Is Gender An Arbitrary Social Construct? Is It Just A Label?

[sparkly-crystal]

Society and culture create gender roles, and we are now trying to eradicate them. A person with a dangling dick can be a woman. Should set 'gender roles' even exist?

It's just another arbitrary label we need to reject

It's not arbritary

[hellionthesage]

The notion that gender roles are social is quite honestly absurd. The fact is we have scientificly proven that men and women are different, biologicly, biochemicly, physiologicly, neurologicaly, psycologicly, geneticly different. Thats a lot of things telling us we are different and really the only thing that is telling us we are not (despite our own personal interactions proving everything science has proven) is society. Their is this strange fear in our society that being different is bad ergo one must never ever acknowledge when we are different because it means one is superior the other inferior. This is very much not the case. We are different (transexualims being a perfect example for why this is so (they are raised and socially conditioned to act as one gender yet despite this social construction of a gender identity they FEEL (ie inherint drive) like they are the opposite of what society tells them they are). The genetic similarity between any man or any woman is 99%. But between any man and any woman its only 97% the same percentage as between a human and a chimpanzee. We are different and social aspects of gender (like division of labor) is not informed by society but biology. Society merely plays off of the strengths of the gender establishing roles for both that best fit their biology. Yes their is some deviations between individuals but as a general rule it does work (studies show that women who adhere to traditional gender roles are actually happier then those who don't, most likely due to the thousands of years that have gone into constructing them to best suit them and men).

[amazon-boy]

I'm a man cuz I act like one...

[rose004b]

Your chromosomes determine your gender.

Even if we put biology aside, I thought this was kind of basic. Common sense is not even 'common' these days. I can't really blame the younger generations for being confused though. They have been brainwashed and dumbed down by the media and the stupidity of identity politics.

[amazon-boy]

Sex is determined by two chromosomes, X and Y not gender. Common sense is not even 'common' these days ha

[rose004b]

@amazon-boy I don't' defend the sex vs gender distinction. Bottom line is, if you have Y chromosomes you're a man, if you have X chromosomes you're a woman and your subjective view of yourself doesn't matter.

[sparkly-crystal]

that simply means you don't believe in gender. You should be agreeing with the OP.

[MargaritaPeach]

It's biological and anatomical. But there are not just male and female bodies... there is whole spectrum in between. And a small percentage of people fall into that in-between catagory.

[FauxGirlNikki]

Well put. But I believe everyone falls between that spectrum somewhere. Some just way more noticeable than others. That just being on the gender aspect and not sex. Now days if a guy does something as simple as enjoys baking he's considered somewhat feminine to a degree and there for isn't seen as an ordinary 100% manly man, and I think that's frickin stupid.

[MargaritaPeach]

Agreed! We're all just people. Enjoying and doing things that people do. It's a shame that we put labels and limitations on each other.

[BiscuitesSwag]

The "you should act like this and this because you have a penis/vagina" is a social construct, while your sex is biological, you can't deny what were you born with.

[Redshift]

Genders are biologically determined during pregnancy. Say what you want but unless a genetic defect causes mutation you're either male or female. Evolution/God/Spaghetti monster did not include a third option. Everything else is deviation from the standard. Behaviour is linked to the organism itself. "Manliness" or "femininity" is not just based on the surrounding enviroment. Men are not agressive just because they're told to be. They are built to be. Same with women. Nothing in our bodies is there for no good reason. Evolution however made sure that we can adapt. That means that even if you're built for one purpose you can change. In fact quite fast. Slicing a man's dick off will not make him a woman no matter how close to one looks or feels he is one. For me transgenders are like a car with flat tyre. Sex change is like reworking the car into a tricycle instead of fixing the damn tyre.

[Jersey2]

Well, said, you are what your DNA says you are. An extremely small percent of the people, who are very confused, want to confuse the rest of us. I guess the guy who thinks he is a cat should be now considered a cat... it is nuts.

[AdamThomas]

If a man with a dangling dick can be a woman then this really is a tiger:

c1.staticflickr.com/.../35580398_529e12c2e9_z.jpg

This is progress. Don't be a bigot, it's 2016, you can be whatever you like based on feelings, biology is bullshit.

[ObscuredBeyond]

The spiritually and mentally ill who wish to rebel against their own DNA do not get to decide what is and is not an "arbitrary construct." The DNA code - and its Coder - have already decided what is and is not.

if I set my CSS background to "blanchedalmond," it renders a table in "blanchedalmond." Telling me that the result is "firebrick," and that what I call "blanchedalmond" is arbitrary, is a pointless argument. The code will only render blanchedalmond as blanchedalmond and firebrick and firebrick.

That's not "bigotry," it's truth-by-definition. Then again, those controlled by Satan have always despised the idea of self-evident truth-by-definition. Because it is a power limiter. They define "bigotry" as anything which is a stumbling block to more self-arbitrated power.

[grinning_totem]

"its Coder"

That is hilarious. Why aren't you on Comedy Central?

[ObscuredBeyond]

@grinning_totem : Strings that make up quarks are made of... information. Which implies an informer. The universe runs on laws, implying a lawgiver. A CSS declaration of an HTML colorname assigned value to an elemental attribute is not that much of a stretch of an analogy to make. Consider how much more infinitely complex our own physical essence is than MediaWiki CSS interfacing, and you soon see the folly in saying it happened by itself for no reason.

[grinning_totem]

No I don't. I see that science tests its hypotheses, theism does not.

[Metlahaed]

@grinning_totem Minus the pointless implication of God, he is right about the question at hand. You can call yourself what you want (And it is your DNA which would tempt you to do so in the first place) But the truth is in the Molecules, regardless of what the Molecules have collectively decided upon.

[grinning_totem]

@Metlahaed I don't even want to go into the whole discussion of gender.

As far as I understand, your sex is in the molecules, but gender has a different meaning than merely your biological sex, i. e. "what's down there" etc.

[Metlahaed]

@grinning_totem True, I covered that in my opinion :) I am Atheist so don't worry I understand your plight.

[JRICHARDS1996]

@grinning_totem Gender is based upon sex. The distinction is a false one. Gender only reinforces what is already there.

[Mesonfielde]

>> A person with a dangling dick can be a woman.

Considering that's the example, I'm going with B) on this one. Gender roles are arbitrary nonsense enforced by cultural dogma and peer pressure just like any other religion based on preconditions and misconception, but that doesn't mean wearing makeup suddenly makes you "more womanly". In fact, the concept of gender roles (and stereotypes) is the direct core of ALL sexism.

But that doesn't mean physical sex isn't a thing. Genitals exist for reproduction. And having testicles makes you a man, and having ovaries makes you a woman.

[FakeName123]

So if gender is a social construct why do people think they are born with the wrong sex?

Is it just me seeing the mental gymnastics behind this?

Most importantly though, men and women are biologically different. Physically and psychologically. That includes their brains operating quite differently - something a culture can't influence. Societies gender roles build up on those biological ones existing already and shapes them differently depending on each culture - but the gender roles and certain characteristics are universal worldwide.

[QooLipBite]

If you somehow find a way to deny the fact that men and women are unique and different in their own ways, then you aren't living in reality.

Be rational, get real.

Men and Women COMPLEMENT each other (which effectively means they complete each other). Obviously there has to be differences in order for a puzzle piece to fit together. You can't build a puzzle if all the pieces are the same.

If you are religious, you would know well enough to appreciate that your God has created both genders to be different and unique and to complement and help each other.

[Zamac]

I realized I am not a man nor a woman: I am an alien mechanic lifeform and my social identity is Optimus Prime! I just came out the closet!

You all have to accept me because I was born this way and I finally assumed my real gender is Prime! And this gender is MINE! ALL MINE!!!

I am for diversity, free speech, tolerance and World peace!

But if you don't accept me and my Prime gender you are an evil sick person! Racist! Robophobic! Xenophobic! Fascist! The Earth would be a better place without you!

[Spiorad_Aisce]

I think I would go along with A - In the sense that an individual can adapt to whatever role they want without causing a fundamental disturbance to the balance for example you could have a female breadwinner and a househusband instead of the traditional roles of male breadwinner and housewife but in both cases the house is financially provided for and the house maintained. That is just an extreme example of how swappable the genders are. We can then move on to dual incomes and male/female childcare provider, same sex couples with children etc. On the physical side who cares who is male and who is female, is it vitally important, it should be just a designation we choose for ourselves.

[FauxGirlNikki]

Well put.

[bluenose1872]

Are people really this dumb. A woman with a swinging dick? Ffs. What the fuck do they teach these fannys in school these days. A man's a man and a woman's a woman. It's like saying ice is hot and fire is freezing. Let's just break down all our understandings of life. Let's have fun. I'm a Martian in human form and the earth is flat. Space is just a black cloth with glitter stuck to it and the sun is just a giant shining his torch around. I'm actually a plant and don't need to eat because I'm photosynthetic and in a few weeks I'll grow beautiful lilacs out of the ends of my hair. Fukin fruitloops

[Dandeus]

It's semi-arbitrary.

Biology has an influence on behavior such that various behaviors and traits are more common in males or females, but biology is not uniform, it exists on a spectrum the same way behaviors do, and both males and females share extensive neurological and endocrine systems that are simply configured in different ways.

The binary nature of gender roles - this thing is reserved for males, that's reserved for females - is arbitrary, and in that sense, the labels themselves are arbitrary.

[genericname85]

first there is man and woman. the biological gender or sex. i mean even there are obscurities sometimes but just assume there was no biological "in between". there are clear bioloical differences between men and woman. society emerges from people living together. of course the biological differences have an impact on the evolution of society. the biological differences have evolved to different "gender-roles" that go along with those biological differences.

now we can make the observation that some of the constructed gender roles are somewhat obsolete today. however totally preposterous to assume that gender is an arbitrary social construct of the society. sex was there first. there is a necessity to construct a gender around it cause it is impossible to see both sexes as exactly the same. i´m not talking about inequality. i´m talking about accepting differences that we have to somehow deal with.

[Anonymous]

Sex is real enough.

A construct is just that, something put together out of parts. You could arrange the parts in a number of different stable ways, hence the many variable ways human sexuality has been defined in different cultures.

But a construct is not completely mutable. You can make a house out of bits of wood and you can construct it in any number of different ways but you can't use the material to make a hot air balloon or a chocolate mousse. The elements of human sexuality can be arranged in a number of stable ways but the elements themselves are real and have definite characteristics.

[adollarsworth]

Why would opposite sexes want to go into opposite restrooms. Some things should remain private. I am thinking that instead of have a picture of a man or a woman on the restroom door, there should be a picture of a cock and a vagina on the doors and whichever you currently have is the one you go in. Of course, like what happened just yesterday, some guy had a wig on supposedly identified as a woman and went into the womans restroom. Of course he also brought a mini video recorder and recorded women using the restroom. I kinky, but this is sick and it is where all of this is going.

[TheSpecticularRoss]

Gender is biological, a person's gender is determined by their sex chromosomes. A male has an X and Y, a female has two X chromosomes. Men and women have vast biological differences due to this, even neurologically, and hence psychologically. Yes gender roles should exist, and we should not be afraid to examine how one gender may be superior at certain things over another (which has been proven countless times, sadly leftists and feminazis shut down and attempt to thwart the publication of gender comparison studies.)

[BearsAnswers]

Yes, it's an arbitrary social construct.

In different places in the world, gender norms are different. In some places there is a known third gender. In the same locations, but different times in history, gender norms have been different. Different behaviours, different clothing, different occupations. They change, because society changes, and the construct therefore changes.

If it was inherent it would be static and universal. It is not, and it has never been. So it cannot be inherent.

[SnowTIger3]

Actually, biologically, there are a clear chromosome and physiological distinctions between male and female. Of course gender norms can vary depending on the culture, but to say that male and female are a "social construct" is false. There is literal physical scientific evidence that refutes this ivory tower fairy tale. Even a transsexual born with both a penis and vagina can be determined to be a male or female based on their chromosome and other physiological factors. The human race (homo sapien sapiens) has evolved to have a male gender and a female gender. There is solid biological evidence backing this up.

[BearsAnswers]

You sound like you are confusing sex and gender. Or perhaps gender identity vs gender expression.

A lot of people group four different concepts into one giant bucket and call it 'gender'. Sexual orientation, biological sex, gender expression, and gender identity are all different scales, none of which are binary, and all contribute to what makes a person 'them'.

I do accept that there are hormonal differences in terms of gender identity between 'woman', 'man' and 'genderqueer'. There have been people identifying as 'woman' forever, across all cultures, and hormone balance can play a large part in that. They haven't all be female according to biological sex though, nor have they always been feminine in terms of gender expression. When I talk about gender norms being different, and being a social construct, I generally am talking about gender expression, as that is the part that includes how a person acts, dresses, behaves, and interacts with others. And THAT is built by society.

[SnowTIger3]

You can call yourself whatever you want, and you should be free to do so, but males and females are a real biological-scientific existence. And of course gender norms vary by culture, that is nothing new or enlightening. If you identify as a different gender, that is fine, but it does not change scientific truth.

[FauxGirlNikki]

Touche... said perfectly

[ThisDudeHere]

I say 50/50 in terms of social construct and biology. The way each gender has acted throughout history has changed multiple times in each culture. Men could be barely recognizable from the men half a millennia ago. The same for women.
But then again, some common traits still persist and never go away.

[Anonymous]

Since feminist like to use the "definition" of feminism to define their ideology and ignore all the actually actions of feminism.
Here's the definition of gender.
gen·der /ˈjendər/
noun: gender
1. the state of being male or female (typically used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones).

And since a "definition" is all that we are expected to go by when defining things, it appears that Male and Female are the ONLY genders. Period.
___________
There is masculine and feminine, regardless of what someone wants to call themselves... if you have a dick you're a dude. You may be a feminine dude, or a dude that wishes to be a woman, but a male brain is a male brain. Same goes for females.
So someone calling themselves a "pan fluid space monkey wonder pump-kin" is NOT a gender. No matter how much they force society to pretend it is.

[Metlahaed]

Gender is associated with biological sex, but also depends on cultural differences. It is somewhat arbitrary, and going beyond biological sex is kind of pointless, it is just a way of self-validation that shows how insecure someone is. I don't give a fuck what you think you are. Science is all that matters, and all I know is that a Doctor can't help you if you tell them you are a Cis Overlord Pony Guardian Toaster.

[ThatNiceGuy]

It's definitely not 100% biological or 100% social construct. There's a lot of evidence that supports that hormones, brain structure and instinct affect behaviour. I would not mind a woman having an important job or a man staying home but we need to be careful with where we draw the line.

[Jayded1]

Of course not. It is biology, hormones, brain chemistry. You can see it easily in small children that have not had a chance to be effected by any of that. The people trying to eradicate them are just social justice idiot types with no education, usually young, early university students.