Gender Seen Through The Film "Sex And Social Dance" Plus Lecture Notes

"Gender is culturally defined, not strictly biologically determined. How males and females perceive and define themselves and each other, what it means to be a woman or a man, what roles are seen as appropriate for men and women-- these and many other dimensions are femaleness and maleness are learned during socialization rather than fixed at birth" (Bailey, Garrick, Peoples, James, pg. 148). In the film Sex and Social Dance this emergence of culturally defined gender is clearly seen. Between the three cultures, American, Cook Islanders, and the people of Morocco, the construction of gender varies from loose to strict. From the way dance is thought of, to who leads, to where dancing takes place, the ideas about males and females are shown just through dance.

In the American society shown from the time when the movie was made, was based on a fairly conservative from of gender construction. The dance chosen to represent the American culture being the Ballroom dance, which is defined as a social dance, mainly practiced, in times ago, by the wealthy. A romanticized idea about this dance was created by the movies, people thought that you could go to the ballroom, and you would find your mate for life just across the room, and you would be in a world where magic could happen. In reality, this is a dance where there are clearly defined roles. From man, woman to boy, girl, all ages alike. It is the woman's job to get our of the man's way while on the dance floor. The man leads and takes control of the situation. From a young age, boys learn that this is the grounds on which they should behave for the rest of their lives. From finding a date, to introducing her to others, the boys are ingrained with the idea that it is culturally expected that they will be heterosexual, they will have a mate for life, and there is no variance from this. They also learn to be nimble and think straight while keeping rhythm, while the girl has the harder steps. In this view of the American culture, we get the idea that maleness is based on independence, whereas femaleness is based on dependence on the male, through dance and ideas that are thrown out. In the film a change can eventually been seen through the time of the sexual revolution in the 60's, but in whole the woman's gender identity is based on the mans role and rhythm.

Within the Cook Island society gender is based on largely loose construction. The dance chosen to represent the islanders is a form of Polynesian drum and beat dance which is based mainly on the group. Each sex works together to form a sort of fast paced bond with the music. Like the American's, parents teach their children at an early age how to dance, they teach them to "wiggle their bums". The men of this dance move rapidly with their legs apart, a form of warrior training, whereas the women move rapidly, but with more of a flow and grace to their movement. Fathers of boys want their sons to dance as men so that socially, they are identified as males which is not only decided by the way the son looks, but the way he dances and acts in public. The woman have a strong role in finding their own mate, giving them the sexual control. While dancing, they beckon to whomever they want and tease that partner by never touching him, but coming close. In this view of the Cook Island culture, it is seen through dance that society is based more on the individual and group rather than the couple, and that men and women are viewed equally, both having influential and powerful roles in their own society and lives.

The most strictly constructed gender identity seen in the film is that of the Moroccan society. Here, men do have the power, sexual, monetary, and resources. Dancing for women takes place within their own homes, surrounded by only other women. Once a woman is married, a husband will not tolerate his wife dancing in the presence of other men, they don't want their wives to be fantasized about by anyone but themselves. This is also why it is important in their culture that women cover up and hide their faces, the sexes live within two different world. For girls and women, the honor of their families and husband is placed upon them, just like the honor/shame society of the Mediterranean, a man's image is linked to the woman. This, in a way, gives power to a woman, but in order for her to keep the honor in her family, she must live up to the role of virginity and virtue. Men feel that women are explosive sexual beings that they must control, thus "this construction of masculinity includes notion that control over female sexuality is central" (Baxter, Diane, Lecture Week Four). Even within families, women are kept inside because men and fathers know that women have the power to drive a man crazy. During the time of maturing for women, they are taught dance

Sex and Social Dance Notes:

The most popular dance form in the United States was the ballroom dance. People would go to the ballroom thinking they were going to get swept off their feet. This is about the male and the female together in their own perfect world, and this is the fantasy Americans have about the way things should be. In the movies, there is something chemical that has happened, it is not much work, and it poses as an image that it's instantaneous, you see a stranger from across the room, and it's magical. One can see ones other half from across the room. In real life the perfect dance with the perfect mate is not as easy as it is in the movies, people learn to dance before their wedding, and other occasions. They would feel awkward on the dance floor if they hadn't. It's a way of following the rules, the steps exist outside of the people, there is a right way of doing it, and a wrong way. There are very clearly defined roles, man woman, boy girl. It's the woman's responsibility to get out of the man's way, it's movement in relationship with another person, you can't do it if you don't know what the other is thinking or what they are going to do. Couple dancing started with the waltz, they danced face to face in each others arms. People thought that it should be banned. You could only do this with the proper people, of the proper class, and field. Young children get a taste of what life should be like at young age, it teaches them how to interact with children of the opposite sex. The boy has to be nimble, have to be able to think straight, know what to do next, the girls have harder steps, but the boy has to keep the rhythm. If everything is all the same, it feels "wonderful", training children in formal dancing teaches children to be heterosexual, to find a partner for life, and to keep that. For many people, dancing is a reaffirmation of the way things should be.

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