NatGeo's "Gender Revolution" Gives Rise to A Societal Shift in 2017 | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

NatGeo's "Gender Revolution" Gives Rise to A Societal Shift in 2017

"Gender Revolution" explores the topic of gender from the perspectives of dozens of children all over 4 widely differing continents.

23
NatGeo's "Gender Revolution" Gives Rise to A Societal Shift in 2017
National Geographic

National Geographic's January 2017 issue explores a highly-debated topic, that people in societies around the world still don't agree upon. Gender goes beyond simply male and female, which are sexes. This is why terms like transgender, gender-nonconforming,andnon-binary lead to confusion. From the perspectives of 9-year-olds from four distinct continents, writer Eve Conant and photographer Robin Hammond, explore the topic of gender.

According to these 9-year-olds, gender causes limitations, new possibilities, frustrations and a whole host of other concerns. Order the issue and discover the intricacies of gender yourself.

What's the best thing about being a girl? The worst thing about being a girl? National Geographic interviews young girls to get their perspectives on these very questions. Some may say there's no issue, with a smile, while others may remark that it's unfair they can't do the things boys do. From four separate continents, answers very, and give new insight into girlhood, depending on our own upbringings in, say, the United States. One girl mentions that she'd be able to take care of the livestock and another comments she'd like to be a rabbi if they were boys.

And the same questions are posed to the boys. What's the best thing about being a boy? The worst thing about being a boy? Many mention that they can lift heavy things, because they're stronger. One mentions that he can't be a part of the girls' secrets.

Eve though the children are 9-year-olds, topics like sex, marriage and stereotypical roles in accordance to gender still crop up in their answers. There's a level of forthright in their responses, both because of their ages and because of how, at these ages, they're not yet muddled by the societal expectations we force ourselves to accept. The children feel the contraints gender puts upon them, but they haven't yet been forced to accept them. In fact, a transgender child is on the cover.

In the issue, interviewers also pose questions like, What would you do if you were the opposite gender? and What makes you happy/sad? How would you change the world if you had the opportunity to do so? Responses range from family, both uplifting and dispiriting, to world peace and the eradication of hunger. There are many comments about bullying as well. And in the center of many of the responses, lies gender, and how it plays a role in their lives and inspirations for the future.

Arguably, the best aspect of "Gender Revolution" is the fact that the interviews span four distinct continents, since we read about widely differing responses. This issue will undoubtedly inspire a revolution within ourselves, as Conand and Hammond bring to us the topic of gender, so harshly debated, from the perspecives of 9-year-old children. Honest and unhindered, their opinions give rise to a changing society in 2017.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

300241
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments