the female genitalia. There are three types of circumcision; type 1 includes the removal of the prepuce or both the prepuce and the clitoris, type 2 is the removal of the clitoris plus the labia minora, type 3 also known as fibulation is basically just the removal of everything and than having it sewn together leaving a small hole for urine and menstrual fluid. A lot of the reason why this is still a practice is false beliefs which have been passed down through the generations such as the clitoris being dangerous. Another problem is the conditions where these circumcisions are done are usually unclean using sharp unclean items used on multiple patients which increases the transmission of diseases.

Male circumcision is the removal of the foreskin on the penis which is usually done in most countries after the child is just born. The circumcision of the male foreskin for the most part has the benefits outweigh the risks. The benefits include reduced risks of urinary tract infection, prostate cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, and reduced risk of cervical cancer in the females. There are some parts in Africa though where they wait for the males to be older as a transition into adulthood. This can be dangerous in that they leave them in tents afterward for days until they fully recover and for the first few days they are not aloud to drink water.

Male and female circumcision is not the same thing, female circumcision is dangerous and unnecessary while male circumcision has a number of health benefits related to it. In spite of the new laws in other Asian counties this practice of female circumcision still occurs. The use of female circumcision has been decreasing though as the number of health issues have been advertised. Eventually I hope for a complete eradication of this practice.