English 124 / 205. Identity Making and Masking. Literature & Language

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Identity Making and Masking
The impact of gender differences has been a significant issue in human history. Both the male and female genders expect from an early age to behave in a particular way. If for one reason or another, a person fails to follow these gender norms, they are viewed as outcasts. Society, in general, tends to perceive women as being subordinate. This power imbalance has led to gender inequalities becoming deeply ingrained in most societies across the world. Gender or sexual bias should be discouraged because it causes people to mask their true identities.
“Gender role behaviors and attitudes” by Aaron Devor (Primary text)
In Devor’s text, he suggests that masculine traits such as appearing tough or confident, and feminine traits such as being passive or submissive are not natural or biological. Instead, he argues that these are cultural constructs that society has imposed on both genders. Males and females can behave either way. He goes on to illustrate how masculinity is defined by roles such as aggression and egotistical dominance (Devor 474). The society considers these kinds of behaviors as inappropriate for women to portray. As a result, it has created some fundamental roles for each gender. Devor says that both genders possess similar human characteristics and can be involved in similar activities. However, society limits the capacity of both genders to behave or act in specific ways. Devor gives the example of the patriarchal gender schema present in North American society, which states that evolution or biology is the source of men's innate predisposition to dominate (Devor 475). The schema maintains the cultural superiority of males in society. In the feminine context, Devor says that women are innately predisposed to taking care of children and depending on men for maternal care. As a result, women must behave, dress, act, and talk in a way that denotes weakness or submission. Also, their body language is supposed to show subordination through their hand, gestures, and speech (Devor 479). So, society has created strict gender roles that define the natural behavior of every individual.
“The Gender Blur: Where does biology end and society take over?” by Deborah Blum
In her text, Deborah Blum seems to complicate Devor’s arguments. She seems to go deeper into the subject of gender role behaviors. She uses her two sons' example to raise the issue of whether differences in gender roles occur due to some underlying biological mechanism (Blum 481). Devor viewed these as merely cultural constructs...