How sex, gender, and race are all social constructs - Essay Example

In Debating Sex and Gender and After Identity, Dr. Warnke presents various arguments that demonstrate how sex, gender, and race are all social constructs. Do you agree or disagree with her argument, and why? Concepts of sex, gender and race in English language have undergone uncountable naturalization and universalities, to a point that they are now considered to have always been present. There are numerous arguments that revolve around the three concepts of human diversity. Dr. Warnke for example argues that the three concepts above are social constructs (Warnke 153). This paper is in the light of Dr Warnke’s argument but rather disagrees with her argument about sex, gender and race as social constructs. A critical analysis of her argument is presented in this paper. My stand here is that I agree with Dr. Warnke that race or ethnicity is a social construct, but I totally disagree with her that sex and gender are social constructs. To start with, it is important to put forward the difference between sex and gender. The two terms have different meaning and the meaning of each borrows from different theories characteristic of feminist theories. The term sex refers to male or female based on biological features. On the other hand, the term gender denotes men and women as defined by social factors. However the extent to which the society meets its definition for gender is based on diverse and dynamic considerations, such that gender aspects will vary from one society to another (Warnke 156). Natural or biological treatment characterizes the analysis of these two terms. That is, sex and gender. From gender and sexual studies videos, all persons are categorized to both sex and gender. Also, that is the same case with race or ethnicity. People actually pass as members of a given category. For instance, actors in any given piece of art may take a given character that depicts belonging to a certain race or ethnicity. On the same note, it very hard to come by an actor who will take on the role a different sex or gender different from which he or she is in actual sense. The only time this happens is when such pieces of work are meant to portray transgender motives or situations or in the event that such works need to present a sense of humor. When such an observation is made, it is important to note that the observation is temporary and therefore does not last for long. The motive by which the observation is made is only confirmed or evidenced with such observed scenario. What this shows is that people or the entire human race will identify itself with a given social organized group; that is, a race or ethnic group, but rarely will the same people practice transgender roles. Therefore, sex and gender fails to be integrated as a social construct as presented by Dr. Warnke. However, race or ethnicity as a social construct is in line with her claims (Warnke 178). To a more analysis of the claims of Dr.Warnke, gender as a social construct may hold true only if she provides enough evidence. Although at many instances gender is more tailored towards being a social construct, Warnke fails to integrate her claim into evidence that properly asserts her claims. As a result, this paper seeks to disagree with her opinion and claims. The integral assumptions and argument in that case elicit doubt and skepticism, and therefore her conclusions about race, sex and gender cannot be upheld. People are born and integrated into specific social settings, thereby determining their ethnic and racial backgrounds. These people are born either male or female or hermaphrodites by sex and the gender aspect of it sprouts out of the fact that they are male or female. Dr. Warnke argues that it is the society that builds up the gender side of human race and ethnicity, but fails to provide sufficient evidence to this claim. There are varied believes developed by the society based on male-female and sex-gender roles, but all that is basically based on whether one is male or female. Further to this treatment, the society only provides what should or should not be done by a people of a given gender, but the same society fails to show how it defines gender in the absence of sex. Social organization of people into identifiable groups is more likely than terming sex a social construct. The society’s role of creating sex as Dr. Warnke claims therefore becomes sidelined by this fact. Borrowing evidence from literacy and entertainment works can help establish what or what is not constructed by the society in relation to race, sex and gender. A book by the title “Black Like Me” and the famous story of Billy Tipton depicts that fact. Billy Tipton was a famous musician who was all along thought to be a male (Warnke 162). Upon dying, it was established that this musician was actually female. The interesting bit of it is that Billy Tipton got married twice to women. This secret was discovered only after death. If it was the role of the society to construct sex and gender, then the case of this musician could have been identified earlier and no secrets would be underlying. Since sex and gender are not social constructs as claimed by Dr. Warnke, it follows suit that it would be hard for similar cases as that of Billy Tipton to be identified. However, race or ethnicity as a social construction is evidenced by the fact that this musician actually identified with a given race or ethnic group although the sex and gender aspect of the same person was comprised, and the society made no notice of it. In this regard, ethnic constructions by society are expected. Consequently, the constructed ethnic groups identify themselves with a given race or races as provided for by the society that builds the races up. Physical features in persons across the globe are identified as markers to social diversity (Warnke 191). Complexity characterizes this diversity based on some research aspects, from the gene of sickle cell to shapes of noses in people. Cultural and geographical regions are used to identify specific groups of people to specific regions based on these physical features. Different people from different regions may have remarkable similarities even when these people are not inter-related. The sprouting differences noted in this are evidenced by the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (Warnke 197). This evidence denotes biological racial aspects but the society does not construct it at all. As a result, sex-gender traits may be similar across different societies. The features of these societies (physical or biological) depict no action of social construction since they are based in different environments that rule out possibility of close interaction that could go to such extremes as creating or constructing similar traits among them. Dr. Warnke’s argument that race, sex and gender are social constructs, (Warnke 153) is to some extent ignorant of some specific natural factors that are part and parcel of the society. For instance, in some cultures, more than two categories of gender are said to exist. She does not take this into account. Sex and gender variables actually exist in a continuum. Sex is therefore a physical construct, and while gender has been linked to social construction, no concrete evidence has been provided for that. Sex-gender issues in the society take specific stands (for example in questionnaires), while race or ethnicity is dynamic over time due to the changing nature of the society. New race and ethnic choices are from time to time made available, but the sex-gender aspect remains the same. Many arguments have come up in the light of the interests of this paper. The interest of this paper is diverse, dynamic and concrete to consider. In the light of race, sex and gender, the beliefs of the society are diverse and varied from region to region. The observance of Warnke’s conclusion that race, sex and gender are social constructs across societies varies from one society to another, with some being for and others against the argument. All this depends on the perception held by these societies in regard to the three variables being treated in this paper. There are more likely scenarios that the paper has identified, like the possibility that gender is a social construct. However due to the arguments in Warnke’s book, conceptualizing this point to an evidence fails to materialize. Race and ethnicity takes the argument of the book but the other two variables fails to. This only concludes that only race or ethnicity is a social construction, but sex and gender totally fails to be an integration of social construction. Works Cited Warnke, Georgia. After Identity: rethinking race, sex and gender. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Read More