Heteronormativity

Definition of Heteronormativity:

Heteronormativity can be defined as the belief that people should subscribe to and fall into binary genders (male or female). The concept expands to suggest that these two complementary genders are natural and normativity comes from the idea that men should assume typically “male” roles that encompass stereotypical assumptions of what those roles may be. In other words, heteronormativity suggests that as a man, you should subscribe to the role of “worker and provider” and should reproduce or have loving relations with a female. The role is reversed for females, where heteronormativity suggests they should adhere to the role of “carer and reproducer” and should maintain the family that she and a man produced.

Historical Context:

Heteronormativity has been the established standard of way of thought in modern society for ages. Most civilizations (ancient and modern) have favored a relatively patriarchal system that generalizes the gender binary as well as gender roles. However, a look at the history of this sheds light onto the progress made today. In the 1950s, after the Second World War, women were highly encouraged as homemakers and maintainers as well as baby producers. This is evident with the baby boom of the 1950s. However, the Second World War also provided American women with empowerment in the work force (due to their work while soldiers were abroad). Since the 1950s, the size of the female workforce has tripled and they are closing in on occupying roughly 50% of the working population (https://www.dol.gov/wb/stats/facts_over_time.htm). On top of this, gay marriage was legalized in America in 2015, providing more acceptance and rights to the marginalized population. This all goes to say that society’s general way of operating (with assumed gender roles and assumed paths of life for binary genders) has gradually shifted (but has not yet arrived) at defied gender roles (women in the workforce) as well as defied binary in gender and marriage (evident in winning more gay rights as well as identification of more gender identifications such as transgender and genderfluid). With that said, America is in a place where it is gradually trending towards that form of operation, but has not yet graduated to the notion of full acceptance. For this reason, the movement for overall knowledge on gender roles as well as assumptions has created a positive impact on the country and its future in understanding heteronormativity as a narrow lens through which to view the world and its people.

Contributors and Opinions on Heteronormativity (Controversy/Perspectives):

The debate against heteronormativity can be defined as a movement to generate a continuum of gender roles as well as a non-binary way of perceiving gender and love. On top of this, the idea of heteronormativity being linked to whiteness creates debate over how to frame society as one that does not adhere to a specific gender role, binary gender, or white belief of idealess (that ties to heteronormativity). As of now, the white heteronormative male is framed as the ideal person, which suggests that the solution rests in the deracialization of ideality and the deconstructing of gender binaries and roles as truth.

In his article, “Ignoring the Sexualization of Race: Heteronormativity, Critical Race Theory and Anti-Racist Politics,” Darren Hutchinson evaluates the heteronormative nature of traditional race scholarship as well as how activists can actually reproduce heteronormativity in their work. In the article, Hutchinson argues of a lack of inter-dimensional thinking in the activism that essentially constructs ways of thinking that further marginalize people because it does not tend to individual circumstances. For example, the gay rights movement is not sensitive to the gay black male struggling with depression, but rather is simply sensitive to that person’s needs as a homosexual. Essentially, the continuum which activists are seeking to establish in terms of gendered thinking is failing because the activism itself can be exclusive to people’s needs. Hutchinson mentioned a “lack of even a basic understanding of how the various forms of subordinate operate in society” as well as activists’ replication of “social hierarchy in their scholarship and activism because they render invisible and subordinate already marginalized individuals” (Hutchinson 2, 1999). While Hutchinson further goes into discussion on race and the sexuality of race, his points on heteronormativity are extremely important in illustrating the difficulty and effort it takes to overturn heteronormative thinking. The issue, as the next “example” section will show, is that heteronormativity is extremely engrained and people don’t even understand or notice how they reinforce it on a daily basis.

Relevant Examples of Heteronormativity: 

Hyperlink to interesting article discussing heteronormativity and examples of it (http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/07/what-is-heteronormativity/)

In the above hyperlinked article, the author mentioned for ways in which heteronormativity is permeated into society. The four ways this occurs are through established gender binaries, the patriarchal system, monogamy, and white supremacy as the heteronormative standard.

A relevant example of heteronormativity in society exists within scientific textbooks and research. In her article “The Egg and the Sperm,” Emily Martin exposes the heteronormativity assumed in scientific literature. In her work, Martin consistently finds that biology textbooks as well as scientific research use assumptions of gender roles to frame sexual biological components in the context of gender roles. For example, the sperm is the active worker while the egg is the passive receiver. Pamela Gellers’ article “Bodyscapes, Biology, and Heteronormativity” shows a similar pattern of assigning gender roles onto research that might show otherwise. Despite evidence pointing to alternative explanations, Gellers insists researchers used assumed gender roles to identify roles of binary gendered (male or female) people in ancient civilizations.

This great article, although it focuses on heterosexuality (an assumed component of heteronormativity), shows more than 30 examples of everyday ways in which society assumes or favors heteronormativity. (http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2012/01/29-examples-of-heterosexual-privilege/#sthash.MkHKJUfq.dpbs)

Relating to Politics of Health:

As a society-engrained issue that proliferates itself on a daily basis and consistently affects marginalized groups, it is fit to relate the concept to the politics of health through the lens of structural violence. The idea of heteronormativity is engrained in every level of American culture, politically (not a single female President), economically (women occupy less of the workforce and make less than males on average for the same positions), and socially (in assumptions tied to the gender binary and normatively of heterosexuality). This embeddedness causes injury to those who do not adhere to heteronormativity through economic means, lack of rights, and lack of acceptance. These assumptions of heteronormativity exist as well in the scientific and medical world, which is troubling in terms of believing that experts are understanding societal and other impacts on people’s lives when they are treating them. In the end, this structural violence is incredibly engrained in culture, and the structural violence will continue unless assumptions of heteronormativity continue to be challenged everyday, because if they are not, the everyday proliferation of structural violence regarding heteronormativity will continue.

Citations:

Gellers, Pamela. “Bodyscapes, Biology, and Heteronormativity.” American Anthropologist 111, 4 (2009): 504-516

Hutchinson, Darren. “Ignoring the Sexualization of Race: Heteronormativity, Critical Race Theory and Anti-Racist Politics.” Buffalo Law Review 47, 1 (1999): 1-116

Martin, Emily. “The Egg and the Sperm: How Science Has Constructed a Romance Based on Stereotypical Male-Female Roles.” Signs 16, 3 (1991): 485-501