Gender Essay, Research Paper

The term gender can be defined as the characteristics by which people determine if their classification is to be male or female. Gender role expectations are things that a society deems normal and acceptable behavior, attitudes, and desires for a person. The question as to weather or not society influences the gender of a person or if it is an innate tendency. This age old nature versus nurture question has been answered by science many times for many years. I came across an article in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine published in 1997. The article told of how a child if born male but with rudimentary development of his sex organs can easily be transitioned into a “female” person. Sometimes it can happen with out the knowledge of the parents or anyone else in society including the child. It told how children with an especially underdeveloped penis would not have large enough levels of testosterone during puberty to change his “female appearance” if that is how the child was reared. This and many other such articles provide strong support that conventional patterns of masculine and feminine behavior can be altered. The text discussed the fact that in certain societies depending on the mindset of its people and the nature of their economy there may or may not be a huge gap in gender roles. In western countries gender roles are constantly being challenged. There are stay at home dads, male receptionist, female doctors and judges.

Genes refer to our basic unit of heredity. In the chapter it is stated that everything social and psychological is ultimately biological. As it pertains to gender roles it draws our attention to facts like the differences in our average height and body mass. My interpretation of this part of our chapter is that , because males have taken on the role of warrior and provider for so many thousands of years, our genes have adapted to our social roles.

Culture is the lasting behavior , ideas, and attitudes share by the masses of a society. In our society when are petit and dainty and male are big and strong. The book gave the example of a tall woman and a shorter man as an uncommon event. This is because males may feel that their dominance is challenged if he is not visibly able to “control” his female partner. This example spills over into many other aspects of our relationships. A man who is timid and is partnered with a loud and fearless woman may be perceived in our culture as less of a man. A woman whose income overshadows that of her male partners is a threat to most men. In our culture wealth is power and if your woman has more of this “power” than he may feel or be perceived as less of a man.

Conformity as it relates to social psychology is a change in behavior or a belief as a result of a real or imagined pressure imposed by one or many people. Women during their adolescence are often the victim of conformity. Males in their younger childhood are also plagued by this phenomenon. Young women who have climbed trees, played ball, and hung out with her dad all her life is suddenly being encouraged to help mom in the kitchen, talk softer, don’t be so rough etc. Young boys have no knowledge of what they are expected to be and as a result are often drawn to the Barbie house, the easy bake oven etc. It is fun at that’s all he cares about. Sometime kids will have a play date and the mothers sit around and talk. The look of horror or embarrassment on a mothers face is almost indescribable. This is also about conformity. The mother is afraid that her friends will perceive her as a mother who is raising a “sissy”. In the privacy of her home she probably would not react in that way.