Biology is a science and the questions are if women and men are predetermined by this science and if it has an impact on people's behaviours. This questions are difficult to argue about because we do not have the right answer and everyone has a subjective point of view. It appears mostly as a philosophical debate. The science itself researches concrete facts trying to understand the reflection on knowledge and conscientiousness in achievements of sciences.
First of all, we have to make the difference between sex and gender. Biological sex includes physical attributes such as sex chromosomes, hormones and internal reproductive structures and external genitalia. This is what identify individuals as male or female at birth. Gender has much more complex meaning for It explains along with one's physical characteristics the complex interrelationship between those traits and one's internal sense of self as male, female, both or neither as well one's outward presentations and behaviours related to that perception.
Focusing on sex features, several studies have proven that there are expressed differences between males and females programmed within the DNA from the moment of conception. According to researches at child stage the physical and biological differences between a boy and a girl is not clearly exposed. The divergences between both becomes bigger at puberty, or, more precisely at the sexual maturation step after which a boy becomes a man, and a girl becomes a woman. Some physical variations between the male and female starts to develop at this early stage because of sex hormones. Boys produce testosterones which shape their psychology, they become taller as well their voices break and their beard starts growing. Another horm...
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...ly such programme suffer a lots of controversy and opposition from fearing that this will shake the traditional family values.
Conclusion
The development of biology and genetics in the end of last century showed an interest in studying the diversity among Humans in distinctive societies and cultures. The question arose under another form : could we talk about a « Human being Nature », or he a mixture of everything which is innate in man entirely transformed by education and culture ? Neither Nature or Nurture would be enough to determine one's person understanding of being men or women.
Works Cited
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sex/articles/brain_sex.shtml www.scientistiamerican.com http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/opinion/sunday/the-tangle-of-the-sexes.html?_r=0
http://www.livescience.com/33513-men-vs-women-our-physical-differences-explained.html
There are many different facets to the nature versus nurture argument that has been going on for decades. One of these, the influence of nature and nurture on gender roles and behaviors, is argued well by both Deborah Blum and Aaron Devor, both of whom believe that society plays a large role in determining gender. I, however, have a tendency to agree with Blum that biology and society both share responsibility for these behaviors. The real question is not whether gender expression is a result of nature or nurture, but how much of a role each of these plays.
Gender is not about the biological differences between men and women but rather the behavioral, cultural and psychological traits typically associated with one sex. Gender is socially constructed meaning it 's culturally specific, it 's learned and shared through gender socialization. What it means to be a woman or man is going to differ based on the culture, geographical location, and time. What it meant to be a woman in the US in the 19th century is different than what it means to be a woman in the 21st century. As cultures evolve over time so are the ideals of what it means to be man or woman.
Sex is the biological composition of either a male or female. For example, females have XX chromosomes in their DNA; their reproduction system consists of an egg and a vagina, and they also have functional breasts. Males, on the other hand, have XY chromosomes in their DNA; their reproductive system consists of sperm, testes, and a penis. Gender is the array of characteristics that distinguish a male from female and according to their attributes. However, there are some people whose sexual organs are imperfect, according to the roles of gender and sex, an example are hermaphrodites, because they have both a male and female’s sexual organs. Hermaphrodites tend to stay in the middle, grayish area between a male and a female. Society uses binaries to classify a male as men, with masculine traits, and a female as women who have feminine traits. Masculine traits are the roughness, muscles, broad shoulders, and deep voice men, or women, can possess. On the other hand, feminine traits include the long hair, soft skin, angelic glow and soft voice that either a women or men can own.
Darwin's theory of sexual selection is an intriguing one because it offers an explanation of human striving and cultural value systems. The theory is that humans who are more sexually desirable will have more offspring and thus their traits will be passed on to future generations to a greater extent than those of less sexually desirable humans. As opposed to Darwin's other theory, natural selection, those who are the best adapted to their environment will be more likely to pass on their genes, or, "survival of the fittest", you might call sexual selection "survival of the sexiest." The theory is intended to in part explain why, when humans diverged from other primates, the human brain tripled in size in just two million years. At first glance, this theory also seems to explain much of the motivation behind human culture and achievement. Upon closer inspection, there are some fairly conspicuous problems with it, especially when it is extended to describe not only human evolution in the distant past but it the present, but it may still be the most plausible explanation available to explain why humans mental capacities have expanded so far beyond those of our primate relatives.
Gender refers to psychological and emotional characteristics that cause people to assume, masculine, feminine or androgynous (having a combination of both feminine and masculine traits) roles. Your gender is learned and socially reinforced by others, as well as by your life experiences and g...
Introduction The topic of gender differences must understandably be approached with caution in our modern world. Emotionally charged and fraught with ideas about political correctness, gender can be a difficult subject to address, particularly when discussed in correlation to behavior and social behavior. Throughout history, many people have strove to understand what makes men and women different. Until the modern era, this topic was generally left up to religious leaders and philosophers to discuss. However, with the acquisition of more specialized medical knowledge of human physiology and the advent of anthropology, we now know a great deal more about gender differences than at any other point in history.
Human sexuality is a topic that has been taboo for many centuries. The orgasm, for example, is one aspect of sexuality that has been overlooked. In particular, the female orgasm is an important function to address because it's a subject that has been socially steeped in silence and shame, and is directly connected to female health in general. Not many people are willing to admit, that orgasms actually benefit a woman physically and psychologically in many ways (i.e. easing menstrual cramps to alleviate stress). One mystery about the female orgasm is why some women "fake" orgasms during sexual activity. One thing that is for sure, is that even though the male orgasm is reached quicker, the female orgasm is capable of repeated pleasure. Why do so many women have difficulty experiencing an orgasm and why do men climax so fast? Interestingly enough, most women will confess that their partners do not give them orgasm. Instead, they allow themselves to have orgasms. Not only that, but they can have a variety of different types of orgasms at the same time. (i.e. clitoral orgasms, G-spot orgasms, vaginal orgasms, ejaculatory orgasms, blended orgasms, etc). Men will comment for example, that the scent of a woman is what drives them crazy during sexual activity and makes them unable to hold the sensation for long. So do women have more control over physical pleasure in the brain than men? How do sexual problems happen in the brain?
Gender identity has been a delicate issue when it comes to determining if a person's gender is set at birth or develops and changes as a person ages. A person’s gender is not as simple as being classified as either male or female. There’s a considerable amount of external factors that can influence someone's identity. Although society has a major role in gender identity, sex assignment at birth is not final; furthermore, a person's gender can be influenced by psychological, physiological differences and undergoing changes to the human body.
In the article Of Genes and Gender, “recent research has established a doubt that males and females are born with a different set of “instructions” built into their genetic code” (Kimmel 27). Over time, there has been a debate between nature vs nurture. Gender is a social construction of sex, and nature is based on biology. Dr. John states that gender identity is started during the first three years of a child’s life. In 1987, West and Zimmerman explained gender as a “recurring accomplishment.”
Biological sex is our catalyst, our starting point. For the first six weeks in the womb we are all the same. We are neither male nor female. From this stage we change and chromosomes that determine our sex form as XX for females and XY for males. Hormones are produced and stimulate the development of a reproductive system, which for a male is a penis and for females is a vagina. Men produce a hormone called testosterone from their testes while women produce estrogen and progesterone from their ovaries. The female reproductive system is mainly internal and provides the ability to give birth. Female are commonly believed to be sensitive and nurturing because of the continuous hormonal changes happening within the female body such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Men are commonly known for their physical strength, power and aggression. Whi...
In order to grasp the concept of social construction of gender, it is essential to understand the difference between sex and gender. Biologically, there are only two reproductive genital organs that are determinants of sex: the vagina and the penis. Sex is established solely through biological structures; in other words, genitalia are the basis of sex. Once a sex category is determined, gender, a human categorization socially attached to sex, is assigned based on anatomy. Gender typically references social or cultural differen...
There is no doubt that men and women are influenced by biological factors. The question is are gender roles based on nature, nurture or both? When discussing human sexuality, drives and desires hormones play a substantial role in our behaviors. The physiological differences externally in males and females are obvious. For example, when aroused, males become erect, whereas females become lubricated instead of a clitoral erection. In the article, “Biological Aspects of Sexual Orientation and Identity” Milton Diamond Ph.D. claims “These differences obviously pertain to copulation, but many other mechanisms exist that are less related to coitus but very much related to sexual expression and childbearing. Muscle mass, body and skeletal articulation, enzyme and endocrine production, and other physiological features and reflexes are additional distinctions. The endocrine system of males is relatively tonic in operation, while the female system is basically cyclic during the reproductive years.” Some of these biological factors are thought to shape gender differences due to hormones and brain function. According to “Biological Theories of Gender” Saul McLeod claims that, “The biological approach suggests that there is no distinction between sex and gender, thus biological sex creates gendered behavior.” This theory
Sex and gender are terms that are mixed up from day to day and seen as similarities rather than differences. Sex is what distinguishes people from being either male or female. It is the natural or biological variations between males and females (Browne, 1998). Some of these variations are genitals, body hair and internal and external organs. It is the make-up of chromosomes, men have one X and one Y chromosome and women have two X chromosomes, these are responsible for primary characteristics (Fulcher and Scott, 2003). Gender on the other hand refers to the sociological differences between male and female. This is teaching males and females to behave in various ways due to socialisation (Browne, 1998). Example: masculinity and femininity. Girls are supposed to show their femininity by being non-competitive, sensitive, dependent, attractive and placid. If and when some girls don’t succeed in keeping this image they will be referred to as a tomboy. On the other hand, boys show their masculinity through aggression, physical strength...
Boys and girls try to be similar to those of the same gender. In this way it is determined by specific cultural norms, traditions. Every individual knows and uses information “set” about the personal characteristics of women and men, patterns of behaviour, and the peculiarities of
Most of today’s theorists and scientists have a different perception of determining whether or not gender can be based on biological factors, or evolutionary factors. Gender determination involving humans can be identified by evaluating male and female chromosomes. Theorist of Penn State (2005) contains that chromosomes is a combination of instructions used to produce organism. As previously stated, the male chromosomes consist of X and Y. These two chromosomes are responsible for creating male gender and their ability to produce sperm. The female egg consists of double XX chromosome. Based on this theory, the X chromosomes carry a more dominant instruction manual than the Y chromosome.