The History of Gender

Abstract

This chapter traces the history of gender. Most people believe that gender equality is a product of modern times and that the gap between the sexes has decreased due to technology, advocacy, and contemporary social demands. People typically think about early humans as hunter-gatherers and assume that because of the natural capacity for male bodies to be physically stronger and more robust than female bodies, men were the ones primarily responsible for the livelihood and sustainability of a group. As such, people have inferred that men were likely leaders within groups and the ones with the most power; they assume that women’s roles as gatherers were less critical than their male counterparts and thus less valued. However, we are learning that gender roles in early human communities were probably far more egalitarian than what we originally thought. This chapter also delves into evolutionary psychology and distinguishes between patriarchy and matriarchy. It then looks at gender diversity and provides a history of transgender people prior to and during colonization, as well as after the founding of the United States. Finally, the chapter describes what trans activism looks like in the 21st century.