Most
of us grew up with the concept of man and woman, which had clear and more
defined gender roles. In a nutshell, gender was determined by the sex you were
born. So you were either a male or a female. However, society is now adopting
new concepts to this – some people who are born one sex may psychologically
identify as another sex.
The
strict gender norms, stereotypes and roles we’ve grown accustomed to are no
longer written in stone.
According
to the American
Psychological Association, your true gender is determined by the
interrelationship between gender expression, gender identity and gender
biology. So in other words, your physical sex, what you identify yourself as
and how you behave or present yourself is what determines your gender.
This
can play out in multiple ways. For example, you could have a person who was
born a woman, who identifies as a man, but still dresses and acts feminine. Or
you could have a male, who identifies as a woman and dresses as one.
So
the gender spectrum is pretty broad, which creates a bit of a conundrum for
marketers. In the past, it was simple to identify a person by their gender, but
today, it is completely up to the individual.
As
we continue down the path to gender equality and diversity, these concepts will
shift more. This is especially true for the younger generations, who are being
brought up with this new way of thinking and self-expression.
For
instance, you will now find gender-neutral pronouns and uniforms being inserted
in elementary schools. Young children are even being given the option to
identify as male or female. And, not to mention, the gender-neutral restrooms
being added to schools and businesses.
It’s
a new world and a new day, so it’s important for your business to keep up.
