Dr.Tilak Fernando

Two unusual emails struck me recently, one was written in lighter vein and the other in all seriousness. The one on the subject of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”More on ManagementƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ read: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Change canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t be given to you every time, you must bring the change!ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ………..Scrolling seriously down to find the answer, it read, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Albert Silva, Bus Conductor, Route 154, Dematagoda, Kiribathgoda, Colombo 9. In contrast, the second mail was from my friend Shamila all the way from the Middle East who wanted me to mull over on a subject which is more controversial and even surprising – emerging from a female!

She wrote: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Not only the best cooks are men but they are the most beautiful of GodƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s creations. Just think about for a second, the women who may think they are the most beautiful of all creations are certainly not.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Being a woman herself, she claims that women need to make up to look beautiful, and questions: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-If they are deemed to be the loveliest and beautiful, why do they need to be done up at all, at every occasion? But look at the man, Oh! He is simply gorgeous without any art done on him even at 50, 60 or come 80! So in my view, the male gender with their natural beauty is the most handsome, gorgeous and the best of all GodƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s creations. Do you agree? Why donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t you write on this in your In Focus Column?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Male chauvinist

Undoubtedly she has thrown me into the deep end in a societal subject which can easily brand me as a male chauvinist. However, I did some research to make some sense out of her request.

Wikipedia describes gender roles as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”social and behaviourial norms collectively appropriate for individuals of a specific sex in the context of a specific cultureƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.

Although gender-based relationships that differentiate have undergone profound changes over the years, there are still considerable modifications in gender roles in almost all societies. It is also true that in times of inevitability, such as during a war or other emergency situations, women were permitted to perform functions which in ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”normalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ circumstances would be considered as male roles.

Gender expression only refers to the external manifestation of oneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sexual category and identity, through ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”masculineƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”feminineƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ labels.

Looking back well into the pre-historic culture, men were often, if not exclusively, responsible for hunting wild animals, the building of permanent lodgings, protecting villages and other tasks where the male physique and strong spatial-cognition were most useful.

Seemingly over the years, the scene has changed with factory managers fast vanishing as more women joined their ranks as a kick-start. The switch to computers and high technology have managed to take the muscle out of jobs and attracted more women to replace men.

Women politicians

In modern times there have been many women politicians, Presidents and Prime Ministers. Today there are two monarchs, Queen Elizabeth II UK and Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armagard in Netherlands as living examples.

A combination of economic changes and the pressure from the feminist movement in recent decades have exerted anxiety on men in some societies to compete with women for senior executive jobs, director roles and chairpersonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s positions, the type of jobs once traditionally women were excluded from.

Some positions and titles, however, are reserved for men only. The position of Pope in the Roman Catholic Church, for example, is reserved only for men, as it is priesthood.

Humans exhibit sexual dimorphism. Many of these characteristics do have a role in sexual attraction. So, without engaging in an argument over superiority or beauty between men and women, one has to accept the fact that each one becomes a link in a human chain on earth with a vision and a mission individually.

Women alone canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t be labelled as beauty conscious who are compelled to spend extra money and time on manicure and pedicure errands, visiting beauty parlours for regular haircuts, highlights, facials, eye brows and spend a fortune on a variety of hand, night, and anti-wrinkle creams plus expensive perfumes to make them sensational.

Hollywood male actors and sophisticated men in big Western cities in Germany, London, Paris, Rome, Los Angeles and New York are not an exception, who spend anything on regular keep-fit operations manicure and pedicure exercises, wax treatment (for removal of chest hair), liposuction to get rid of abdominal celluloid and become extravagant in using designer wigs (hair pieces) to cover their boiled-egg type skulls, cosmetic surgery and author-dentistry etc.

Looking at from a sexual characteristic perspective, boys become men with more hair all over their body, larger hands and feet than women, broad shoulders and chest, larger skull and bone structure, greater muscle mass, a more prominent AdamƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s apple, deeper voice and a long shinbone. Apart from this gender-neutral behaviour, clothing, hairstyles or body characteristics too become apparent.

Karmic effect

What was impossible once has become a reality today. If one feels that one is born to the wrong sex there is no need to worry thinking about your past Karmic effect because the destiny of such individuals are now in the hands of high technology and the clinical technician, who has taken over the responsibility of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”creator on earthƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, from the time one makes oneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s mind up.

In an ever changing cycle, nature too has transformed, nations have changed, ethics, morals and peopleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s thinking too have drastically altered, the latest being an option becoming available for women to become men and vice versa through ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…” gender blenderƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ operations. In 1995, Charring Cross Hospital in West London set up a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Gender Identity ClinicƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ with an extensive programme for people who felt they were born to the wrong sex and many have undergone the operation under the National Health Service to become either men or women.

More on ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”men want to be womenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in a separate column!

tilakfernando@yahoo.co.uk