Gender Neutrality

A look at Gender Neutrality

     The concept of gender neutrality has been very intriguing to me. Although I personally believe that there are some biological features attributed to male/female creatures; I am coming to a new understanding that much of what we see as masculine or feminine may be socio-culturally derived. This makes me wonder what a gender neutral society/culture would look like. Would biological males/females typically choose similar behaviors, or not? Would individuals be more prone to “gender neutral” behaviors or would people define their sense of being without thought of gender? Not only that, if a society was truly gender neutral, would they even understand the concept of gender. For instance, would a gender neutral society even understand the compartmentalization of masculine and feminine behaviors or would the whole range of behaviors be considered to be a normal range of all human behaviors.

But what is gender neutrality, or gender for that matter? Since the concept of gender often gets intertwined with other terms here is a quick video and term list before getting started:

Gender: Gender is a term that relates our sex to our actions in society, some behaviors are acceptable for only certain gendered types (masculine, feminine) (Kimmel & Stony Brook Staff, 2014).

Sex: Our genitalia that we are born with which labels individuals as male, female or intersex (Kimmel & Stony Brook Staff, 2014).

Gender identity: An individual’s perception of the gender that they are and express (Lehmiller, 2014).

Gender Neutrality: Treating all genders equally without prescribing social or cultural constraints on behaviors based on ones supposedly apparent sex or gender identification.

(For a more comprehensive list of gender, sexuality and identity terms please visit this website: http://geneq.berkeley.edu/lgbt_resources_definiton_of_terms)

So, as seen in the above terms, one’s gender identity is not, necessarily, identical to one’s sex. Yet, despite this, individuals’ in society are frequently treated differently with respect to how others in society perceive their gender, even if that assumption is false.

And, in speaking of assumptions, look, for instance, at this photo.

        In today’s gendered culture this adorable little toddler would undoubtedly be termed as a girl. Yet, in the 1880’s, when this photo of 21/2 year old Franklin Delano Roosevelt was taken, children would wear dresses and have long hair until around 6 or 7 years old (Maglaty, 2011). Today, this photo would have people assume feminine qualities of quiet, docile and obedient opposed to masculine qualities as being assertive, active and tough. This is where gender neutrality comes into play. Gender neutrality hopes to combat these stereotypes of gender. We shouldn't see dresses, long hair or pink clothes and immediately associate feminine qualities to an individual; those assumptions, even if some happen to be true, are not based on the getting to know the real character of that person. What gender neutrality hopes for, is not to eliminate what we consider masculine and feminine today. Instead it hopes to allow individuals, regardless of their sex and gender, to identify with any range of behaviors while still being accepted in society.

Becoming More Gender-Neutral

     If you really try to imagine gender neutrality, it is difficult to even think of the terms to use for a gender neutral society. If individuals were to become gender neutral, what would we call them? Some propositions have been made to be formally introduced form of zir, eir or simply they, yet pronouns are not the only issue. Getting away from gender stereotypes is also incredibly difficult. When you think of a construction worker, despite your best efforts, you likely think of a man doing that type of labor. When you think of a childcare worker, a woman easily fits into that role. Yet, the terms construction worker and childcare worker are gender neutral in the linguistic sense; it is our minds that our not neutral. In other words, to be gender neutral we must end our own mental associations between gender and society (Nelson, 1994). That is no easy task if you have grown up in such a binary environment. Yet, some members of society are beginning this task…starting from the beginning.

Gender Neutral Parenting

     Gender neutral parenting is very controversial as there is a great worry that doing such will create confused children who grow into even more confused and, “alienated” adults (DiProperizo, 2013). Some individual's even worry that raising children in this way could cause them to become homosexual; yet, according to research, sexual identity seems to be derived from, "genetics and biology, not environment," (DiProperizo, 2013). As far as the long term results of raising a gender neutral child,the truth is, we really don’t know, yet. There haven’t been many studies on the effects of gender neutral parenting, as it is a relatively new phenomenon. Although, there was a wave of gender neutrality in the past rise of feminism, but it didn’t gain incredible steam and only recently has gender neutrality become more visible in the media (Martin, 2005). Yet, it is true that, in the past, children were raised with more gender neutral attire, as with FDR. Yet, when these children got old enough they, too, assimilated into their assigned gender. So it is not exactly the same extent as gender neutral parenting today, where children ultimately are meant to choose the gender that they identify with. In time, we will see more concrete effects based on what happens to these children who have parents that are raising them neutrally.

Conclusion 

     Gender neutrality causes some people ill feelings because it seems to associate it with getting rid of masculine and feminine behaviors and having people reside somewhere in between. Yet, gender neutrality is more about allowing all behaviors to be acceptable, no matter what one’s sex or gender. Gender neutrality hopes that with greater social acceptance of the variations in behaviors that people will be able to choose and act the way they were meant to be. There is also hope that if gender neutrality is implemented on a greater scale that social stereotypes and inequities that cause women and men harm will deteriorate.

References

DiProperizo, L. (2013). Should you raise a gender-neutral baby? Parents: Meredith Women's Network. Retrieved from http://www.parents.com/parenting/gender-neutral-parenting/

Kimmel, M. & Stony Brook Sexualities Research Group Staff (2014). Sexualities: Identities, behaviors, and society. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Lehmiller, J. (2014). The psychology of human sexuality. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Son’s.

Maglaty, J. (2011). When did girls start wearing pink: Every generation brings a new definition of masculinity and femininity that manifests itself in children's dress. Smithsonian.com

Martin, K. (2005). William wants a doll. Can he have one? Feminists, child care advisors, and gender-neutral child rearing. Gender & Society, 19(4), 456-479. (2005, August 1). Retrieved August 8, 2014, from JSTOR.

Nelson, J. A. (1994). More thinking about gender; Reply. Hypatia, 9(1), 199. Retrieved from www.ebscohost.com

Weeks, L. (2011). The end of Gender? NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2011/06/27/137342682/the-end-of-gender