Principles of Sociology (Winter 2018) Essay 2 (20 pts possible) In the article "What It Means to Be Gendered Me: Life on the Boundaries of a Dichotomous Gender System," Betsy Lucal describes her experiences as someone who does not readily fit into the "two and only two" gender system

Principles of Sociology (Winter 2018)

Essay 2 (20 pts possible)

In the article "What It Means to Be Gendered Me: Life on the Boundaries of a Dichotomous Gender System," Betsy Lucal describes her experiences as someone who does not readily fit into the "two and only two" gender system.   Her discussion of gender relies on the work of Erving Goffman and others who describe and analyze the Presentation of Self and the performative aspects of our identit(ies).

At times, there are discrepancies (some caused by chosen variables and others that are naturally occurring) between differences among one’s sex, gender self-identity (the gender the individual identifies as), presented identity (the gender the person is presenting), and perceived identity (the gender others attribute to the person). These discrepancies are resolved and more generally the detection of gender is facilitated by how we "do gender" and gender display.

What does she mean by "doing gender"? How do we display gender? How do you "do gender"? How does the social context change how your gender is perceived? What actions do you take when your gender identity may be spoiled? 

What does this article show us about the social construction of gender? How does society reinforce the “two and only two” gender system?

Remember:  this essay is an exercise of reading and responding to scholarly journal articles.  Please include a summary of the relevant points raised by the author before offering a response to the author’s points and application of your knowledge to specific examples.

Please note that this article and your discussion is not and should not be about sexuality or sexual orientation.