De Anza College Anthropology Websearch Gender Identity and Hijras of India Essay

let’s shine a light on the topic of how individuals define and identity their gender expression. Social anthropologists seek to understand how people live in societies and how they make their lives meaningful. We all do this but not every culture identifies people – including genders – in the same way. All societies have a set of gender categories that can serve as the basis of the formation of a person’s social identity in relation to other members of society – some communities have more than others!

Select one of these topics to research:

• Hijras of India
• Fa’afafine of Polynesia
• Two-spirits in Native American tribes

The Task:

1. Identify the topic you selected and provide a link to the source you used for information.
2. Based on what you have learned about gender and culture in your research, provide an example of one way the members of this culture celebrate their gender diversity. How does this topic continue to influence our own ideas about gender?
3. Your submission should be 150+ words.