The Relation Of Gender To Development And Society (Essay Sample)

Jiewen Tan
WR 121 - Tiwari
03/05/2018
The Relation of Gender to development and Society
The issue of femininity and masculinity has often discussed how people relate or look at things. This draws the question; does gender define a society and any aspect of development in the ever-growing world? People define a woman by excluding everything which is non-woman and man by excluding what is non-man (Wilchins 36). This begs the question as to whether people can define society, progress, or culture without regarding the issue of gender, especially on the lines of femininity and masculinity. People should constantly ask, what is the importance of gender to a community? Can people attain progress through efficiency in communication? If so, is the concept of exclusion limiting development? These questions will offer a more definite focus on the main topic and present more ideas on how to achieve progress.
Wilchins argues that a modernist perspective requires people to solve the problems presented by genders, bodies, and desires. This argument presents a perspective that there are universal aspects that influence growth. It is imperative to try and focus on this issue on the lines of what gender offers and how it influences society and development. Therefore, one should consider things such as rules and regulations, job opportunities, and chores. People pay a lot of attention to the issue of feminism; there are studies on feminism about postmodernism (Wilchins 35). People should try to understand why the issue of feminism is so important and why it has to be constantly addressed. People should further question the exclusion of this issue. It is important to try and come up with a perspective of what would happen to the world if people paid little attention to issues of gender or even no constant projects were advocating for femininity.
Wilchins argue that gender is a language which extensively focuses on power and sexuality (35). While trying to understand the essence of gender to society and development, it is important to understand that gender can be applied to almost anything. Therefore, it is important to engage in a discussion about the essence of gender with a lot of regards to the fact that even language is divided into gender lines. There are languages which describe certain words on the grounds of femininity or masculinity: Wilchins states that bowls and boats are regarded as feminine in Spanish and French Romance languages (35). It is important to consider different views on the issue of gender about a community and its development. People will benefit the most from any initiatives incorporated in the community. Therefore, it is vital to understand how to embrace the differences in gender and define gender with an aspect of inclusion rather than exclusion.
Wilchins presents a unique argument about language stating that it favors the same and what is unique. This points out to the differences between men and women. He further outlines that people develop ideas on what is perfectly feminine or masculine and thus a lot of activities are defined on these grounds (36). This detailed focus on masculinity and femininity derives the constant question of the essence of gender and what it means to a society. It is vital to focus on the essence of gender and how its impact on the world. This may require looking at some of the developments and inventions and how people relate to them, whether it is on gender lines or any other aspects. Language and gender closely relate, and thus it is imperative to understand the essence of language in any setting. This will essentially outline the vital aspects of a community and everything that relates to them. It is critical to have diverse ideas in any argument and thus one can look at the pros and cons of language and relate them to the aspect of gender and its influence.
Smiths outline the essence of sensitivity. He states that people are defined by their feelings, and these feelings mostly determine how they behave, act, or react (Smith). He suggests that a law must be right to obey or wrong to disobey and further points that a man may comfort a woman and understand her pain but he cannot conceive to feeling that pain. The issue of sensitivity tends to divide people into the aspects of masculinity and femininity. Pain and pleasure are objects of aversion and desire, and thus some people who will be more vulnerable to them by gender. This further shows the differences in gender and how they influence people. This ultimately shows that these influence the society and thus it is important to understand gender and how different qualities, sense, and feelings define a community.
I find the idea by Wilchins about the issue of exclusion interesting and more welcome to this discussion. It is hard to fully describe the world with little or no regards to people. Therefore, people will describe development about what people have done or the inventions they have created. Wilchins argue that people define some concepts through exclusion whereby they define a chair by outlining what it is not. This shows that trying to define gender will infer defining a woman separately and a man separately which will ultimately focus on what they have done rather than what they are. The concept of exclusion defines the modern day communication where it is hard to have a comprehensive definition of anything. Therefore, the essence of gender is best understood by trying to exclude it and observing a society without it. This eventually points out to the differences in gender and how they shape the society.
Smith focuses on sensitivity which he explains as a feeling by individuals. His argument shapes up any discussion which relates to gender since people will mostly react to the issues outlined due to their sentiments. For example, people fight against social injustices or inequalities because they feel that it is wrong and unacceptable. People act in the way they do because they have feelings or innate feelings that guide their ideologies. Therefore, Smith offers a great perception on how to go about the issue of gender and society. The world is mostly defined by the people in it since they have the ability and capability to interact, communicate, develop, or even influence most activities. Therefore, sensitivity is a crucial concept in this engagement, and it crucially helps one have a more personal opinion depending on the facts.
The different texts from both authors offer distinct opinions, but they closely relate in a larger scale. Smith suggests that people have different perceptions of what is acceptable and what is not. In simple terms, Smith shows the essence of perceptions and what they mean to people. It is easy to jump to conclusions, but it is also important to have solid reasons. Smith does not pick out the issue of gender, but he extensively focuses on the society and the people in it. He talks about morality and how people form moral judgments (Smith). This slowly relates to the issue of progress. A community will grow when people develop the right perceptions and embrace morality. People should be able to form sound judgments and come up with commendable decisions. However, his discussion is not limited to what to do or what to avoid but rather on directives on how people act and react. On the other hand, Wilchins believes that language is a crucial aspect of any society, as well as the aspects of masculinity and femininity. He outlines the essence of entailing efficiency which can primarily be attained through clear communication. In order to attain efficiency, it is imperative to have a more definite way of explaining gender. He outlines the essence of differences and exclusion to language and how important they are to forming meaning (Wilchins 40). His argument guides people towards understanding the important aspects to consider in any society and how the growth of the world has played a huge role in the definitions of people. Wilchins simply states that a lot of things depend on the people and their definition.
This inquiry has helped me construct a distinct picture of the world without constant issues of gender. It is hard to imagine a world where there is no constant focus on gender. Imagine people doing the same activities without being judged on the grounds of their sexuality. However, this engagement helped me craft an image of such a world and it helped me understand that such a community would easily progress because it embraces all people and gives them a chance to change the community. The concept of exclusion effectively helps one focus on something by excluding other things. Therefore, I believe that gender has promoted development in a society. Women want to be considered as equal, and thus they have worked towards developing and outdoing their male compatriots while men have continued to want dominance and thus looking for new ways to grow. This has ultimately led to developments in the society and has challenged both genders to want to improve.
The issue of sensitivity is still confusing as to whether it is based on cultural norms, beliefs, and stereotypes or a scientific explanation. I feel that describing women as more sensitive is a stereotype rather than a scientific fact. However, I understood the essence of sensitivity and how it stimulates development.
Wilchins argues that women and men are considered differently in a society (Wilchins). Men are the source of reason while women as still stereotyped as being too sensitive and emotional. However, this discussion further shows that a community needs both men and women. Just try to imagine a society filled with only men; does this society define success. It is crucial to understand that a society requires more than rational, well-thought decisions. It is vital to consider feelin...