When analyzing the question: "If you could be reborn would you change your gender?" we hypothesized that the response would be even across the board. It seemed rather reasonable that most people would like to learn what the other gender’s experience is like. We found this to be inaccurate. Women had a greater tendency to desire to walk a mile in their male counterpart’s shoes, while men seemed to be much more content where they were. We found this interesting; what would cause the women to want to be a man, and not the same desire from men? There is quite a bit to explain this phenomenon.

There exists an inequality between men and women in this society. The difference is prescribed by society; it is not inherent. Through mass media, mainly, society teaches us that women are inferior to men. On television, for example, men are usually those who are in charge and the women stay somewhere behind, as the homemaker or children’s caretaker. The media sells an ideology—part of which defines women in a subordinate role to men. What would make men want to give up all of this supposed superiority? The answer, of course, is little. For most men to involve themselves in this scenario, they would require reinforcement that the change would be on a temporary basis. Men may not always state that this is a motivator for their choice, but it is a well-known fact that women are stereotypically believed to be inferior to men. Within the last three decades or so, there has been a great move towards convincing the public that both sexes are equal. Effective as of 01 January 2004, the Illinois General Assembly passed a law called the "Equal Pay Act of 2003." The purpose of the act was to guarantee that women are compensated equally with men for "substantially similar work." (1) This is merely one of many measures lawmakers and others in authority have constructed to remove any stereotype of difference in the superiority of men and women; without which, more men would likely desire to see the world through a woman’s eyes. If all of the stereotypes were disposed of, the gender exploration would be more of an intellectual pursuit than a description of where on the social hierarchy it would put them.

Women tend to display more empathy than men do. "Males are urged to excel, e.g. "to become the president"--they are supposed to grow up to be powerful; they don't show their weaknesses; they are valued; they are preferred; they are encouraged more and prepared better for careers than females are; they are expected to be tough, independent, demanding, aggressive, good problem-solvers, and on and on… Women are encouraged to be good mothers -- they need, therefore, to first attract a man to depend on; they are expected (by our culture) to be giving, emotional, unstable, weak, and talkative about their problems; they are valued for their looks or charm or smallness but not their strength or brains; they are considered unfeminine ("bad") if they are ambitious, demanding, and tough or rough; they are expected to follow "their man" and give their lives to ‘their children’." (Tucker-Ladd 1) As Tucker-Ladd states, societal stereotypes of men and women prescribes differences, and shifts what they may actually be like without the pervasive label. The New York Times, on the other hand, offers evidence that women’s alleged empathy is due to neurological differences. "British researchers used imaging techniques to peer into the brains of people who were experiencing empathy… The women were hooked up to an M.R.I machine, while their husbands or boyfriends sat nearby. Each woman could see her companion’s hand, which, along with her own hand, was hooked up to an electrode that delivered short bursts of electricity. A computer screen indicated whose hand would be zapped and whether the shock would be mild or somewhat severe. When the women were shocked, brain scans picked up the activation of a vast network spread throughout the brain. Several regions showed activity including… where touch is perceived… and two areas that help control the emotional experience of pain. When a woman watched her partner being stung, [where touch is sensed] was quiet. But emotional centers sprang into action, indicating that she was reliving the experience without the physical stimulus or sensation." (O’Connor 1) It is an intriguing study suggesting that women are hard-wired to perceive other people’s feelings, something many complain that their male counterparts are unable or unwilling to do.

Finally, we must analyze the importance of sex on our question. We thought this would be a greater motivator than it turned out to be. Only one interviewee even mentioned it, "I really want to know what it is like to have sex like a man. I want to know what it would feel like to have a penis as part of my body, to feel the sensations of an erection or ejaculation." (Cohen 1) Again, this may lead us back to our discussion of stereotypical gender roles. The stereotype states that in terms of sex, the man is also in charge. The man is in control of the situation, only stopping if the woman says no to not be accused of rape; even then, not always stopping. For men to give of the power of being in charge is a serious blow to their over inflated egos. Women, on the other hand, stand to lose little in the sexual argument. They are going from the stereotypical subservient role to a commanding one.

Works Cited

(Name Removed), Justine M. Personal interview. 11 July 2004.

(Name Removed), Greg F. Personal interview. 12 July 2004.

(Name Removed), Jessica D. Personal interview. 12 July 2004.

(Name Removed), Denisse L. Personal interview. 11 July 2004.

Illinois. Illinois General Assembly. Equal Pay Act of 2003. 11 May 2003. 14 July 2004 .

(Name Removed), Robert. Personal interview. 13 July 2004.

O'Connor, Anahad. "Brain Scans Substantiate Feel-the-Pain Sentiments." The New York Times 24 Feb. 2004. 14 July 2004 .

(Name Removed), John. Personal interview. 13 July 2004.

Tucker-Ladd, Clayton E. Psychological Self-Help. 14 July 2004 .