The Social Construction of Gender Behavior Essay

Summary: The excerpt “The Gender Blur” from the book “Sex on the Brain,” written in first person by Deborah Blum, a science writer, in 1998, explains the sex difference and behavior that a person goes through on a daily basis. She also explains how their childhood may affect their adulthood. Blum states that “[s]ex differences are always generalizations: They refer to a behavior, with some evolutionary rationale behind it. They never define entirely, an individual. And that fact alone should tell us that there’s always—even in the most biologically dominated traits—some flexibility, an instinctive ability to respond, for better and worse, to the world around us” (240). Just because a person acts a certain way one day, does not mean they will

Gender or sex roles are the expected patterns of behavior assumed to follow from a person's sex. Gender roles are not natural. They are formed by and vary within society, culture, geographic location, politics and time. There is a strong relationship between the social construction of gender and compulsory heterosexuality. People are programmed into certain gender roles and social categories through socialization and interaction with others.

Our gender has an effect on every aspect of our lives, varying from how we view ourselves and other people to how we interact in social and civic life. It also impacts the way we set our goals in opportunity areas such as education, work, and recreation. Gender socialization starts at birth then manifests through family, education, peer groups, and mass media. Gender norms are automatically placed on us, where women should learn how to be nurturing, sensitive, emotional, passive, and always hold a man’s position higher than hers. On the other hand men should be overly confident, aggressive, dominant, and view women beneath them. This paper uses various readings to show how these gender norms are supported and challenged in today’s society.

Sociologists reject the idea that behavioural differences between men and women are biologically determined. Outline the key grounds for this rejection and discuss what this means for a sociological understanding of gender.

In his opening statements to the essay “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender,” author Aaron H. Devor argues that: as individuals grow up, their society, such as North America, conforms their gender identities to act in a way to fit the social norm and affects these genders roles by leading to a societal power imbalance among the gender roles (Devor 44). Devor found many experiments regarding young children and their thought process about gender. He states that young children develop intelligence to fit gender and gender identities “appropriately” based on their society. He says that during this, children also are discovering their own gender habits (Devor 44). Devor near the end of his essay argues the ideology

The way society is taught to be socialized is salient and goes unnoticed, therefore it is valid to claim that gender is socially constructed through our everyday practices, whether we are aware of the construction or not. With socialization beginning the instant a child is born, the process is continuous through out adolescence and varies dramatically across the two genders. With guidance from institutions and arenas such as education, sports, music and the mass media gender seems to be coerced, as it comes with a scripted set of behaviors and attitudes. This essay argues that gender is socially constructed on an everyday basis. To further explain this thesis the essay will draw on early childhood socialization of masculinity and femininity,

I agree completely with Blum. Specifically, I appreciate the way that she describes gender-specific behaviors as "faint signals" that get "amplified" by the socialization process and to our being born with "predispositions" toward gender-specific behavioral norms. Both experimental animal studies and human observational studies seem to support the view that there inherent differences in behavior between the genders, some of which are apparently even apparent before birth, such as in the relative activity levels of male and female fetuses. Usually, societal influence and the entire socialization process at home and in the community outside the home strongly reinforce the same gender-specific norms that correspond to those differences that are attributable to biology. I know that as a child, I was always presented with gender-appropriate toys and that when my parents and teachers discussed topics such as what I wanted to be when I grew up, they always adhered closely to gender-specific norms in my society.

In the article, “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meaning of Gender,” the author, Aaron Devor, is trying to convince his audience that gender shapes how we behave and relate to one another. He does this by using an educational approach, describing gender stereotypes, and making cultural references. These rhetorical devices serve his larger goal of getting readers to reflect on how their childhoods formed their genders. “Maleness and femaleness seem “natural,” not the product of socialization.” (Devor 527) Throughout his article, he makes us wonder whether or not gender is recognized through socializing.

The Effects of Gender Roles and Gender Identity on Behaviour Gender is a psychological term, which refers to our awareness and reaction to biological sex. It is also a fundamental part of our learning concept. Gender is influenced by many things, which include: Biological Influences = == ==

The social approach views gender as a social construction and states that “gender shapes and is shaped by social interaction” (Correll, Thebaud, Benard, 2007, p.1). It also views gender as an institutionalized system that puts people in two different categories: men and women, and organized relations of inequality based on these differences (Correll et al., 2007; Ferree, Lorber & Hess, 1999). Moreover, the social approach views gender as a product of cultural ideals about femininity and masculinity (Rudman & Click, 2008). This approach states that gender builds on the biological categories of female and male, but social constructionists tend to believe that biological sex differences affect only a limited number of physical traits (e.g., size, genitalia, and facial hair) and that psychological differences between the sexes are culturally created (Rudman & Glick, 2008).

Gender socialization and gender roles have always existed in society. When analyzing gender roles, they are not always equal or consistent when comparing cultures, however, the expectations of females and males are often times clearly defined with a little to no common area. The Japanese culture is an example of the defined gender roles that change over time. According to Schafer (2010), because “gender roles are society’s expectations of the proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females”, they must be taught (p.357). These roles define how females and males are viewed in society, their household, and workplace. When examining gender socialization in the Japanese culture, it is important to analyze how gender roles are

and its definition in society. They bring forth the idea that gender is a result of actions and

Society has clearly defined boundaries between what is considered to be male or female. The development of an individual’s gender role is formed by interactions with those in close proximity. Society constantly tells us how we should look, act and live based on gender. Family, friends and the media have a tremendous impact on how these roles are formed and the expected behavior of each gender role.

As evident from the generalized patterns found in differences in behaviour and outlook observed between the sexes, it may be tempting, as has been done in the past, to conclude that gender is an unavoidable aspect of human existence as determined purely from one 's genes. Indeed, human physiology is subject to sexual dimorphism; statistically significant differences in brain size and rate of maturation of specific substructures in the brain exist between males and females (Giedd, Castellanos, Rajapakese, Vaituzis, & Rapoport, 1997), yet these physical differences fail to explain how individuals form their concept of their own gender, and why they tend to conform to their perceived gender roles as defined by the society in which they live, when these roles are ever-changing. Thus, it is important to differentiate between the physical and nonphysical traits, and how the labels of femininity and masculinity should not confuse the two aspects. As defined by Unger (1979), “sex” would be used to refer to the biological differences in males and females, while “gender” describes socioculturally determined, nonphysiological traits which are arbitrarily designated as being appropriate for either females or males. With more recent awareness and interest in matters of gender nonconformity and individual gender identity, new research now explains how these concepts of gender are shaped by social influences (Perry

The textbook identifies four approaches to gender development: biological, interpersonal, cultural, and critical. Define each theory. Then answer the following question: which of the theoretical approaches to gender do you find the most valid? Be sure to include at least two examples from your own experience as well as two scholarly sources to back up your claim.