Gender and 2nd Life
I don’t think that I have ever been terribly progressive or went against the grain much. I have usually conformed and done what was expected of me. The exception being my teen years (certainly I get a pass on that one). It was interested to me that when I had an opportunity to create an Avatar that would live in another world and when I could be anyone or gender that I wanted to be that without giving it any thought I automatically subscribed as female. I did not ever recognize my subconscious choice until I began interacting with classmates in 2nd life who had changed their online gender.
These findings about myself caused me to examine the importance of the role that gender plays in my life. If any at all. This question becomes that much more profound due to the fact that I am expecting my second child (my first is 16…yeah can you say surprise baby 16 years later) and I have found that in the past 16 years things are very different. When I had my daughter there were lots of unisex room décor, bedding and clothing available….in a variety of colors including pink and blue. Now EVERYTHING seems to clearly subscribe to one gender or another. Clearly blue or clearly pink or even when there are vast patterns available…they have oh so cleverly worked the stereotypical color schemes into a progressive pattern. So this has caused me To ask, What is Gender in 2nd Life Virtual World, What is Gender in my real life does if differ, how do I subscribe and why do I?
I began this quest with searching for definitions of “Gender”.
“Gender is determined socially; it is the societal meaning assigned to male and female. Each society emphasizes particular roles that each sex should play, although there is wide latitude in acceptable behaviors for each gender” (Hesse-Biber, S. and Carger, G. L., 2000, p. 91).
“Gender is used to describe those characteristics of women and men, which are socially constructed, while sex refers to those which are biologically determined. People are born female or male but learn to be girls and boys who grow into women and men. This learned behaviour makes up gender identity and determines gender roles” (World Health Organization, 2002, p. 4).
“Gender is the division of people into two categories, “men” and “women.” Through interaction with caretakers, socialization in childhood, peer pressure in adolescence, and gendered work and family roles women and men are socially constructed to be different in behavior, attitudes, and emotions. The gendered social order is based on and maintains these differences” (Borgatta, E.F. and Montgomery, R.J.V, 2000, p. 1057).
Gender Relations, Definition of
“Gender relations refer to a complex system of personal and social relations of domination and power through which women and men are socially created and maintained and through which they gain access to power and material resources or are allocated status within society” (IFAD, 2000, p. 4).
The definitions seem to confirm that ones concept of "gender" is a social construct that defines for us what being a woman or man is...that being said. I have never had a reason to question my gender. I have read about and watched shows where individuals explained what it felt like to be the prescribed the wrong gender and how they always knew they were some gender other than their own. I have never had that experience. I have always been comfortable in my own skin, body and comfortable with what that means. So much so that when given the opportunity to be something or someone different in 2nd Life...I opted not to. I pretty much am the same me in the virtual world that I am in real life....with all of my faults, flaws and fabulousness (if that is a word). :-) I'll holla.
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