The Genderquake: a shift in power

Society labels people by what they look like, how they choose to dress or where they spend their free time. However, people no longer want to be solely defined by categories or labels. They want to define themselves as they are. 

This fresh idea of gender in a modern society is starting to become mainstream, at least to the younger generations. The term ‘genderquake’ refers to a shift in power from men to women, and it is being represented through fashion primarily. Many fashion designers are fully embracing this new viewpoint by having celebrities and models be photographed in what many would consider gender backwards looks. Designers that have a large impact on the fashion industry take advantage of being represented by a celebrity or model because that is typically how trends in fashion begin in a society. Style helps liberate those who feel trapped by societal standards making fashion the perfect way for people to express themselves. This drastic change in fashion is something that would be difficult to come back from because it changes the entire way that gender is viewed by people; male beauty can incorporate femininity where as female beauty considers a suit and tie beautiful.  Women for many years have had the opportunity to explore different iterations of femininity, but men have not been so fortunate. The change in fashion and style is causing people to open their minds to being more accepting of people’s differences in culture and society. Social media has had a large impact on this gender movement because celebrities and models are seen in these clothes causing trends among people. Being aware of a movement such as this helps open societies eyes to how ignorant our culture can sometimes be regarding sex and gender.

Media is one of the main ways that society determines the way gender is viewed in a society. Men and women both have been negatively impacted in our culture through typical stereotypes that are portrayed in our media. Our culture in general is widely exposed due to social media and the internet, so it is important for people to be aware of the changing culture we live in because people are who they are, and people’s preconceived notions of sexuality and gender are keeping us from evolving into a more unified culture. 

By: Shannon Forst