A Genderless World
To answer the question of how the world would look like if gender disappears, we need first to understand what gender is and the societal construct based on gender. The understanding of many people out there is that gender is synonymous with sex. However, sex is an attribute that is determined from the onset of conception and to others at birth (Hernando, 2017). It is the physical characteristic that identifies a boy or girl child. Whereas gender is an attribute that should be determined by an individual once they reach maturity and are capable of choosing which gender they are comfortable associating with (Hernando, 2017). In other words, gender should be a choice – the freedom to decide who you want to become.
Gender is a continuum and so often between male and female other individuals fall in between the two regardless of whether they possess the male or female sexual characteristics (Ryle, 2011). This group of individuals is termed as the hermaphrodites. Nonetheless, the society has for the longest of time interpreted gender as equal to sex (Eichler, 1997). Boys are termed males and girls females. This has created a social divide and discrimination. Men are branded superior and women inferior created to placate the dominant males (Hernando, 2017).
Right from the time children are born and their sex established, the mode of parenting is determined on whether the child is male or female. Boys are parented to become males and girls to become females (Eichler, 1997). Attributes such as masculinity and femininity have been introduced to further distinguish between males and females respectively.
The parenting styles have been made such that they engrave the societal norms that define the roles of males and those of females categorically. As a result, gender has become so dominant in our minds that almost everything has been gendered beginning from clothing, children toys, type of car to drive, talking style and even worse emotions (Eichler, 1997). It would be prudent to say that a gendered world creates vast limitations to the human race and therefore the need to envisage the possibility of a world with no gender and how things would change for the better.
So how would a genderless world look like? It will remove all the barriers constructed by gender, and everyone will be free to be whoever they want to be (Ryle, 2011). A genderless society will mean the ceasing of using pronouns that depicts whether you are male or female. Every individual will be free to behave, think, dress, look, act and talk how they feel like without fear of thinking they are breaking any social norms (Motta, & Motta, 2011). In other words, people will just be people.
A genderless world for the children will mean that girls would get car toys and even construct using legos and boys will get dolls. Parenting will not be dictated by the sex of the child, but rather what makes the child happy. Children will be allowed to participate in play activities that interest them rather than a selected few which align with their gender as would have been the case in a gendered world (Eichler, 1997). In a genderless world, both the parents will be close to their child unlike in a gendered world where there are cases of the dads bonding more with male children and the mums with female children. However, in a post-gender world, the child will have the attention and affection of both parents which will be additionally healthier for the child.
In a gendered world as children grow up they are natured and the aspect of gender instilled in them. However, in a post-gender world children will be brought up equally (Wright, 2011). There won't be the roles of girls and those of boys. Boys will learn how to cook; they will be taught to do laundry, to tender the farm or garden and even to care for babies. On the other hand, girls will learn to fix pipes, repair the radio/TV, and repair a broken chair and so on (Motta, & Motta, 2011). This does not mean that they will be forced to do so, but instead they will have the choice of doing so without any objection from anyone. Their activities will align with their self-interest rather than their gender (Ryle, 2011). The outcome of this will be unimaginable as we will have a society that is passion driven.
Since there will be no male or female roles in a post-gender world, we will have more female mathematicians, biologists, and physicists (Motta, & Motta, 2011). We will also have more male nurses, caregivers; will be excellent in their respective duties. Unlike in a gendered world where it is not a norm to have a male secretary or a female physicist, such limitations which hinder growth and prosperity will not exist in a post-gender world. In simpler terms, a post-gender world will allow anyone with a caring nature and meets the qualifications of a caring job to apply and those with the right physique for a manual role to apply (Wright, 2011).
Freedom from gender will mean general fairness even in the corporate sector. Whereas in a gendered world the females are lowly paid compared with women for the same type of job, a post-gendered world will result in equal pay for all (Tsuchiya, & Månsdotter, 2009). In the broader spectrum, it will abolish the issue of gender inequalities entirely, and fairness will prevail. Job promotions will be based on gender like the infamous ‘Big Boys' Club, ' but it will be on merit. Everyone will have the equal opportunities to get promoted to a higher level based on their reputability, excellence, and eminence. Everyone will have the feeling that they achieved what they have and that their gender had no part in the process (Ryle, 2011). The competition will be on a level plane for everyone hence one‘s success will stimulate an immense sense of satisfaction.
In a genderless society, peace would prevail as the need for violence will also reduce (Motta, & Motta, 2011). Since everybody will be equal, the need for dialogue in times of disagreements will be the norm. This means that the superiority complex that is currently seen in a gendered world will cease to exist and people will treat each other as equals (Tsuchiya, & Månsdotter, 2009). Domestic violence that is presently widely spread across the globe will significantly reduce, and people will live in harmony. The relationships will not be branded with husbands and wives but instead partners with same interests.
In a post-gender world, no power will be deemed less important. Unlike in a gendered world where some powers especially those given to women are considered less significant, a genderless society will reform our perception and all powers will be deemed crucial and vital to the people in general. The aspect of less critical power will not exist because everyone will be equal and there won't be a specific type of authority that is given to particular gender. The aspect of equality will be dominant throughout all sectors.
The supremacy system will shift, and everyone will have the opportunity to hold the mantle of power (Wright, 2011). Unlike now where it is not a norm to have women in leadership, a genderless society will eliminate this discrimination and give everyone equal chance to participate in the ruling (Tsuchiya, & Månsdotter, 2009). This concept means that women will have the potential to run for the presidency and other higher seat of authority without fear of intimidation and rejection from the people themselves (Tsuchiya, & Månsdotter, 2009). We will be able to elect leaders based on their merit, vision, and performance in the past. This translates to prosperity for the people.
In conclusion, the idea of gender brings about gender roles that have been imposed on people for the longest of time. These roles do not really help the society but rather harm it by restricting people within the two stereotypes male or female. Individuals with exceptional abilities and capabilities are restrained to operate with specific limits and cannot advance to quench the thirst of their interest. Therefore, a post-gender world which can be described as a utopian dream will give everyone the freedom to test their limits and abilities. People will not be different based on their gender but will be defined based on the choices they made that that influenced their lives on a particular path.
It is significant to note that this utopia cannot be realized quickly. In a world that is predominantly controlled by the male species, a genderless world would mean an end to the male privileges as they would cease to the default humans. It will mean that men lose their maids, nannies, and house-wives. In as much as we fight for this change, most men are not going to give up this privilege without a fight.
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