His & Hers: Designing for a Post-Gender Society

This article is about the fact that we are living in a time of a gender revolution. Everything is about gender. Your gender determines who you are. Traditional masculine and feminine roles are being challenged everyday. Identity is now being looked at through sexuality. In the article, it says that designers should work within the discourse and help promote acceptance and change. Today’s designing landscape is still focused on Modernism. In the past, men have typically been head in charge in most situations. Male necessities dictated the design of prime spaces, while female secretaries occupied ancillary areas. Recent events however are pointing towards a wave of feminism. Emma Watson’s speech which promoted the “He For She” Movement. Her movement implored men to join in the cause for gender equality, here in America, and around the World. In the workplace, women have become more prominent. Due to Mother Nature becoming more important, an emphasis on windows, daylight, and views has also accompanied that. The article states that it’s time for designers to start questioning how they incorporate gender sensitivity into their work. Because of the fast cycles, fashion and beauty are the first sectors to truly embrace these trends. Alenxander Wang’s woman’s coat from Fall 2015 has masculine tailoring that has a military look. But Annemeik van der Beek’s Primal Skin makeup line appeals more to males. Outward appearances can often be confusing. Boys are looking like girls and girls are looking like boys. Androgyny has become common. In the past, transgender people were considered outcasts, especially in corporate America. However, Martine Rothblatt defied traditional roles to become the highest paid female executive in the United States. In 1995, after she transitioned, she published a book called The Apartheid of Sex. Some corporations have taken note of this gender issue, and bathrooms have become the focus of this change. Companies like Google are creating gender-neutral or unisex bathrooms. They want to allow all individuals to feel comfortable. Bathrooms are only a small part of the puzzle in addressing gender inclusivity, but it’s definitely a start. In a certain situation, an employee at a certain business got a sex change. When they came back to their job, the employees were very uncomfortable. Neither of the sexes wanted their coworker in their bathrooms. Making people feel accommodated parallels the bigger conversation. In our post gender world today, masculine and feminine definitions are being switched around. Suzanne Tick is the author of this article. In my opinion, I don’t think that accommodating for everyone is a bad idea. Everyone should feel comfortable where ever they go. However, I think it’s more than just gender. Race is still an issue. The thing that first comes to mind when I think of this is an object. The Confederate flag. I don’t even understand why it’s allowed in society today. I understand it’s freedom of expression, but the Confederate flag does not represent anything good in our country. The Confederates fought to keep slavery in the South. However, the issue of gender equality definitely needs to be addressed.

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