post #6

Will Roscoe's 1991 book "The Zuni Man-Woman" highlights the prestigious role of women in Zuni culture. More so, Roscoe discusses the berdache tradition with the Zuni. The reading describes a berdache as "men who do woman's work and wear woman's dress." Although the Zuni have clearly defined gender roles the propensity of the berdache tradition further shows that gender roles are acquired culturally, not inherited biologically.
The Zuni people follow a matrilinial descent and hold a matrilocal residence.Men were often absent from the house altogether. The high status of women shape how the Zuni view their world. Where in our western culture blurred gender roles are often met with disdain and scorn. The article shows that the Zuni berdache is a respected member of the community often "working twice as hard as any man or women."
The ongoing struggle of gays and lesbians in today's western culture, especially with same sex couples adoption, has brought to light the argument that children being exposed to a household without a strong male role model can lead to gender confusion. Roscoe reports that "Zuni boys were asked who they would like to be if they could change themselves into anything else, 10 percent wanted to be their sisters or mothers." Is this trend is further evidence of confusion and gender distortion or "simply as a reflection of the prestige of female roles."
Where sex is biological gender is clearly a social and cultural construct.

http://www.ratical.org/many_worlds/onlyDifferent.txt