Reference no: EM133693701
Assignment:
Across history, many cultures have recognized more than two genders. You saw one example in in Tehuantepec, a town in the Mexican state of Oaxaca of muxes who live beyond the gender binary. A muxe is an individual assigned male at birth who behaves outside roles traditionally associated with masculinity. Sometimes referred to as a third gender, muxe identity pre-dates Spanish imperialism in the Zapotec region. In Albania, the burrnesha are "sworn virgins." These people are born with typically female bodies, but they can take a vow of chastity and, in exchange, can live as men. Until very recently, women's roles in Albania were severely limited. Becoming burrnesha allowed women to escape their restraints to gain freedom and power. By taking the oath of virginity, burrnesha became patriarchs of their families. They wear mens clothing, carry weapons, own property, and move freely about society.
As women have gained status in recent years, the tradition of burrnesha has diminished, leaving only a small number of them in Albania. In Samoa, fa'afafine are people born with typical male bodies raised as girls by their families. Historically, parents chose to raise a child as a fa'afafine when the family had many boys in it and few or no girls.
In recent years, parents may have recognized more traditionally feminine behaviors in a young boy and acknowledged him as fa'afafine. Other boys may choose to become fa'afafine and then may begin to adopt more traditionally feminine behaviors, dressing as women and learning the traditional duties of Samoan women. Those are just a few examples of other cultures that have recognized more than two genders. Answer the questions below in full detail:
1. What do these additional genders suggest about our dominant notion of only two genders?
2. Why is the dominant culture so invested in maintaining the illusion of only two genders?
3. How does the dominance of the ideology of only two genders intersect with the history and legacy of colonialism?
4. What are the implications for the liberation of all people in the recognition of many genders?