Post-Humanism and Its Impact on Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Post-Humanism and Its Impact on Gender - Essay Example The concept of post humanism has influenced the social cultural perception on gender as illustrated by images and films in the media such as Avatar which portrays the male fantasy of being a post-humanistic and superior being. Additionally, many debates have surrounded the application of technology to provide superior qualities within the human form. Various theorists in the social and human sciences have given diverse opinions on the implications of post humanism on the issue of gender and culture. Additionally, forms of post-humanism such as creation of cyborgs have created issues which cause heated debates within the society. Both factual scientific information and opinions of various theorists contribute to the current attitudes on the concept of post-humanism. Theorists such as Donna Haraway, Katherine Hayles and Michel Foucault have contributed significantly to the modern developments in science and technology within the post-humanism era and their implication on the perception of the society on gender roles. This paper discusses the issues surrounding post-humanism with illustrations from various theorists on how the use of science and technology in addition to the creation of cyborgs has impacted the social cultural perception on gender. The paper also gives an analytical discussion of the characteristics of the post-human and the social ethical implications of post-humanism to social issues that are related to gender such as race and sexuality. Post-humanism and the Media Post-humanism is described as the use of technology and science to facilitate the improvement of human nature which includes enhancement of physical strength, intelligence, hearing and vision and even speed. The term post-humanism also includes the visual fantasies and illusions that are depicted in the new media through various programs and science-fiction movies (Hird 223). Media communications glorify a super human nature and this has led to the development of attitudes within the society about post-humanism. The media is portraying that the current form of human nature is not special. Moreover, the use of technology and science to improve cultures, social systems and the human form is the common image that is demonstrated by the modern media and social networking. The need for increment of the human lifespan and the improvement of the mental abilities are admirable concepts within the post-humanism concept that are examples of fantasies within the media (Rosi 212). Science-fiction has been presented via the media through illustration of cyborgs with super human abilities. Some of these cyborgs have been gendered and sexualized which has led to debates between feminists and their opponents. For example, cyborgs have been presented through media communication which illustrates superior physical and mental abilities which are linked to the male form. As a result gender issues have been raised because feminist ideas reflect that the society is still linking the female gender to the old attitudes that women are weaker than their male counterparts both in the mental and physical dimensions and thus are associated with domestic roles (Lewis 49). The connection of cybernetics to the feminist ideologies is presented in the form of the use of technology in executing tasks such as cooking which were traditionally considered to be feminine roles. Negative implications of cybernetics have also been observed especially in the violation of the integrity of human being through the bodily transformations. Cyborg is described as a hybrid figure which is a product of combining the features of an organism with that of a machine. The social reality of cyborgs and the