The Gendered Body: Prescriptions and Inscriptions

Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to, and differentiating

between, masculinity and femininity. Depending on the context, these
characteristics may include biological sex, sex-based social structures, or
gender identity. However, we live in a world where the milieu tells us what we
do and what we should do based on our gender, it’s called gender stereotype.
A gender stereotype is known by many as a sex role. It is a social role
encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally
considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on that
person's biological or perceived sex. Usually, gender roles are centered in the
concept of masculinity and femininity. It’s influenced by a wide range of
human behavior, often including the clothing a person chooses, the profession
a person pursues, and the personal relationships a person enters. Moreover,
gendered-expectations may vary substantially among cultures and to what
extent gender roles and their variations are biologically determined, and to
what extent they are socially constructed.
Gender Prescription – what you should to be socially acceptable.
Gender Proscription – what you should not do in order to be socially
acceptable.
 The view on gender roles may vary depending on religion, cultural
groups, and countries. This gender prescription usually limits someone from
liberty and doing what really is their heart’s desire. This ignited the flame for
some sectarian groups in moving the margin.
Feminism
Feminism is a range of social movements, political
movements, and ideologies that aim to define, establish, and
achieve the political, economic, personal, and social equality of
the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that societies
prioritize the male point of view, and that women are treated
unfairly within those societies. Efforts to change that include
fighting gender stereotypes and seeking to establish educational
and professional opportunities for women that are equal to
those for men. Feminist movements have campaigned and continue to
campaign for women's rights, including the right to vote, to hold public
office, to work, to earn fair wages, equal pay and eliminate the gender pay
gap, to own property, to receive education, to enter contracts, to have equal
rights within marriage, and to have maternity leave. Feminists have also
worked to ensure access to legal abortions and social integration and to
protect women and girls from rape, sexual harassment, and domestic
violence. Changes in dress and acceptable physical activity have often been
part of feminist movements.
LGBTQ+ Community
The LGBT community also referred to as the gay community, is a
defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, LGBT organizations,
and subcultures, united by a common culture and social movements. This
communities celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality. LGBT
activists and sociologists see LGBT community-building as a counterbalance
to heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexualism,
and conformist pressures that exist in the
larger society. The term pride or
sometimes gay pride is used to express the
LGBT community's identity and collective
strength; pride parades provide both a prime
example of the use and a demonstration of
the general meaning of the term. The LGBT
community is diverse in political affiliation.
Not all people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual,
or transgender consider themselves part of
the LGBT community.

Marriage
Over the years, gender roles have continued to change and have a
significant impact on the institution of marriage. Gender roles can be defined
as the behaviors, values, and attitudes that a society considers appropriate
for both male and female. Traditionally, men and women had completely
opposing roles, men were seen as the provider for the family and women were
seen as the caretakers of both the home and the family. However, in today's
society the division of roles are starting to blur. More and more individuals are
adapting non-traditional gender roles into their marriages in order to share
responsibilities. This revolutionary view on gender roles seeks out equality
between sexes. In today's society it is more likely that a husband and wife are
both providers for their family. More and more women are entering the
workforce while more men are contributing to household duties.
Same-sex Marriage
In some parts of the world, partnership rights or marriage have been
extended to same-sex couples. Advocates of same-sex marriage cite a range
of benefits that are denied to people who cannot marry, including immigration,
health care, inheritance and property rights, and other family obligations and
protections, as reasons why marriage should be extended to same-sex
couples. Opponents of same-sex marriage within the gay community argue
that fighting to achieve these benefits by means of extending marriage rights
to same-sex couples privatizes benefits that should be made available to
people regardless of their relationship status. They further argue that the
same-sex marriage movement within the gay community discriminates
against families that are composed of three or more intimate partners.
Opposition to the same-sex marriage movement from within the gay
community should not be confused with opposition from outside that
community.
Gender Equality
Gender equality is equality of the sexes. It is the
state of equal ease of access to resources and
opportunities regardless of gender, including economic
participation and decision-making; and the state of
valuing different behaviors, aspirations and needs
equally, regardless of gender.
Gender equality is the goal, while gender neutrality and
gender equity are practices and ways of thinking that
help in achieving the goal. Gender parity, which is used
to measure gender balance in a given situation, can aid in achieving gender
equality but is not the goal in and of itself. Gender equality is more than equal
representation, it is strongly tied to women's rights, and often requires policy
changes. As of 2017, the global movement for gender equality has not
incorporated the proposition of genders besides women and men, or gender
identities outside of the gender binary.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_equality date retrieved June 11, 2020

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00011/full date retrieved June 11, 2020

https://thefunambulist.net/architectural-projects/philosophy-the-inscription-of-gender-in-our-bodies-
norm-production-in-foucault-and-butlers-works date retrieved June 11, 2020