Breaking Gender Norms

Gender, as defined in our lecture, is simply the attitudes and perceptions that are attached to femininity and masculinity. Professor Latorre also emphasized that gender is a social construct; there is no scientific evidence to back up the claims that individuals make regarding what makes gender. This unreal construct influences every aspect of an individual’s life including what individuals are supposed to wear. Gender constructs are ingrained into each person from a young age. This ingrained belief has become a way for media to pit individuals against each other, and a ploy to increase revenue. Society has used gender to classify what individuals are permitted to wear and what nudity is acceptable. When individuals step outside of their norm, …show more content…
As Crenshaw discusses in Mapping the Margins, race plays a direct role in an individual’s identity. These men of color are breaking their racial norms and gender norms which strikes heavy cords within society. Of the individuals that break society’s standards Jaden Smith causes the most turmoil. Smith on a regular basis breaks out of societies norms and does what he feels is correct. Smith is a true advocate for doing what individuals believe. Gender doesn’t just dictate what individuals can wear, but also what they cannot …show more content…
An individual who is constantly told to be themselves but is immeditaly ridiculed for doing so is no doubt going to have numerous self-image issues. These self-image issues can lead to numerous things: depression, and even eating disorders. Gender has no scientific background, and thus is simply a social construct that dictates every single aspect of life. Humans claim to be the smartest species and yet allow themselves to be controlled by a construct. If the construct were to be broken individuals would have a true chance at finding happiness. The media could also finally report on stories that hold more substance than just who wore a dress