Week 3: Beyond Anatomy

Gender varies in all cultures, but in all cultures:
1. Gender is constructed on the basis of sex
2. Division of labor linked to gender
  1. Division of Labor is based on the resources available. The economic system is the basis of DOL
    1. There are 4 major economic systems
      1. Foraging/hunter-gatherers
        Interdependence
        Women are most responsible for food
        Men follow herds of large animals for skins b/c they are expendable.
        Women do local hunting,
      2. Settled Agriculture
        Men and women equally responsible for farm. Illegal for single person to inherit a farm- death sentence. Maternal mortality very high, men had to know how to do everything in the home/childcare. Cannot rely on gendered tasks. Children work ASAP.
      3. Industrialization/ Capitalism
        1840. Dependence. First time across the world that there were gendered traits. Darwin 1859, 1880 linking gender to biology. Men- providers, women- nurturers. Opposites.
      4. Information/ Late Capitalism
        Dependence/interdependence. 78-88% of all American households are dual earner. There has never been a time when the majority of families have a stay at home mom.
        We are here. B/c of globalization.
3. Sexuality is regulated based on gender
  1. 2 Patterns Across Cultures
    1. Dichotomous
    2. Multiple Gender Categories
      1. Two Spirits
        Gender Neutral, Spiritual, “Men-Women”, High Status, Power & Blessing, Dress & Traits of Women, Tasks of both Men and Women, Biologically Male, Married Men, Can’t Marry other Two-Spirits, born sex is less important than gender in this culture
      2. Mohave
        4 Gender Categories: Men, Women, Alyha, Hwame
        Alyha
        Biologically male. Shift at puberty. Dance/Ritual shedding of boy clothes and putting on girl clothes, Right of passages of women, Simulate menstruation by slashing thighs, Simulate childbirth by constipation, Ritual to celebrate the “baby” and the life it did not live.- same as stilbirth.
        Hwame
        Similar ritual of dressing/undressing. Would go on long hunting trips with the men, Marry women
      3. In Inda
        3 Gender Categories: Men, Women, Hijra
        Hijras
        Some intersex, some made intersex by castration, “Man minus maleness” Dress in women’s saris, wear long hair, popular at blessing ceremonies, do not think of themselves as women.
      4. Albania
        Sworn Virgins
        Women who can’t marry. Tasks of men.
      5. Transgender (America)
        Language is fluid.
        Definitions (current)
        Gender incngruence: incongruence between sex and gender identity. Also known as Disjuncture/Gender Variance
        Gender Dysphoria: Diagnosis of gender incongruence. Can be stigmatizing, but helpful. Used by insurance companies- can’t get surgery w/out diagnosis.
        History
        1950’s: “transsexual” describes people who are transgender. Language develops with gender reassignment surgery discoveries.
        1980’s “Transsexual” in DSMIII- can be clearly diagnosed.
        1994: “Transgender” and “Gender Identity Disorder” in DSMIV “Transsexual” specifically refers to people who have had sex reassignment surgery.
        2013/Current: “Gender dysphoria” is used for any kind of medical intervention. But stigmatizing. “Gender reassignment surgery” NOW called “Gender Confirmation Surgery"
        Theories of Causes of Transgender:
        Brain-Sex Theory: androgen wash and the second trimester.
        Neuoro-anatomic theory: how neurons and anatomy came together. Cells, and the terminals within cells in the hypthalamus.
        1.4 Million Americans are LGBTQIA+. Only 4.2 %. Americans way overestimate this population.
        Gender Dysphoria throughout the life span
        Childhood
        Roughly 75% of children who are gender non-conforming do not continue into adulthood
        25% have persistent and consistent dissatisfaction with: gender identity, body characteristics, and gender role. Persistent: at least 6 months. 6 out of 8 symptoms/patterns: Desire clothes, play role, games, toys, and playmates of opposite gender. Rejects toys, games, sexual anatomy of current gender. Desire to change sexual characteristics.
        Two ways children are treated: Not change anything b/c they’ll “grow out of it”. If persistence, interventions. Only legal intervention: puberty suppressing hormones. Gives families more time to decide treatment plan.
        Adolescence
        Of the 25% of children with persistence, 70% are transgender in adulthood
        Significant negative reaction to shift in puberty.
        Any pre-existing medical/psychological conditions have to be treated.
        With puberty-suppressing hormones, don’t develop secondary sex characteristics. Without Puberty Suppressing Hormones, have to be the age of majority (16). Before age of majority, parents can sign off on therapies or surgeries.
        Adulthood
        Have to be able to show the effects of any treatment side effects, the time treatment takes, and the three levels of medical intervention.
        Three levels:
        1. Fully reversible: only puberty suppressing hormones. 2. Partially reversible: hormone therapy and some surgeries. 3. Irreversible: Gender confirmation surgery.
        Anyone who wants medioplasty/phalloplasty have to live for 12 months as desired gender. For gender confirmation surgery: have to be under the care of mental health professional for 12 months.
        Even for transgender who have had surgery, suicide rate is 5X higher than broader population.
        Transitioning: The process of becoming the preferred gender.
        Less than 2% of those who transition, transition back. Almost all of those who have, converted to conservative christianity.
        Religious Freedom Laws: Doctors can refuse to treat those who are transgender.
        Overview:
        CDC/ Williams Institute Data: LGBTQIA+ is overestimated. Only 1.4 million in America- 0.6% are transgender. 1.0% growth in 4 years in LGBTQIA+ community. Not quite 10 million people. Millenials significantly more likely to report being LGBTQIA+.
        Cross-dressing: not usually in public, not exaggerated. Transitioning: usually in public. Drag: Gay men claiming more power at the expense of women. Now an art form.
        Coaching: “Dialing” gender down. Not paying attention to the full woman experience, just the super feminine part when crossdressing.
        Transgender is not about creating a third option- it’s switching from one to another.
4. Virtually every culture has a history of more than 2 genders.
  1. Biological females don’t shift as much because the society is dependent on childbirth. Shifts happen more when they’ve given birth a certain # of times.

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Week 3: Beyond Anatomy

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	Created by Micailah Moore over 6 years ago