In the modern era, gender and sex are no longer one and the same. Your biological sex, male, female, or in rare cases, both, has nothing to do with your chosen gender, or how you choose to identify. Men and women are free to dress, talk, walk, act, and preform duties that were traditionally meant for only one of the two sexes as they see fit. In addition, one may choose to identify as neither male nor female, as gender non-conforming, or gender fluid.

However, just a few decades ago, these terms were unheard of. The idea of gender non-conformity may have existed, but was not yet mainstream or allowed into the public eye. Women were expected to be polite homemakers and child-bearers. Men were expected to be strong, confident breadwinners. Women were expected to appear feminine, dawning fancy dresses or skirts with jewelry, high heels, and a full face of makeup on special occasions. Men were expected to wear a suit, or a dress shirt and a tie. Very rarely were these boundaries crossed, and when they were, the general public deemed that individual strange and untrustworthy. The media consumed by the general population further fed this notion of strict guidelines.

Today, sexuality, gender identity, and general self-presentation exist on a spectrum of multiple colors. The strict, black and white approach to personal expression is outdated, and is no longer upheld as a societal norm. In my paradigm shift paper, I will attempt to examine this seemingly sudden change, focusing mostly on the last 100 years (maybe even less time than that if I cannot find any examples of the shift in the media that far back).

I will attempt to showcase my thesis by using several celebrity icons, (and/or influencers) media exposure in entertainment, and news reports in general, from these past ten decades or so. I hope to show the gradual shift toward a society that is more accepting of personal identity in regards to gender stereotypes and sexuality in general.

This topic is important because it is crucial to familiarize yourself with different perspectives, in order to get along with and understand a wide array of individuals you may come across. Even if you identify strongly with traditional gender norms, and do not feel the need to uncover your true identity, it is useful to recognize the hardships some individuals go through to feel loved, accepted, and appreciated in their given environments. Empathy and respect of basic human decency is crucial, especially in the age of heightened sensitivity and social media. Ignorance is no longer tolerated as an excuse for inappropriate comments about another’s appearance or demeanor. Opinions aside, a basic understanding of these shifting ideologies and how they came to be is vital to our everyday social interactions with new people.