Codes of Gender

Our ability to recognize someone as either male or female is absolutely undamental to our ability to interact with them. There is nothing natural about this recognition, it is dependent upon signal that allow us to place people in different categories.

Unlike biological sex, there is nothing natural about gender identity, it is part of a socializing process. Sex refers to our different biological characteristics at birth, what makes us male or female. Gender refers to the cultural definitions given to these physical, biological differences, characteristics that the culture defines as masculine or feminine. Gender display in the process whereby we perform the roles expected of us by the social convention. Code is a shortened language that everyone shares, a set of rules, code of behavior.

Masculinity is largely defined I n opposition to feminity in the culture, defined as much by what it is not as by it is. Traditional ideals of masculinity are about power control, confidence intimidation, Independence and activity. These ideas are embodied in masculine postures and facial expressions. Men are typically shown in upright positions, looking prepared and assertive with a direct gaze. Man are often shown upright with hands in the pocket or arms folded looking out at the viewer. This project power and confidence, sometimes bordering on outright menace and threat. Men are almost never posed in the ways women are in canting postures off balance or in odd contortions.

The key message through these image is that man are presented to be powerful, whereas woman are continuously displayed to be passive. Every position portrays a different gender code. Women are made to look fragile; empathic; powerless; subordinate, yet men are displayed as ; strong; in control.