Wood does not use the introduction as she does the subsequent chapters. The intro she gives provides background into her own life, her motivations for writing the book, and also debunks a few of the common misconceptions that surround gender and feminism.
Her first point falls under the heading The Social Construction of Inequality. Wood states how she takes neither privilege nor disadvantage for granted. We can choose to be informed and compassionate people when it comes to the experiences and situations of others. "We cannot fully understand the lives of people who differ from us," she says. "Recognizing the limits of our own perspective and experiences encourages us to learn from people who have different perspective and experiences." (2)
Her first point falls under the heading The Social Construction of Inequality. Wood states how she takes neither privilege nor disadvantage for granted. We can choose to be informed and compassionate people when it comes to the experiences and situations of others. "We cannot fully understand the lives of people who differ from us," she says. "Recognizing the limits of our own perspective and experiences encourages us to learn from people who have different perspective and experiences." (2)
Also included is a brief section on Feminism. She acknowledges misconceptions and the strong feelings the terms 'feminist' or 'feminism' can evoke. Still, she makes two critical points to promote comfort and understanding with the terminology.
1. "Feminism is not one single belief."
2. "Most people's impressions of feminism have been shaped by media misrepresentations."
She goes on to distance herself from the oppression and separation these terms can bring.
Wood also wants readers to know why she wrote the book in the first place. Her main reason: change. She believes there is a genuine misunderstanding surrounding the field, category, term, what-have-you, etc. that is gender. She does not aim to solve all the issues surrounding gender, but instead wants to empower readers with the ability to recognize the need and address it.
Chapter 1
Wood uses chapter one to pose four crucial concepts to a deeper understanding of gender: sex, gender, culture, and communication. We are not able to study one of these without getting to know the other three. Sex is biological. Gender is social. Culture is structure and practice. Communication is a process.
Wood first hits on the concept of sex. In its simplest state, 'sex is a biological classification' (36) based on the human anatomy of our physical bodies. The culture in which we live uses the anatomy of external genitalia to classify individuals (see how 'sex' and 'culture' are already intertwined?). 'Genitalia and other sex markers are determined by chromosomes' (19). Hormones are also another key part of biological, sexual development. She also introduces the term 'intersexed,' which means that a person has biological characteristics of each (male and female) sex.
The second area Wood hits is gender. Gender is something defined by the society we live in and is shaped by the way we act, whether masculine or feminine. Here, Wood introduces the concept of gender identity, 'which is a person's own identification as male or female' (21). What is important to note is that how society views gender is dependent on what our values and beliefs are as well as our preferred way of doing things. The terms 'feminine' and 'masculine' are not exclusive to a single sex. What people might call the 'gray area' is occupied by people who are transgendered. As we acquire different gender preferences, our sexual orientation may change. 'Sexual orientation refers to a person's preferences for romantic and sexual partners' (26). This seems to combine the areas of sex and gender, and certainly can't be confined within them.
Next, Wood goes into culture.She defines culture as 'made up of structures (also called institutions) and practices (also called activities) that reflect and uphold a particular social order' (31). Now we have an idea of why gender is influenced so much by culture. One exemplary practice that shapes gender is the practice of a woman taking the last name of her husband upon marriage. I know I had never given much thought to this practice before reading about in the chapter. But when we think about it, we can truly recognize the implications and overtones given supporting male superiority. Its a practice that I don't think will radically change, but through this, its easy to see culture shaping gender.
The last part of the chapter touches on communication, which serves as a great transition from culture, considering its a pretty well-known structure. Wood focuses on the dual-nature of communication; as dynamic and systemic. Communication is dynamic in that it is always changing and evolving. There is no set beginning and end to communication which means it is always ongoing. Communication is also systemic. This means it takes place in situations that shape our interactions and the meanings we associate with certain messages we receive. The end result was systematically 'shaped' by communication. Communication also has two levels of meaning. The first is the content level, its literal meaning. The second is the relationship meaning, what the communication says about the relationship between those who are interacting together.
Wood gives us this chapter as a starting block. With an understanding of these fundamentals, we are able to deepen our understanding and expand the concepts more and more.
Links to articles, music, blogs, etc.
Questions to ask...
I've always thought of gender as defining male and female, not sex. Why do you think this is?
Why is it so hard for Christian's to accept the reality that male/female, masculine/feminine, etc. isn't as easy as black and white?
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