GENDER REPRESENTATIONS IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION: FASHION OR NECESSITY

This paper deals with the problems of gender representation that we define as the re-identification and correction of social and gender roles. The globalisation of all domains of social life encourages development and entrenchment of gender representation practices of a natural biological sex by means of communications technologies. The feminine and the masculine have become transformable characteristics of a modern human. The phenomenon of gender representation crosses the borders of different social groups and becomes a mass phenomenon. Various types of communications technologies and virtualisation of all spheres of social life strongly support trends of gender representation transformations. The process of episodic gender transformations satisfying immediate personal needs actively develops in the global network environment. The global communicative environment strongly simplifies the shift from partial and temporal gender alterations towards permanent transformations of gender. It must be noted that gender representations may be positive or negative. The positive outcomes of gender representations are free gender identification, creative lifestyle, and the ability for quick response for social and cultural changes. The latter must be considered as an extremely flexible adaptive strategy. The negative outcomes of gender representations are the loss of biologically determined gender functions, the growth of mental disorders and deviant behaviours, and the emergence of new marginal social groups that may cause social instability. Therefore, we conclude that in the age of globalisation, humanity faces the dilemma to unify all gender, ethnic, and cultural traits or to leave each person to pursue hers or his individual way of living. (C) 2019 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.UK