Today, I was tasked to imagine how my life might be different if I was born the opposite gender. Exercises such as this require a healthy sociological imagination, that is, the capacity to comprehend how sociological situations play out due to people's inherent differences and the differences in their social circumstances.
Anybody who thinks their life would not change significantly by being born the opposite sex is simply lacking the creativity necessary to take a step back and separate themselves from their social upbringing. This post will most likely end up sounding like a sociology assignment, because (guess what?) this is a sociological issue.
There are countless ways my life would be altered if I were born a woman, so I will be focusing specifically on personality and social life.
Our personality is first and foremost a product of our environment. If I was a woman, I would be different but not unrecognizably so. The morals and values I was instilled with would still be there, but the lens that I experience the world through would be different.
I would probably act more “girly” (i.e being more emotional and sensitive, more graceful and refined, and more centered around style). Now obviously there is more to being a woman than exhibiting those specific traits, but those are ones that would overwhelmingly contribute to a noticeable difference to my personality.
As for my social life, I'm sure being a woman would do me wonders. I'm generally a fairly social guy, but there is a reason women are considered "social creatures.” Whether or not women, as a whole, are more social than men, the ways they choose to socialize make it appear so. Women are more inclined to form connections through conversations, whereas men are more inclined to bond through activities, be it football or Xbox Live.
In my experience, women feel a stronger connection with each other then men do, and are more willing to go to one another for assistance. If I was a women, I would probably make more of an effort to be involved with different social groups and gatherings. As it stands, I am content with the ones I have.
"Easy is an adjective used to describe a woman who has the sexual morals of a man." ~Nancy Linn-Desmond
One thing I always hear from men is that if they were women, they would slut it up with no regard for consequences. And honestly, some actually might. But I think many people overlook that when you grow up as a specific sex, you are constantly absorbing ideas about gender roles and sexuality from the world around you. You come to accept and follow certain norms and preconceptions. You become scared of facing sanctions for actions that do not fit the exact mold society expects you to conform to. Both sexes are guilty of oversimplifying the others struggles and advantages.
Honestly, I feel privileged to be a man. Would I feel privileged to be a woman? Absolutely. One thing that definitely wouldn't change about me is my belief that you should always be happy with what you were given. If you spend all your time bitching about how the opposite sex has it made, then you really don't deserve the privilege of being the sex you are, which is equally coveted.
