Are women and men born or are they made by society’s values and expectations? The terms of sex and gender are often confused or interchanged mistakeably by people and most people think they are the same (Woolfolk and Margets, 2013, p. 4). Sex refers to the biological form of male and female to which you were born with the accompanying internal and external attributes but gender is to reference ‘male’ or ‘masculine’ and ‘female’ or ‘feminine’ qualities as defined by cultural, psychological, social values, attitudes and sexual identity (Bessant and Watts, 2007, p. 212).
Perhaps the question can be answered from a nature –vs- nurture viewpoint. Research by Dr John Money (Bader, 2014) suggested that children are born gender neutral regardless of their biological sex and can be moulded to be either sex until roughly the age of two. Opposition to this is voiced by Dr Milton Diamond who theorised that biological sex is determined during conception and subsequent development and no amount of nurturing can override the body’s biological knowledge of what sex that person is and will be (FTM Australia, 2010). These studies reinforce that a person’s gender and the attribute they display is a result of society and upbringing not the biological sex they were born as. Biological determinists believe that gender and sex are shaped by biology and do not differ regardless of societal interactions and preconceived ideas about gender, and the roles that person should play in society. …show more content…
Determinist’s theory on gender identity is that hormones, chemicals and complex brain message systems are what shapes a person and what they will become (Bessant and Watts 2007, pp. 213-217). One such famous biological determinist was Charles Darwin. To this day his theories are still openly discussed as correct even though people can now chose the sex of their child using I.V.F. processes and alter genes to remove disease or disability, which ultimately changes the persons’ fate and their roles in society as medical science allows people to play God and not biology with each generation born. At the opposite end of the scale are sociological determinists who believe that gender is all about how you are educated, the social groups you belong to, your religion, upbringing and social class regardless of the biological sex you are. Both believe that their theory is correct and the other is incorrect, whereas, both in reality overlap and it is both biology and sociology together that determine a person’s gender instead of just referring to masculine or feminine form. Bessant and Watts (2007, pp. 212-213) states that the ‘rules’ of masculine and feminine roles are based on what society has dictated and continues to dictate as a general notion which in turn has shaped how people believe they are to behave and the qualities they are to possess and display. Traditionally society has state that masculine people have to be good at mechanics and repairs, keep their emotions to themselves, be aggressive, do hard jobs such as policing, have muscles and be strong as well as assertive and protective. In contrast feminine people should be nurturing and supportive, useless at hard tasks such as mechanics, be submissive, stay at home keeping the house clean, raise the children, be emotional as well as being ‘soft’ and understanding. People born as males can be overly feminine as can a female be overly …show more content…
Children are aware of their biological sexual differences from around 6 years of age but gender differences are reinforced by society, family and schools from birth (Cole & Cole, 1993, p.367). Sociocultural factors are more likely to be presented in schools which is where children first learn negative stereotyping, gender bias and discrimination which carries to adulthood and to society (Woolfolk & Margetts, 2013, p. 43). Educators need to be aware of their own biases to ensure they make an effort to reinforce positive gender stereotypes whilst children are learning their values and morals expected of them. With each new generation gender stereotypes and biases are slowly being modified, accepted or removed entirely from most societies and cultures. This again argues that society is the basis for gender identification and making men and women into what society requests they are and not biological
Perhaps the question can be answered from a nature –vs- nurture viewpoint. Research by Dr John Money (Bader, 2014) suggested that children are born gender neutral regardless of their biological sex and can be moulded to be either sex until roughly the age of two. Opposition to this is voiced by Dr Milton Diamond who theorised that biological sex is determined during conception and subsequent development and no amount of nurturing can override the body’s biological knowledge of what sex that person is and will be (FTM Australia, 2010). These studies reinforce that a person’s gender and the attribute they display is a result of society and upbringing not the biological sex they were born as. Biological determinists believe that gender and sex are shaped by biology and do not differ regardless of societal interactions and preconceived ideas about gender, and the roles that person should play in society. …show more content…
Determinist’s theory on gender identity is that hormones, chemicals and complex brain message systems are what shapes a person and what they will become (Bessant and Watts 2007, pp. 213-217). One such famous biological determinist was Charles Darwin. To this day his theories are still openly discussed as correct even though people can now chose the sex of their child using I.V.F. processes and alter genes to remove disease or disability, which ultimately changes the persons’ fate and their roles in society as medical science allows people to play God and not biology with each generation born. At the opposite end of the scale are sociological determinists who believe that gender is all about how you are educated, the social groups you belong to, your religion, upbringing and social class regardless of the biological sex you are. Both believe that their theory is correct and the other is incorrect, whereas, both in reality overlap and it is both biology and sociology together that determine a person’s gender instead of just referring to masculine or feminine form. Bessant and Watts (2007, pp. 212-213) states that the ‘rules’ of masculine and feminine roles are based on what society has dictated and continues to dictate as a general notion which in turn has shaped how people believe they are to behave and the qualities they are to possess and display. Traditionally society has state that masculine people have to be good at mechanics and repairs, keep their emotions to themselves, be aggressive, do hard jobs such as policing, have muscles and be strong as well as assertive and protective. In contrast feminine people should be nurturing and supportive, useless at hard tasks such as mechanics, be submissive, stay at home keeping the house clean, raise the children, be emotional as well as being ‘soft’ and understanding. People born as males can be overly feminine as can a female be overly …show more content…
Children are aware of their biological sexual differences from around 6 years of age but gender differences are reinforced by society, family and schools from birth (Cole & Cole, 1993, p.367). Sociocultural factors are more likely to be presented in schools which is where children first learn negative stereotyping, gender bias and discrimination which carries to adulthood and to society (Woolfolk & Margetts, 2013, p. 43). Educators need to be aware of their own biases to ensure they make an effort to reinforce positive gender stereotypes whilst children are learning their values and morals expected of them. With each new generation gender stereotypes and biases are slowly being modified, accepted or removed entirely from most societies and cultures. This again argues that society is the basis for gender identification and making men and women into what society requests they are and not biological