Final Reflective Essay
Max Liebl
In my time taking this class, I have developed a new sense of gender and human sexuality. The world is an open book, not written in black and white although in terms of defining gender it may seem that way. As a straight male, I’ve often wondered about the differences in sexuality and what sets people apart in terms of how they define themselves. Whether it be through culture or by choice, people identify themselves as who they are on the inside. I’ve also discovered more about the role gender plays in cultures throughout the world and some of the taboo’s that go along with being of a certain gender. By examining cultures where it is even tradition to be something other than what you are assigned at birth, I’ve gained a better understanding of the world and the struggles that people face here in the United States and abroad because of discrimination or gender norms. As a future officer in the United States Army, it is important to have a good understanding of the world and what I will take away from this class is just that. I now have a broader understanding of the way gender is influenced by culture and how the human population is so diverse in so many ways.
Around the world, gender is seen in many different lights. In fact, in some nations it is part of the culture of a given region or population. Gender norms that we are used to here in America vary greatly where some nations still hold onto traditional values while others are the complete opposite. One thing I’ve noticed is women’s rights around the world and how each culture is different when it comes to the role of women. In some cultures, such as the Igbo of Nigeria and the Masuo of China, women have very diverse roles and their societies are matrilineal which refers to the female line being a family’s lineage. Women in these traditional societies can own land and participate in commerce and trade which gives women a large amount of freedom as opposed to other societies in those regions. In places such as Afghanistan, women have very few rights and is primarily a patrilineal society. For this reason, families without sons must assign a daughter to assume the role of a male to carry out simple day-to-day tasks such as going to the market. This third gender is known as the Bacha Posh and third genders such as the Bacha Posh are not uncommon. In Samoan culture, the Fa’afafine is the third gender mostly seen throughout the population of Samoan families. In Artifact 2, I researched the Fa’afafine and discovered the following, “Some males are assigned to be Fa’afafine due to the lack of a female presence in the household whether it is desired by the boy or not. It is often acceptable within the culture and amongst families.” Discrimination plays a large factor in the lives of third gender people because often times this was assigned at birth without the child having a chance to figure out who they really are. “While acceptable, this does not mitigate discrimination and Fa’afafine males who don’t identify themselves as Fa’afafine face ridicule and seek to prove that they are either male or female” (Artifact 2), one Samoan man in particular experienced just that. Leo Tanoi, an ex-rugby player who is the subject of a video by The Feed, was assigned to be Fa’afafine at birth despite his desire to be a straight male. By playing male dominated sports such as rugby and eventually playing pro, he was able to overcome some of the embarrassment that he experienced as a child growing up. It is examples like these that have opened my eyes to the world we live in and how gender plays an important role in the daily lives of people in every corner of the globe.
This class has also opened my eyes to the issue of global health in regards to gender. In the units where circumcision and menstruation were covered, I discovered that common practices such as hygiene have much lower standards in other countries especially in Africa and the Middle East. Many of these issues with hygiene stem from traditional cultures where modern medicine is scarce and often times trained healthcare professionals are not on hand to conduct surgeries and such. Circumcision, or the lack thereof, is a major issue for men in Africa as being uncircumcised has been found to make a male more susceptible to infections such as HIV. Therefore, men in Africa are encouraged to get circumcised by the hands of trained doctors in major cities where it is safely conducted. However, circumcision in some traditional African cultures signifies the beginning of manhood in a young boy. Circumcision is often done in a traditional ceremony without the use of sterile equipment or even a trained surgeon making risk of infection even more likely. Often times following the ceremony, the boys are forced to stay out for weeks at a time by themselves while they heal and have very little access to food and water (Artifact 4). In females, circumcision (genital mutilation) is also a common practice since it is said to be the transition of a girl into a woman and yet again this ceremony is conducted without proper medical equipment or training. Female circumcision also serves no purpose making it all the more dangerous to a woman’s health. Dangerous traditions such as these are unsafe and with proper education, death or serious infection or injury can be avoided. Education on menstruation for men in traditional societies where a woman on her period is said to be “dirty and dangerous” and capable of bringing bad luck to farms and crops is also necessary. Communities in the Middle East such as in Nepal, send women on their period to live outside in a mud hut where as many as 15-20 women could potentially be in there at one time (Artifact 5). This can lead to horrid diseases and less than favorable living conditions. Access to hygiene products is also very limited making the living conditions even worse for women in those communities. Small, seemingly insignificant facets of our daily lives in the United States are not taken for granted in other parts of the world. Health and hygiene contribute to the continuously widening global health gap and it is imperative for communities in remote parts of the world to be able to receive the medical care and access to basic necessities that we all deserve.
This class has widened my view of the world by showing how important gender and sexuality is to the world and how large of a role it plays. I now have a better understanding of how we see ourselves as humans and that the world is not written in black and white and that the small things that we take for granted are in dire need of in other parts of the world. I’ve learned more about sexual health that I will be able to take with me into the future as well. Overall, by broadening my view of the world and having the chance to study the way gender plays a role in societies around the world, I feel better prepared to enter my career as an Army Officer with a new understanding of the world and our role in it.
Help Recieved
Artifacts written by Max Liebl for BI 218X
Class activities and discussions
Canvas Resources