Sex, sexuality, race, and ethnicity are all aspects of identity that can be understood through the human body and performances (Bailey et al., 2016). People change their bodies, hairstyles, and dress codes to conform to or defy social norms and convey messages to others. Many artists investigate gender identity through body appearances and the use of their bodies in the artistic and design process. Underperformance, the body plays a significant role as a medium through which artists construct their work. For example, in performance art, in the early 1960s, the world saw the meaning of the word genre begin to gain traction. The body activities of the artist are important to the work of art. Using their bodies in performances became a technique for many artists to establish authority over their bodies while also questioning gender issues.
Cultural identity refers to identifying with or feeling of a connection to a certain group based on their ethnicity or nationality, race or religion, or any combination of these. identity can be constructed through the maintenance of traditions, legacy, dialect, aesthetics, norms, and custom practices. The sense of cultural identity is fundamentally tied to the human desire to fit in that form from birth. It is perpetuated by the values and attitudes that permeate our homes and communities. A sense of belonging and acceptance is essential for everyone, hence the inevitable construction of identity through our culture and customs.
However, there are several instances through which our identity is challenged. For instance, through social media, people communicate their identity and thus welcoming scrutiny and challenge from others. In other words, Social media facilitates the presentation, discovery, and exploration of one’s identity, which is a natural part of the human experience. When establishing interactions in virtual platforms, it is assumed that a user will do so ethically and collaboratively. This is referred to as digital identity and is the way through which personal identity is challenged by social media and communications with others.
It is important to note that there are two perspectives to identity; internal and external. These explain the different ways through which identity can be represented. Internal identity is a composite representation of one’s idealized self. Also, one’s public persona is a reflection of one’s internal self-image. As one progresses through life, one acquires this identity. Internal identity is constructed by the evaluation of one’s own prior experiences and emotional aspects, which are used as guideposts for self-evaluation. On the other hand, external identity is expressed differently due to the necessity to maintain one’s public image. One’s public image and perception of their external identity are shaped by their actions and appearance. It is through external identity that others know what to talk about, criticize as well as treat you.
Gender identity is not born with nature, and it can be decided by ourselves.
Gender identity is decided by us because they have no idea what gender classification means when children are born. These variances between males and females begin to identify through observable characteristics when children are around 18 months (Diamond, 2016). Children are able to observe what this classification means in their culture through such events as gender roles, and division of labor, among others. Besides, during playtime, children are able to observe what their gender does and begin to emulate them. An example is through the choice of toys where girls will like to play with Disney princesses while boys select firefighter toys. That way, gender identification has been nurtured by ourselves. Another way through which gender is nurtured in our communities and the upbringing of our children is through division of labor and socialization. Men caregivers are more engaged with competitive and vigorous plays while female caregivers do the bathing, clothing, and comforting roles. This automatically draws a clear picture of what a girl or boy is expected to do in line with the culture and norms. Similarly, popular culture is further projected through the way in which men and women are portrayed differently in songs, movies, stories, and other media. Observations of the division of labor as a youngster influence their thoughts about gender roles, which are common beliefs about the characteristics of women and men.
Gender stereotypes serve as a foundation for personal gender identities, as people internalize the societal connotations of gender (Brunner et al., 2016). People tend to self-stereotype by ascribing typical feminine or masculine qualities to themselves. For instance, it is common for women and girls to think of themselves as loving and compassionate, while men may think of themselves as fiercely competitive and tough. Gender stereotypes also are conventions that encourage both sexes to conform. For the most part, complying with others’ gender-related expectations is rewarded with social acceptance, but deviating from these norms results in social disapproval. As a result, one way in which gender-role norms impact behavior is through the expectations of others.
On the contrary, other studies strongly argue that gender identity is entirely innate and is by no means decided by cultural and nurturing factors. Before the child’s birth, gender identity is almost totally defined by nature and is virtually fully predestined. For the first time, two investigations by William Reiner, a pediatrician, and urologist, have found a direct correlation between the amount of exposure to male hormones and androgen exposure during pregnancy and the child’s gender identity (Schober et al., 2012). Although they were raised in a setting that told them they were female, these children’s gender identities and roles appear to have grown independently of that conditioning. These studies show that, with time and age, youngsters may be able to tell their gender, regardless of any and all knowledge or child-rearing practices. It would be safe to say that gender identity is equally innate as nurtured. Both scientific and biological factors, as well as societal expectations and socio-cultural factors, have roles to play in shaping a girl or a boy.
References
Schober, J., Nordenström, A., Hoebeke, P., Lee, P., Houk, C., Looijenga, L., … & Woodhouse, C. (2012). Disorders of sex development: summaries of long-term outcome studies. Journal of Pediatric Urology, 8(6), 616-623.
Bailey, J. M., Vasey, P. L., Diamond, L. M., Breedlove, S. M., Vilain, E., & Epprecht, M. (2016). Sexual orientation, controversy, and science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 17(2), 45-101.
Brunner, F., Fliegner, M., Krupp, K., Rall, K., Brucker, S., & Richter-Appelt, H. (2016). Gender role, gender identity and sexual orientation in CAIS (“XY-women”) compared with subfertile and infertile 46, XX women. The Journal of Sex Research, 53(1), 109-124.
Diamond, M. (2016). Transsexualism as an Intersex Condition. G. Schreiber (Hg.), Transsexualität in Theologie und Neurowissenschaften, Berlin–Boston, 43-54.
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