2

Role Reversals: Understanding My Playing-with-Gender Act

Section 1: Performed Act

Having realized that most men shy away from unnecessary interactions and communications, I designed an act contrary to this in the office. Upon arrival at the office in the morning, I sought to increase my interaction with others. My act was that I reversed how I interacted with other people and moved away from my normal know self to a more plastic construed self. I started by initiating modifications in the office to prepare for performing the act. In the staff meeting, I was the facilitator, and I did ensure that I welcomed all the members who were in for the meeting. I presented my part throughout the discussion, ensuring that all those who were in for the meeting made their submissions in the meeting.

As concerns the preparation for this act, I had made some practice actions before I came for this activity. I equipped myself with skills in communication techniques, listening, and being open-minded. I also gained ideas on the skills needed of a person when leading dialogues since it was majorly what was to happen during the meeting that I was to lead in the office. Through random searches on speech presentations in google, I was able to gain the most relevant techniques that I would employ for the act performance. Further, ideas on attention-grabbing and fascinating modalities of speech presentation have also been helpful to me in the presentation of the said speech to the audience.

In the performance of my speech, I noticed that members paid much attention to the way I talked and were able to maintain eye contact with me, having realized the new version of me that had come before them. Mack et al. (2005) argues that observing and participating are integral to understanding the breadth and complexities of the human experience. This was the case with my session in that we learned from each other through the two modalities. I also observed that as I presented my speech, many of the members nodded appropriately, showing that they agreed with what I was presenting to them. They were able to ask questions about the speech and the contribution I had made during the speech. Many of them smiled at me, meaning that they had likened to what I presented, after which they gave a clap on my speech. However, there was also a challenge in writing data in that all of those that were near me noticed that I was moving at a faster pace and were unable to catch up with everything I said throughout the session (Mack et al. 2005, pg 14)

However, I could have done more better by doing what I was putting on less official clothing to increase interactivity. Mack et al. (2005, pg. 19) argues that focusing on physical attributes and their appearance is very important in the interaction. I would also have employed my body language and gestures to make the session livelier and signaling. I think I would also be able to institute more rules for the meeting such that there would be no moving in or out across the room in the course meeting to increase concentration.

Section 2: Impact of the Act

The session when carrying out this activity was very interactive as seen with other members present in the interaction. One of the responses that were key in the intersection at this presentation was that members nodded, and others could ask questions which I clarified at the end of the presentation. Williams & O’Donnell (2016) argues that more and more men can see the importance of networking and creating networks and interaction. This is just as seen in the discussion in the said forum. Unlike previously, I interacted with men who could share more on issues surrounding the topic in question. In addition to this, and as per the arguments of the authors, the discussions were more enjoyable and interesting as the discussion went on. This was a form of social activity that the authors argue that companies can start for their members to interact with each other and promote teamwork. In addition, some of the male members still felt that it was uncommon for men to prepare the ground for which to meet, a situation traditionally reserved for the female gender and which these colleagues thought that it should have been taken up by a woman.

In addition, aspects such as biology and sexuality were determinant factors in this said interaction with this act. Some of the members were reluctant to speak, and others still maintained a low profile throughout the meeting. Men are attuned to their biology and the production of testosterone, which may turn many of their interactive chaotic, a reason why they tend to carry their own with few friends. This played out during the interaction since many of them failed to reach out for the interaction and participated by using shorter duration and being more focused on getting done with their contribution to getting seated. Silver et al. (2019) show that feminist identification of men focuses on men who identify or those whose goals align with feminine ideals. This was, however, not a feminist act since it was a simulation to understand how others take the issues of men taking on roles that are not traditionally reserved for them. However, others may take a position that it was a feministic approach to the same and hence may be for the ideas that this was an act of feminism. It can be seen that, to some extent, those supporting men's involvement in feminist approaches engage in feminist activism. This act could not be classified as such since it was an observational study actually the role of gender roles in society and how they have shaped how men take on certain issues, especially with being outgoing, caring, and making new connections.

However, the act was, apart from simulation, an act that could be seen as activism. This is because it sought to challenge the existing norms on how men take certain behaviors. It quashes the existing belief that men cannot form networks and bring them as capable of taking on activities similar to those of females. These ideas are like those proposed by (Williams et al, 2016). The creation of these networks is key to improving how people, especially men interact in the workplace. The fact that most of the participants did participate in the discussion, asked a question, and appreciated the new approach, which I took through the discussion, is a fact that this act was one that created a social change. It was a short one to create the awakening that men could still do some acts that have long been associated with or assigned to the female gender. The act was a way of making known to the participants that sometimes, some existing norms about the disconnect between men and female are just some fixated actions or situations that can be easily challenged by making changes in how we act. It is not the role of the female gender to take some given roles, but any role worth sharing can be carried along by any individual irrespective of gender. It challenges the objectivation and the misrepresentations over time that come with different genders and allows members to have their eyes opened to the real issues with gender than the construed ones.

References

Mack et al. (2005).  "Module Two: Participant Observation," from  Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector's Field Guide, Family Health International. Read Module 2, pages 13-27. Retrieved from 

Sherrod, D. (2018). The bonds of men: Problems and possibilities in close male relationships. In The making of masculinities.

Silver, E. R., Chadwick, S. B., & van Anders, S. M. (2019). Feminist identity in men: Masculinity, gender roles, and sexual approaches in feminist, non-feminist, and unsure men.  Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 80(5-6), 277–290. 

Williams, S. A., & O’Donnell, N. (2016). Becoming a person of dialogue. Journal for

Perspectives of Economic Political and Social Integration, 22(1-2), 275–289.