Phenomenology of Gender
A few questions for you:
What is it like to be a gender? Can you describe, in the first person, what it is to be “masculine”, “feminine”, or whatever gender you use to understand yourself? Can you do so without reference to the culture around you? Without reference to clothing or activities you perform? Without reference to other genders?
Update 6/6/07: If you cannot (which you probably can’t, entirely) — try to think of a time when you were particularly aware of your gender, and describe it. How did the things that I reference above come into play? Contrast that to your daily awareness of being gendered. Yes, I know it’s like a homework assignment–sorry! I have something specific in mind that I’m curious about!
Leave comments here or at YouTube, where I’ve posted these questions as well (click on image to open video).
(And yes, I’m understanding phenomenology pretty loosely here, simply focusing upon the first person element of experience.? See the SEP for more background.)