What Is Gender Essentialism? Why Does It Matter?

Asche · May 18, 2014, 01:49:22 PM

What Is Gender Essentialism? Why Does It Matter?

By s.e.smith (formerly of the blog "Tiger Beatdown") on her blog "this ain't livin'"
May 16, 2014

http://meloukhia.net/2014/05/what_is_gender_essentialism_why_does_it_matter/

Excerpt:

Gender essentialism, then, is the insistence that a few traits can be swiftly used to categorise someone's gender, and that these traits are inflexible. It is, furthermore, the belief that people can and should be slotted into the 'correct' gender category regardless as to which gender they identify with. It's often followed up with attitudes that people who do not fit within essentialist worldviews are simply being difficult or tiresome, or are wanting to be 'special snowflakes.' These attitudes suggest that people struggle with gender identity not because there is a fundamental mismatch between their actual gender and the gender assigned at birth, but because they want attention and affirmation from the people around them.

LordKAT · May 18, 2014, 01:56:18 PM

A very well thought out article. Thanks for sharing.

HoneyStrums · May 18, 2014, 02:07:23 PM

Smiles, Thanks you.

News:

What Is Gender Essentialism? Why Does It Matter?

Asche

LordKAT

HoneyStrums