The Gender and the Self

• Another important aspect of self is Gender. Gender is one of those loci of the self that is subject to alteration, change, and development.
• We have seen in the past years how people fought hard for the right to express, validate and assert their gender expression. Many conservatives may frown upon and insist on the biological. However, from the point-of-view of the social sciences and the self, it is important to give one the leeway to find, express, and live his identity. This forms part of selfhood that one cannot just dismiss.
• Our gender partly determines how we see ourselves in the world, oftentimes, society forces a particular identity unto us depending on our sex and/or gender.
• The gendered self is then shaped within a particular context of time and space. The sense of self that is being taught makes sure that an individual fits a particular environment. This is dangerous and detrimental in the goal of truly finding one’s self, self-determination, and growth of the self. Gender has to be personally discovered and asserted and not dictated by culture and society.