Mocking Gender, Defending Norms: Everyday Resistance and the Social Construction of Gender in Bangladesh

Mocking Gender, Defending Norms: Everyday Resistance and the Social Construction of Gender in Bangladesh Jubayer Hossain* Abstract Everyday acts of naming can become moments of confrontation with power. In Bangladeshi society, being addressed with a gendered term that does not align with one’s socially recognized identity such as calling a man apa (sister), a woman bhaiya (brother), or using terms associated with third gender identities or homosexuality like hijra or gay often provokes discomfort, laughter, or hostility. These interactions are not merely instances of humor or insult; they expose how gendered hierarchies are actively defended in ordinary social life. This study examines how people respond to such gendered and queer-associated labeling and what these reactions shows us about the social construction of gender and the everyday operation of power. Drawing on social constructionist, symbolic interactionist, and feminist perspectives, and employing an ethnomethodological approach, the research analyzes naturally occurring interactions in informal public spaces such as tea stalls, informal gatherings, and university campuses, followed by informal conversations to understand participants’ interpretations of these encounters. Preliminary findings suggest that male participants frequently react strongly when labeled with feminine or queer-associated terms, showing the close connection between masculinity, social status, and the fear of feminization or marginalization. Female participants, in contrast, sometimes interpret masculine labeling as complimentary, while labels associated with third gender identities or homosexuality generate the most intense negative reactions, pointing to deeply entrenched stigma. These reactions demonstrate how dominant gender norms resist perceived disruption and how ordinary language functions as a mechanism of gender policing. By focusing on mundane interactions, the study highlights these small forms of resistance influences gendered power relations through which power is reproduced and contested, contributing to resistance studies by foregrounding norm enforcement and resistance in everyday social relations.