I could not figure out whether one of my University students was a boy or a girl today. I am going to call her a "she" because she was cute and had a higher voice, although in an androgynous way. Not that I minded--it only started to bother me when we did an activity where the students paired up, interviewed, then introduced each other, and I wondered what pronoun her speaking partner would use. Several of my students had already stumbled on the "he/she" difference, but her speaking partner was one of the students with a better grasp of the language. Although he hesitated only slightly (where only the more careful listener would detect), he began with "he" and ran with it. In hindsight, I think he did very well. Perhaps in choosing "he" there may be less risk of offense. A girl who chooses to be androgynous would probably not mind, and a guy who chooses to...well, would be a guy anyway. I don't know if it would work as well the other way around.
It got me thinking, though...I suppose androgyny has become more of the norm through the decade, but what implications does it have on the culture, on society? Or is androgyny an implication of something else? Is there confusion about gender roles? When did men stop becoming men and women stop becoming women?
Anyway, just some thoughts. Not that I don't have my own "opinion" on the issue, but thought I'd put it out there.
I still love my students, boy or girl or not. :)
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