Night to his Day The social construction of gender Essay

Night to his Day The social construction of gender - Essay Example Hence, in comparison, the Western societies seem to be comparatively rigid in the sense that they have only two genders that are ‘man’ and ‘woman’ (Lorber 3). What is also interesting is that some American Indians have a third gender that is ‘female men’ and the individuals who are affiliated to this gender are not required to imitate the ways of men in the matters of dress or in other obvious ways to acquire the social status of a man (Lorber 3). Rather it is often their economic potential and abilities that lead to them being ascribed the status of a man. In contrast, in Western societies, there also exist transsexuals and transvestites. However, there is no provision for the ascription of a third gender to them. Rather such individuals are required to imitate the persona of the gender to which they aspire for, either through surgery or in superficial aspects like dress up, way of talking, makeup, etc. So the Western societies are in a way, mo re rigid than the already discussed African or American Indians societies. Works Cited Lorber, Judith. â€Å"†Night to his Day†: The Social Construction of Gender†. Paradoxes of Gender.