Facets of the „gender” concept – puzzlement of a Central European
Gusztáv Kovács
Bischöfliche Theologische Hochschule PécsAbstract
The word gender is considered a campaign slogan in Central Europe. It is a term loaded with a great number of misunderstandings. The article seeks to find the reason for this distrust towards the concept, and to clarify its fundamental importance for ethics. The distrust towards the term is explained as a consequence of the historical experience of the „State feminism” from the times of socialism. In Hungarian society the emancipation of women was seen as an external constraint which resulted in suspicion towards any gender politics. The second part of the article discusses the question of the relationship between biological and social sex on the example of the sworn virgins in Albania and the case „David Reimer”. It will be shown that gender is not to be interpreted as concrete and well-established interpretation of sexuality, but rather as a category of analysis that allows us to see how far our lives are determined by the category of gender. As a category of analysis the term shows a critical nature, however, it does not necessarily entail a negative view of our gender roles, but may also show our contentment of our gendered reality.
Keywords:
gender, social ethics, state feminism, Kanun, David ReimerReferences
Anic J.R., Der Begriff „Gender” als Anathema, „Herder Korrespondenz” 2015, 3, 157–161.
Butler J., Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, New York 2006.
Colapinto J., As Nature Made Him: The boy who was raised as a girl, New York 2000.
Grossmann E., Genderpädagogik in Ungarn – gibt es so etwas überhaupt? Historische und gegenwartsbezogene Situationsbeschreibung, http://www.grimus.or.at/helden/outcome/Ungarn_deutsch_final_version.pdf (13.09.2016).
Heimbach-Steins M., Sichtbehinderung. Das Geschlechterverhältnis in der Wahrnehmung christlicher Sozialethik, in: U. Gentner (Hg.), Geschlechtergerechte Visionen. Politik in Bildungs- und Jugendarbeit, Königstein 2001, 257–392.
Kuby G., Die Gender Revolution : Relativismus in Aktion, Kißlegg 2008.
Marschütz G., Trojanisches Pferd Gender? Theologische Anmerkungen zur jüngeren Genderdebatte im katholischen Bereich, in: K. Schlögl-Flierl, G.M. Prüller-Jagenteufel (Hg.): Aus Liebe zu Gott – im Dienst an den Menschen: Spirituelle, pastorale und ökumenische Dimensionen der Moraltheologie, Münster 2014, 433–456.
Murphy T.F., Gender Identity, in: S.G. Post (Hg.), Encyclopedia of Bioethics, Detroit 2004, 943–944.
Pető A., Anti-Gender-Bewegungen in Europa – Was tun?, „Infobrief zur geschlechterpolitischen Arbeit der FES” 2016, 6, 40–49.
Pongrácz T., A család és a munka szerepe a nők életében, in: I. Nagy (Hg.), Szerepváltozások: Jelentés a nők és férfiak helyzetéről 2001, Budapest 2001, 30–45.
Young A., Women Who Become Men: Albanian Sworn Virgins, Oxford 2000.
Authors
Gusztáv KovácsStatistics
Downloads
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- Sára Geiszelhardt, Gusztáv Kovács, Ageing and the Search for Meaning , Family Forum: Vol. 8 (2018): Ageing and old age
- Gusztáv Kovács, Frozen future – ethical questions of social egg freezing , Family Forum: Vol. 3 (2013): Family Forum
- Gusztáv Kovács, COVID-19 and Family Schedule , Family Forum: Vol. 12 (2022): Przemiany rodziny
- Gusztáv Kovács, Is there a future for the private sphere? , Family Forum: Vol. 1 (2011): Problemy współczesnej rodziny I
