Primarily, it is the result of living in a patriarchal society like ours. If men show any real humanity in the interactions with other men, they are seen as less masculine, and less of a man in general. If they are more human in their interactions with women, instead of implying systems of control and dominance, they are seen as less masculine as well. Because the gender identity of men is so tied up in the approval they receive from the world, instead of the approval of others, they seek first that approval at any cost. I think that women are more humane in their interactions with others because their approval inside of the patriarchal system is tied up with what others think of them and how others perceive them. Pretty much every single institutions and organizations that I have interacted with throughout my life have been from a patriarchal system, including school, church, youth group and family. I was taught to be in control, to carve out for myself a identity based on the approval of the larger group, and to seek first the approval of the general populous in whatever group I am a part of. In conclusion, my gender identity is completely a product of the “path of least resistance” idea. I have existed for the better part of my life simply following the trends and norms that surround me. This has resulted in my relative inability to describe my gender identity beyond the stereotypes and norms that society forces on us all, such as dominance, assertiveness, and the need to control my surroundings and situation. However, through the studies I am doing throughout this course, as well as the studies involved with the Sociology major, I am becoming more and more an agent of resistance and
Primarily, it is the result of living in a patriarchal society like ours. If men show any real humanity in the interactions with other men, they are seen as less masculine, and less of a man in general. If they are more human in their interactions with women, instead of implying systems of control and dominance, they are seen as less masculine as well. Because the gender identity of men is so tied up in the approval they receive from the world, instead of the approval of others, they seek first that approval at any cost. I think that women are more humane in their interactions with others because their approval inside of the patriarchal system is tied up with what others think of them and how others perceive them. Pretty much every single institutions and organizations that I have interacted with throughout my life have been from a patriarchal system, including school, church, youth group and family. I was taught to be in control, to carve out for myself a identity based on the approval of the larger group, and to seek first the approval of the general populous in whatever group I am a part of. In conclusion, my gender identity is completely a product of the “path of least resistance” idea. I have existed for the better part of my life simply following the trends and norms that surround me. This has resulted in my relative inability to describe my gender identity beyond the stereotypes and norms that society forces on us all, such as dominance, assertiveness, and the need to control my surroundings and situation. However, through the studies I am doing throughout this course, as well as the studies involved with the Sociology major, I am becoming more and more an agent of resistance and