Hey Everyone!

So it looks like something went wrong with my post last week. I am going to try to figure out what happened. Somehow it didn’t publish. This is an issue considering it is part of my grade. I will check it out and try to put it back up. I will have to discuss with my instructor what I am doing wrong in order to prevent this from happening again. My post last week will help in better understanding this week’s post considering I reference a couple of things from the last one including culture. I will try to get it back up as soon as I can.

What are some words you use to describe yourself? Do you start by listing your gender, male or female? Do you describe your looks or maybe your talents and skills? Do you label yourself according to what job you hold? How about your role in the family as mother, father, sister, brother? Do you account for your sexual orientation or maybe you list your family status such as the third generation of the Wellingtons of Brooklyn and owner of Wellington Industries? Do you feel as though others should understand your religious identity in order to better know you? Have you ever introduced yourself by your personality traits such as the legendary troublemaking friend of so and so or the sassy girl in the back who cracks jokes?

I have met people who have done all of these things. What defines us? This is a big struggle in the world today. Labels can be damaging. Sometimes they put people in boxes that are hard to break through. So how do we find that line of describing who we are without labeling? I think that the best way to do this is to know who you are and what values you hold without excluding or shaming others for their differences. They are a part of you. These characteristics are important and shape the way we live our lives, but it is valuable to note what we think of ourselves is the most important thing to remember. Don’t let others define you!

Two qualities or traits that are hot button items in today’s society are gender and sexual orientation. As outlined above, gender and sexual orientation are a part of you therefore they play an important role in who you are. However, it is not fair to label due to these attributes because each person is made up of a whole lot more than just these two. Each person is truly unique and special in their own way. Knowing that each individual is special in their own way, gender is a part of you and so therefore it is something that makes you who you are…which is SPECIAL!

In our culture today, there is a lot of debate over what is the definition of male and female. Some take a simplistic approach and define it anatomically. Others have different views and argue that gender is based on the personality traits or the mindset of individuals. Either way the first step is to understand your answer to this question of what makes men and women different. This knowledge will enable you to make informed decisions and opinions for your personal life. I myself am still working out my beliefs and how to be sensitive to others who differ from my opinions. Their thoughts on this topic are no less valuable than my own. All I know for sure is that each person is valuable and part of their identity is their gender. I also believe that it is okay to have typical tendencies of the opposite gender as well as typical tendencies of your own gender. Each role in the family is important and playing that role according to your personality (including those gender tendencies) will prosper as you find balance between the two genders.

Sexual orientation is a topic a lot of people shy away from in order to prevent being offensive. I often am included in this generalization. Most of the time I step back from discussing this topic as I am not as informed as I would like to be. Recently I am learning more about the consequences, both good and bad, that happen in families due to the actions of the members of those said families. I am still learning as I recognize that there is much, much, much more to discover. I have learned a couple of things based on research. Having both genders in the home creates the best environment for children.  I keep mentioning the roles necessary in families. I do this to keep reiterating the importance of this subject. Families are the most important social unit in the world. And if it is the most important then we should spend the most effort protecting it.

I was given access to this following website that gave me more clarity. It is filled with a ton of research on this topic. I think this website will better help you understand the reasons why and how gender and sexual orientation affect the family structure.

http://www.familystructurestudies.com/

Love,

Liz S.