ANTHROP 2F03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Gender Identity
Document Summary
Gender identity is not something that is necessarily determined by the biological traits we inherit as of birth. The way some people may perceive themselves, is the source of culturally constructed gender norms, relations and identities. In developed nations, it is a commonly accepted view to presume a person"s gender based on their sex, however this view is not consistent worldwide. Due to societal constraints towards women in various parts of the world, there are women who do not get a chance to live equally compared to men. In rural albanian society, the different understandings of sex, sexuality and gender make it possible, desirable and sometimes necessary for women to live as men, which provides a form of emancipation for women in rural albania. In the northern part of albania, a non-religious, sacred document provides an ethical guideline for most families to follow, which is known as the kanun (handout).