Here are some clips from the National Geographic series on taboos. These clips come from the same episode "The Third Sex", exploring genders in different cultures.
The 5 Genders in South Sulawesi (Indonesia)
The Third Gender (Fa'afafine) in Samoa
Eunuchs (Hijras) in India
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I found these very interesting...
especially since in most western cultures the idea of trans-genders and transvestites to be very taboo and for some even frightening. But these cultures have accepted them as part of the balance of the world..which is so lovely and how I think it should be. I also found it very interesting that though the eunuchs in India are held at the outskirts of their society, they are believed to bring the most powerful blessings, which in my mind makes it seem as though they are believed to be held closer to god....which is again not something I think people of most western cultures would ever believe.
Thanks Kay!
I agree with Kat... It's really good to see how those cultures (even in India, with this special relationship with the eunuchs that Kat mentioned) respect and consider the trans-genders as part of the society. In Brazil they are truly ignored...
I think that all those different realities show a very important point to me: genders are socially defined. Some people always try to find biological or idealistic arguments for the differences between the genders, but at the end they don't exist (at least not in the way that we are used to listen). I believe that things don't have value on themselves – is the society that valuates them. And the videos are a very good example of this!
Complement: people try to find biological or idealistic arguments to justify prejudice!!!
I agree with both of you!
Thanks Kay for sharing those very interesting videos with us.
As they both already said, it's amazing to see how different cultures accept or reject trans-gender and transvestites.
In France it's more about your social situation as well that people will accept (or just get over) the fact that you're trans-gender or homosexual or transvestites..as the mayor of Paris which is gay and made everyone in the government "accepted" it and since uses this sort of power he got to "promote" infos and celebration of homosexuality.Like having money or a respected social position could help you being accepted by the others in most of the western cultures.
I still think that as i like the fact that they accept every gender types as an essential part of the world harmony (i do believe some kind of the same) i don't like per example how they "force" their children in a specific role like the Fa'afafinis culture. I think that this is still sexist..and somehow comfort themselves in this way of emprisonned people in social ideals.
Post a Comment