Focus on this reflection: What causes inequality in gender relations? The answer seems simple, but it is not.
There are two key concepts that for centuries have contributed to perpetuate it, these two concepts are:
- patriarchy and
- heteronormativity.
What does the term patriarchy mean?
It refers to a traditional form of social organization that is often the basis of gender inequality, according to this type of social system more importance is given to men or what is considered masculine, than to women or what is considered feminine.
Traditionally, some societies have been organized in such a way that property, residence and offspring, as well as decision-making in most areas of life, have been the domain of men.
The rationale for this phenomenon often invokes biological reasons, saying that women are naturally better suited to be caregivers, and continues to underpin many types of gender discrimination.
In a totally patriarchal society, only two sexes and two genders are recognized. Male and female, masculine and feminine. This is considered natural.
What is heteronormativity?
It is another form of discrimination that perpetuates gender inequality, which is an expression used to describe or identify a social norm related to standardized heterosexual behavior when it is considered the only valid social form of behavior and whoever does not follow this social and cultural stance will be at a disadvantage with respect to the rest of society.
This concept forms the basis of discriminatory and prejudicial arguments against the LGBTIQ+ community, mainly in terms of families and public expression.
How can you contribute to healthy gender relations?
Dominant genders are often assigned to men and women, it is important to recognize that other gender identities exist.
This is called gender diversity, a term that recognizes that many people's preference and self-expression simply does not fit within commonly accepted gender norms.
Did you know that gender diversity is a normal part of human expression?
UN Women reports that it has been documented across some cultures and across some religions in historical records.
It illustrates this with an example: Even such commonly accepted notions in Western culture as the idea that pink is for girls and blue is for boys are relatively new, although the reasons why this trend was reversed are still being debated.
It is a well-documented fact that until the 1950s pink was considered a more intense and stronger color, therefore more suitable for a boy; while blue considered more delicate and refined was commonly used to dress girls.
What is androcentrism?
It is one of the most widespread forms of sexism in the context of gender relations. Androcentrism is that vision of the world that places man as the center of all things, this conception of reality is based on the idea that the male gaze is the only possible and universal gaze and is therefore generalized for all mankind, be they men or women.
Androcentrism entails the invisibility of women and their world, the denial of a feminine gaze and the concealment of the contributions made by women. Androcentrism consists of seeing the world from a masculine point of view, taking the male of the species as the parameter or model of what is human.
There are two extreme forms of androcentrism:
- gynopia: this constitutes the impossibility of seeing the feminine, resulting in the invisibility of the feminine experience in the human experience.
- misogyny: refers to the repudiation or hatred of the feminine.
Finally, gender stereotypes affect gender relations because they are simplistic generalizations of gender attributes.
Differences in the roles of women and men:
- Stereotypical characteristics about men tend to describe them as competitive, greedy autonomous , independent and interested in private goods.
- In contrast, parallel stereotypes about women tend to portray them as cooperative, welcoming, caring, communicative, and group-oriented and interested in public goods.
Reflect with these questions:
- Which of these stereotypes have you observed most often in your close environment?
- Do you think they can be eradicated?
Remember that gender stereotypes are often used in our daily lives to justify more generally gender discrimination and tend to be spread by some traditional and modern theories Example: laws and institutional practices.
But this should not be taken to extremes, otherwise we would fall into the concept of misandry.
What is misandry?
It is the hatred that women feel towards men.
Kaplan (2011) refers to misandry as the hatred or aversion towards males. It also refers to the psychological (and especially cognitive) tendency to despise the male as a sex, and everything considered masculine.
Here is an interesting link that will take you to a selection of twelve feminist books that everyone should read, come and discover them.
Do you dare to identify in your daily life the messages that reinforce these gender stereotypes and the idea that women are inferior? You will find most of them in a wide variety of productions from:
- songs,
- commercials,
- jokes and popular sayings.
Please leave a comment where you share the gender stereotypes you have encountered in your closest environment.
Contributed by: Karla Lorena Cordón Trejo with contributions by Jorge Dimitrios Gianareas Tsimogianis.
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