Origins: Physical differences
A/the privileged norm is a constellation that pervades multiple social domains and emerges from the belief that one particular physical form is the ideal one. Whether the constellation is around sexuality, gender, disability or ethnicity, there can be deviation from the norm. To study the concept of gender, the history and evolution of bodies and their meanings is extremely important.
The difference in bodies translates into social inequalities where you are assigned different social roles based on these physical differences. The physical difference between men and women created a division in the public and private spheres. The social system is constructed and social interests are defined based on this original biological difference.
If you identify yourself as a man, think for a moment about the women in your life. If you identify as a woman, think about the men in your life.In what ways have your lives turned out differently? Think for a moment about the things you think would have turned out differently if you had been born with the opposite sex.
Pink and blue
Certain sports, such as soccer and ballet, and colors, such as pink and blue, are associated with a gender. Ideas about these associations are not stable, because they vary across cultures and throughout history. Soccer, for example, is posited in the US as a women’s sport. In Europe, it is more typically seen as a male sport.
Things that are attributed to a specific gender, such as clothing, sports, occupations and more, often differ from what was common (some) decades ago. 100 years ago, the color pink was not the typical color for baby girls, but vice versa. Gender norms change over the years and depend on culture and context.
