What's Gender Got to Do with It?

Anyhow, apologies for such a late late late post and the sporadic posting. I hate when life gets in the way of hobbies. :)

*disclaimer, may be really insulting to some, read at your own risk, go be a troll somewhere else*

Today's topic, gender roles. (Did I talk about this already?) The cultural anthropologist in me wants to say that gender is a social construction and roles are determined by society and the biological anthropologist wants to say that gender roles are determined by biology. Well I think there's truth to both of those statements and also neither of them. I think that there is certainly aspects of gender that are biologically determined such as who gives birth. We have not yet mastered the science of impregnating Austrian bodybuilders yet. And there are culturally determined roles that men and women are suppose to play. In Western culture, that typically means, manly men who are tough and are protectors and providers. And women who are pliant and nurturing and caretakers. (Unless there's a bunch of emo hipster metrosexual guys in which case, I don't think tough really describes a guy in skinny jeans.)

Nothing wrong with those roles...if you WANT to follow them. But there are plenty of people who don't fall into those molds and they do just fine. It's increasingly common to see lady CEOs and househusbands.

Now in relationships, it's up to the people involved to determine if they want to follow traditional gender roles. Back in ye olden days of the 50s and 60s, many men worked and women stayed home to raise the family and feed the husband and bring him his slippers. But even back then, there were women who worked although generally in traditional "pink collar" jobs such as teaching, nursing, librarianship, or clerical. Today there are many studies which say that women are consistently attaining higher educations than men and are using those educations in careers. Personally, I did not get two masters degrees so I can stay home and make babies. I respect people who do stay home and raise families but staying at home makes me feel nauseous (I'm not kidding, I literally feel sick if I'm home all day) but I know there are a lot of other women whose careers are very important to them and while they love their families too, it's not their entire identity. (Wow I sound like a jerk to all the housewives/husbands out there, I don't mean to, but I'm just trying to clarify my own thoughts too).

So what does this mean? It means that it's you and your sig other that need to determine how you want to live, split up household and child care responsibilities. Men don't have to be the deciders and women the followers. We're not a hunting gathering society anymore. We're a sit in an office at a computer society and both sexes can do that equally well.

In conclusion, don't tie me down by my XX chromosomes, I'm more than just two little letters. Plus, it's none of your god damn business. >:P