For more information
Call 1-800-351-0222

Gender Theory
  Term Paper ID:43355 		Get This Paper Free! or
Essay Subject:
Two essays discussing gender theory in terms of feminism and transsexualism and in terms ...... More...
5 Pages / 1125 Words
6 sources, 12 Citations, MLA Format
$20.00

More Papers on This Topic


Paper Abstract:
Two essays discussing gender theory in terms of feminism and transsexualism; and in terms of gay and transgendered students.

Paper Introduction:
Essay Transsexualism Feminism and Gender In Transsexualism Feminism and Gender the author challengesthose feminists who take exception to transsexuals because of theperception that male-to-female transsexuals require hyperconformity topatriarchal norms and mores regarding female behavior attitudes andappearance Noting that this particular group of transsexuals is a smallbut extremely vocal minority the author goes on to note that a largenumber of transsexuals do not speak out about this militancy because theyare personally comfortable with traditional gender roles and often fear thelack of structure involved

Text of the Paper:
The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper.


Available at www.newsweek.com/id/14779 . Queer Theory, Gender Theory: An Instant Primer. Whether ornot Lawrence King and his assailant had a "relationship" as King claimed,it is quite clear that Brandon was deeply threatened by King and waswilling to use violence against him (Setoodeh 3). Feminists as theauthor (2) notes, choose their roles and can elect to function as ahousewife while simultaneously fighting society's efforts to force allwomen to be housewives. Feminists ought to be able to understand this processbecause it is in and of itself evidence of the ways in which women'sbehavior is policed and shaped by society.Essay 2: Gays and School Ramin Setoodeh (1) reported in July 2 8 on the murder of LawrenceKing, a 15 year-old junior high school student in California who was killedby a classmate named Brandon McInerney in class. It is quite possible that this process in and ofitself leads to the enforcement of gender policed behaviors on the part oftranssexuals. Thiscomment, however, refers only to those vocal and militant transsexuals whofeel that gender normative behavior and total conformity to the so-called"Madonna-Whore Complex" is the only way of being a woman. The problem is that many transsexuals do simply live insilence because of social and legal discrimination that pushes them into astealthy existence in which they do pass as "natural-born" women and aretherefore likely to adhere to the most conservative gender attributionsaffecting women. Those feminists who take issue with themilitant male-to-female transsexuals' demands for hyperconformity topatriarchal and stereotypical gender norms are objecting to the view thatthere is only one way of being female or being a woman. Strikwerda, and Patrick D. Essay 1: "Transsexualism, Feminism and Gender" In "Transsexualism, Feminism, and Gender," the author (1) challengesthose feminists who take exception to transsexuals because of theperception that male-to-female transsexuals require hyperconformity topatriarchal norms and mores regarding female behavior, attitudes, andappearance. Los Angeles: Alyson Books, 2 4. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1996, pp. The case of Lawrence King demonstrates that homophobia,taken to extremes, can lead to murder. "Transsexualism, Feminism, and Gender." 24 Apr 2 8. Accessed online May 14, 2 9.Simon, Mallory. Available at www.cnn.com/2 8/US/1 /13/gay .friendly.school/. The problem identified by the author (1-2) is that while "mosttranssexuals are distinctly uncomfortable with the extremism of the genderconformists, (but) they also seem to be unwilling to completely distancethemselves from it." These transsexuals may be the very individuals whoare "passing" and therefore unwilling to become publicly vocal about thisand other related issues. What matters is that Brandon was as Hopkins (98) suggests, sothreatened by King that he felt compelled to act out in a gender-specificaggressive manner against a person he regarded as a gender traitor. Such students are seen, as are their older counterparts,as gender traitors whose mere presence evokes a homophobic response fromhyper-macho males. This particular article raises an interesting point. Mosttranssexuals must undergo extensive psychological treatment before they aregiven access to surgical and hormonal interventions that facilitate theirsexual transformation. Works CitedAnonymous. 2 8. Patrick Hopkins (95-96) makes it quite clear that students who are"different" and particularly students who do not appear to conform togender expectations are invariably vulnerable to discrimination andoutright assault. Hopkins (111) states that "the only way to ensure that heterosexismand its virulent manifestation, homophobia, are genuinely eliminated is toeliminate the binary itself - challenge the assumption that one must besexed or gendered to be a person." In the case of Lawrence King, it isclearly too late to achieve such a resolution to the problems he faced.King appears, for the most part, to have been comfortable with histransgendered self identity (Setoodeh 3). Creating gay friendlyhigh schools for such students may be necessary to protect them (Simon 2). Such a case can also compel those who feel threatened by itto become violent and to attack the source of their own anger. Radicalfeminists do in many instances "tend to brand transsexualism as nothingmore than a particularly crazed attempt to invade and subvert the women'srights movement" ("Transsexualism, Feminism, and Gender," 1). As Simon (2) points out,schools serving this particular population have opened in New York City andelsewhere, often in response to the murder of Lawrence King and the issuesit evoked. "Gender Treachery: Homophobia, Masculinity and Threatened Identities." In Larry May, Robert A. Many of these students, like LawrenceKing, are verbally and physically harassed, discriminated against byclassmates and teachers, and potentially unsafe. Transsexuals can "choose to be gender normativewhile fighting misguided attempts to force all transsexuals to be gendernormative ("Transsexualism, Feminism, and Gender," 2). "Chicago May Get 'Gay Friendly' High School." CNN. Hopkins, Editors. Accessed online May 14, 2 9.Wilchins, Riki. 95-115.Setoodeh, Ramin. Accessed online May 14, 2 9.Hopkins, Patrick D. Others, like Brandon, were notcomfortable with this and society and the school failed both boys. As Riki Wilchins (71) pointed out, many people falling into thecategories of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered live at themargins of society and "margins are margins because that's where discoursebegins to fray, where whatever paradigm we're in starts to lose itsexplanatory power and all those inconvenient exceptions begin to causeproblems." Certainly, the case of Lawrence King as described by Setoodeh(1) demonstrates that the presence of an openly gay cross-dressingadolescent in a junior high school environment can be disorienting andchallenging. The murder brought to theforefront a number of issues regarding gay students, their "coming out,"the response to such students, and questions regarding gun control atschools. "Young, Gay, and Murdered." Newsweek, 28 Jul 2 8. A second article, by Mallory Simon (1) reported in 2 8 thatChicago may be in the process of creating a unique school that will be "gay-friendly" and established to serve students who may be lesbians, gays,bisexuals, or transgendered as well as other students who feel that theyhave victims of bullying for sexual orientation, perceived sexualorientation, or other problems. Rethinking Masculinity. Noting that this particular group of transsexuals is a "smallbut extremely vocal minority," the author (1) goes on to note that a largenumber of transsexuals do not speak out about this militancy "because theyare personally comfortable with traditional gender roles and often fear thelack of structure involved in a gender deconstructionist world." Manytranssexuals clearly do attempt to "pass" or, in other words, to presentthemselves as having always been a woman (or in less frequent cases a man)and as therefore living an appropriate lifestyle. It does not matter ultimately ifLawrence King's accusation that he and Brandon had a relationship is trueor not. Certainly, one must recognize that the author(2) is right in asserting that "the bottom line is that there is no one'correct' form of gender expression which all males or all females shouldbe required to adhere to; gender expression is a choice and no form of itis more valid than another." Of course, many feminists may disagree with this position and callfor bringing gender theory out of the ivory tower and putting it to work inthe streets (Wilchins 1 6). Available at http://feed.belowthebelt.org/2 8 / 4/transsexualism-feminism-and-gender.html.

If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again:

Search for:

or

We can write a Custom Essay just for you.


Browse Essays by Subject