Men Vs. Women

Essay by chucky_meCollege, UndergraduateB+, January 2008

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Society as a whole has yet to diminish the notion that males and females come from different planets. Women are the nurturers, while males are the protectors. Men are sexually promiscuous, while women are more selective and prudent in terms of whom they sleep with. Men are strong and women are weak. The list goes on and on. Despite the fact that men and women are indeed from the same planet, planet Earth, these differences are still a reality, to a certain extent. Laypeople and scientists alike have been trying for years to figure out whether the theory of nature or nurture is the reasoning behind these gender differences. The problem with choosing one over the other is that they both have valid points.

Biological determinism, or the theory of nature, argues that genetics are the main determinant in differences between the sexes. It is the idea that humans are predisposed to inherit certain genes that will inevitably make them the person they were meant to be.

Traits such as the type of music someone listens to, a person's inclination toward introversion, or even someone's sexual preference can be attributed to genetics.

On the other end of the spectrum there are those that believe very strongly in the theory of differential socialization, also known as nurture. In The Gendered Society author Michael S. Kimmel explains that men and women display gender differences because "[f]rom the moment of birth, males and females are treated differently". He later adds "[w]e are not necessarily born different; we become different through this process of socialization" (Kimmel, P. 3). In the eyes of a social determinist, if a person displays certain traits it can be attributed to some sort of social phenomena such as cultural expectations, education, or interpersonal relationships. If the theory of...