Jake in Transition Essay Example for Free

Jake in Transition seeThe following essay is in response to the Jake in Transition exhibit which displayed the many psychological and physiologic stages Jake went through to change his sexual practice from a woman to a man. The artist of the exhibition demonstrated different stages of Jakes transition from female person to male. As the artists discussed in his interview, he mat up awkward at scratch line when photographing Jake. This awkwardness is to be expected, society has socialized us to feel certain ways about sex, creating unimaginative feelings. Since the time an individual is innate(p), they be taught by society what is expected of them as all a male or female. However, in some cases such as Jakes, some individuals be born one gender and feel as though their gender is a wrong fit. In Jakes case, he was born a female nevertheless was so uncomfortable in his own body that he felt he had to physically change it to a male body in order to be comfortable. I believ e Jake felt the need to conform to societys gender norms his body was female but he felt he did not demonstrate typical female attributes as depicted by society.Jake went to extremum measures to conform. Jake discussed how he felt being a woman, his fear of being considered a freak because he was trapped inside a womans body with the mentality and tendencies of a man are a result of societys ideology of gender roles. Jake went against this ideology when deciding to take functional measures to become a man. Jake demonstrates his natural male instincts after his surgical procedure when he marries the woman he loves.Other activities he enjoys, such as, horse riding and playing the guitar are not typically attributed to either gender as both men and women enjoy partaking in such activities but Jake however feels these are masculine activities. The exhibit displayed Jakes surgery photos, which caused me antagonistic feelings at first. I had not expected to be effected by this, breast s urgeries are broadcasted on the television daily. Jake however, was removing her female identity, I am excuse unsure if this is a personal feeling or one that I have been trained by society to believe is wrong.I am leaning towards the latter, since I can not identify with Jakes unhappiness with his born gender. I can not say I agree with changing ones gender through surgery. I do however understand Jakes need to share his experience, in hopes to dominate acceptance in a society with such rigid gender norms. I question the underlie factor that caused Jake to go through such extremes as to remove all traces of femininity. I feel there must have been a deep resentment of his female body for him to go against nature and get across out his female gender.If it were just a matter of sexuality, that Jake was attracted to females, I doubt it would have led to him acquire surgery. I was deeply disturbed by the story of x. It disgusted me that anyone could have given kind to a baby for the sole purpose of using it for an experiment and inevitably ruining its future. Baby X was raised without an identity. Gender roles, while drastically influenced by society, gives an individual a purpose.Jake was confused by his feelings which he did not associate with being female and thus changed his physical image to match his feelings of masculinity. X however, had no basis in which to judge its feelings. X was not socialized in a way that would stand by him understand his identity. Although we are not told what happens to X past elementary school, I foresee him having extreme stimulated problems more specifically, a lack of identity. Jake felt he did not fit in with females but X has no reference in which to judge if he fits in or not.Society influences how we see linguistic rule gender roles. Many, if not all, cultures have an essentialist view of what roles are contributed to males and females. While some individuals may feel that they do not conform to this ideology Jak e took drastic measures in which to conform. I think this says a lot for the extreme influence society has on gender roles. Jake wanted his body to look as masculine as he felt so he would not feel like a contradiction to societies norms.