WGST 1F90 Lecture 4: Lecture 4.docx

• School: Brock University
• Department: Women's and Gender Studies
• Course: WGST 1F90
• Professor: Jenny Janke

Document Summary

Lecture title: doing gender: performing femininity and masculinity. Gender is one of the most pervasive organizing factors in our social world. We experience & demonstrate a range of the qualities; to limit ourselves is damaging: confusing term: multiple misconceptions about gender and sex, how natural" it is, biological basis, etc. Gender is structured upon a binary: we are either male or a female, but not both. Binary: dividing an idea/concept into two distinct parts. Result: polarizing: examples: instinct/reason, nature/nurture, madonna/whore, man/woman, devalue one half while overvalue the other, traits associated with the masculine are overvalued; those associated with femininity are devalued, male traits: independence, emotional reserve, strength. Ancient mythology structured masculine codes and expectations in the west: to be a real man: independent, reject weakness, fear the feminine, control environment, others, etc, west is based upon masculine codes, result: hegemonic masculinity.