Society and biology play a big part of how we identify ourselves as men and women but one plays a bigger part than the other. Biology plays a role in how we develop anatomically but society plays a role in how we develop psychologically. Society’s influence is a lot stronger on how we identify with our gender. Before a baby is born, the sex is determined; and based off of that sex parents make plans of what they imagine their little tike to be doing once they can walk and talk. They are already designated by two colors, blue and pink.

If you watch children channels such as Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network, during the commercial break, advertisements such as Lego never have little girls in them. The same thing goes for advertisements for Barbie and baby dolls. I can honestly say I have never seen boys in these commercials with the exception of the Ken doll of course. If there were commercials of little boys playing with baby dolls it would most likely cause uproar in the community. Items like Easy Bake Oven are primarily targeted to little girls and Hot Wheels are targeted towards little boys. Can boys not like to bake? Can girls not like to race? Men and women are taught from very young what they are supposed to like.

Society believes that men are supposed to be the bread winners of the home and the women are supposed to be the supporter and homemaker. Men are supposed to be masculine and women feminine. In the dictionary feminine is defined as being “of or suitable for women, having qualities or appearance considered characteristic of a woman” and masculine is defined as being “of or like or suitable for men, having the qualities or appearance considered characteristic of a man”. Men are expected to be aggressive, active, competitive, strong, etc. Women are expected to be gentle, loving, nurturing, sweet, soft spoken, etc. This definitely does not come from biology.

A lot of people say that the characteristics of a woman and man come from the hormones that are present in their bodies. Truth be told, both men and women have estrogen and testosterone obviously women have lesser levels of testosterone and men lesser levels of estrogen so it is not biology. Traditionally society has the notion that men are the hunters and women the preparers of the hunt which is where the term “bringing home the bacon” comes from.

It could not be biology that influences our gender identity, because if so how do you explain men who are not aggressive or active and are soft spoken and gentle? I was once a tom boy who loved to play sports-still do- and watch basketball games. I was always told by my mother that playing sports was a “boy thing” and on many occasions she told me to be a girl. I always had a huge problem with playing with Barbie in fact, I really hated Barbie and I really I mean really hated pink! But this is what was expected of me. After years of forcing me into dresses and giving me makeup lessons my feminine side appeared but I still have a little tom boy left in me. The point I’m trying to make here is when children are born they don’t know the difference between A or B they are taught that A is different from B because knowledge comes from experience.

Society sets out a blueprint if you may, of what a boy is and what a girl is, biology just takes care of the physical traits. When a boy cries he is told to toughen up but when a girl cries she is held and consoled biology is not the one telling the little boy to toughen up nor is it consoling the little girl. Society’s need to distinguish men from women has given way to sexism; and the only way to end it is to let everyone choose what they want and what they’re interested in without influence. You’d be surprised at how many little boys would want to play with dolls if they knew they wouldn’t be judged.

Until next time