Is gender a meaningless construct?

[Derekk]

There's a lot to unpack with it. For one thing, gender doesn't reduce to a simple declaration for those who experience it. There's a lot of debate about the source of gender identity: does it come from some innate pre-cognitive apparatus that we don't understand yet? Is it formed through a complex interrelationship between the person and their broader social context? Is it a mix? Something doesn't need to be attached to biological reality for it to have explanatory value. For instance, there's little evidence that the "Big 5" personality metrics or other psychological schemas have direct correspondence to functions of the brain, and yet they serve a purpose. If I told you that I'm high on "open to experience", that likely tells you something about me, even if it's artificially constructed.

The argument that gender boils down to declaration comes from a naive misunderstanding of what gender is usually taken to mean, and sometimes it's used as a rhetorical argument to claim that "soon we'll be able to say that we're horses or helicopters". You CAN say that you identify as a horse if you'd like, but nobody will understand it or take you seriously because there's no framework for understanding "horse identity" that captures the experience of other "horse identified people".

[JSmuve]

I suppose that depends on how one defines "gender". If one defines it as being the same as biological sex with male and female, then no it's not meaningless. If, on the other hand, one says that gender is a self-declaration based on nothing more than how one sees themselves, which is the unfortunate path society seems to want to walk down, then yes, it's a meaningless construct. If we're defining ourselves based on nothing more than self-perception and personality, then "gender" becomes this nebulous idea that has so many possibilities that they cannot all be defined and differentiated from each other by the casual observer, rendering the whole concept as being impractical.

[OlderAndWiser]

Is your question just a construct and therefore meaningless? This seems to have been covered at a recent seminar attended by the "let's change society" crowd. If you want to challenge something, just call it a meaningless construct and then you can ignore it.

Is gender meaningless? Hell, no! Not if you're heterosexual!

[hellionthesagereborn]

Well its not a declaration, its quantifiable and measurable (and has been measured and extensively studied). What the left is doing isn't reality, its cultural destruction. By removing the rules they think they can reinstate their own. That is why they alter definitions regularly.

Racism originally was believing in the innate superiority or inferiority of a group of people based upon race. So the left changed it into a power dynamic unrelated to race and which allows some to be racist (by original definition) and others not. This takes away the power of the word racist as its applicable only one way (i. e. its a academic version of the phrase "I'm rubber your glue what ever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you").

They changed the definition of marriage from a reproductive contract between a man and a woman (hence it requiring consumation and a legallyl binding contract to exchange goods and services indefinitly between the two participants) and they changed it into being about "love" making the instutition of marriage effectively meaningless (you can enter and exist at whim, its purpose has no longer been about reproduction and creating a stable enviroment for children thus allowing for the break down of the family unit (something they have been championing from the begining (they wish to replace the family structure with the government).

They now do it with gender to destroy gender roles in an attempt to try and turn us all into replaceable cogs in a machine, to destroy the family structure, to create a larger working class that also is not their to raise their young so that we become dependent on the government to do it for us (hence them pushing for public schooling and being against school choice. It allows them to raise and indoctrinate children into their ideology without the parents knowledge or consent.

This is what they do, they do it in every nation socialist try to subvert and break the system in order to "reset the bones" of society into one they find most appealing (it fails every time, but like an angel of death (the serial killer) they are drunk on the power of it so they keep trying to the detriment of every one else.

[Kaazsz]

No. They will tell you that everything is purely constructed by society. But that is scientifically incorrect.


They will tell you that different cultures express gender differently. And that is the justification for why gender is merely a social construct.


So to answer your question, you must go and actually do some research and learn about different societies, different cultures across time and across the world.


Masculinity and femininity exist in every single culture, and although there is some degree of spectrum, there is no culture where men raise the babies and women hunt for food.


So to debunk the idea that it’s purely a social construct, one only needs to do actual research on a variety of cultures to see that gender is not a construct as much as they lie and tell you it is. They expect you not to do the research yourself.


Not to mention the biological realities between men and women. Which are also scientifically concrete and undeniable. They aren’t that big. But they do exist.


The problem is it’s all politicized. The conservatives want to say that humans have a pre determined social order and structure as dictated by biology, and liberals want to say that biology has zero influence and we are makers of our own social order.


So to justify each sides “moral” belief, they twist facts to fit their moral belief, rather than fitting their moral belief to the facts.

[talloak]

Gender is complex. It can’t be defined absolutely. It has a biological component. It has a see component. And it has a personal component. Those who claim that gender is biology are ignoring the reality that each society defines gender differently. And if there are so many social differences, there are necessarily individual differences as well. Biology is not destiny.

When discussing gender on the individual level, it is not a matter of declaration. It’s a matter of identity. And this is itself very complex. Gender, race, intelligence and attractiveness are all qualities that have biological, social and individual implications.

When people attempt to enforce rules about how individuals must behave based on any of these categories, it causes serious problems. This is the essence of discrimination. Of these, discrimination against people who violate gender norms is both legal and tolerated. For example, murders of transwomen are seldom even investigated, indicating that they deserved to be murdered.

[Tonga]

Well technically in the old times, it seemed more efficient for certain people to take certain roles. Some were even enforced. With that and normal human behavior, these constructs started to arise
the issue with the question is that as the others stated, these roles or behaviors fall into the category of intersubjective (this is actually also where politics and time falls too... to an extent). Some people still argue for a need to adhere to those roles. I think one should make sure the benefits of those roles and behaviors are maintained in this society.
also one could argue that it’s already happening with the gender fluid and “my gender is a sock.” Calling it “degeneration” or “disintegration” of the gender norms that were applied before.
My opinion about this question is the same as the anonymous guy below who stated that “they would still make differentiations.” People feel the need to categorize things. It’s how we survived. So I still see the title maintaining itself... or at least people referring to “feminine” or “masculine” as qualities in a person or pointers to archetypes.

[triff]

Sex should be meaningful Traditionaly Sex was between man and woman where the man could demand This was changed to protect women from rape or sexual abuse These were when Genders of opposite sex Now things are so different Which became Same sex part of a song in 1978 the relevant verse as Boys will be Girls and Girls will be boys Its a mixed up world for my Lola This maybe when Genders were looked at differently Growing to the society we live in Where same genders are accepted as a loving couples Is gender significant today Not so much but the person is

[hahahmm]

Researchers went deep into the jungle and found some young apes that have never socialized with people. They tossed a pile of human toys onto the ground and the male apes played with the cars. The female apes picked up the stuffed animals and tried to baby/nurse them. There's also studies that show women can't handle stress as well as men and (most) any idiot knows that men have denser muscle mass... we could go on and on.

So there are deep biological differences between male & female even if some women want to act like men & some men want to act like women.

[Soteris]

I would say both are fairly meaningless. Sex is complicated, far more than what can be simplified into man/woman or even a few more options, likewise with gender identity. As you said yourself, sex at least reflects something biological but instead of accepting the biological we add a largely unnecessary step.

In my opinion this just gets in the way. People generally dont need to know what someone else identify as or what their biological sex is precisely to know what they like and do not like. It also creates unnecessary divisions such as the male/female disparities in society. It would just be so much easier if we gave up the pretense that we were in control.

[Larson7]

No it determines what Sex You Are.. You have a what a worm hanging off down there or a weird looking fleshy hole ( it is to die for , I highly recommend recreational fun) Worrmy or fleshy hole of power determines your gender.

There's other facets of gender that make you a lover of fleshy holes or a worm gobbler. Although those are not necessarily indicative but there's all kinds of different things that will make you a boy or a girl.

But you can only change your gender in your imagination. Prove me wrong... Its science man, science.

[Anonymous]

I don’t find gender meaning less yk I saw a kid who’s 8 on a story on YouTube he is transgender BUT THE CATCH IS she dresses like a girl and acts like a girl but considers herself a boy. I don’t have a problem with that but yk if I accidentally call u by a she or a female yk sometimes it’s not on people. She /he said that gender doesn’t matter and it does because I mean it always has it’s the two main genders and when your born it’s a male or female. If people change it that’s okay but it should always matter I’m straight and prefer masculine men so If he comes out as she/ he or smth I wouldn’t know or a femboy

[Citizenkirk]

Because that declaration is of the continuation of the species. Some might consider that to be significant.
Beyond that, having experienced love, I am a true believer that we are only half of the human equation, and that the other half, your soul mate, completes us as individuals, by making the pair, complete.

[Everyoneisplastic]

Gender can't be meaningful if it is only attached to a declaration. If I declare I'm a dog, that means nothing except that I'm delusional and need help. Dressing and acting and feeling a certain way will never change your DNA. Males can't reproduce with males and don't share the same bone structure, DNA, or organs as females and vice versa.

[Lliam]

Gender is based on biology. I reject the notion that it is a social construct. Gay and bi is still male and female. Trans (gender dysphoria) is a rare mental disorder. I don't claim that it doesn't exist or that it can be treated. But I strongly object to teaching children to question their gender. Boys should embrace their masculinity and girls should embrace their femininity.

[Astarlessnightsky]

Everyone can find their own meaning of it.

Some will heavily argue gender=sex.

For others its a huge part of their identity, look how many got "non-binary" as part of their bio on twitter and other social media.

Also comparing how the definition of any gender evolves or how it is different from country to country can give a lot of information about that society.

[NaultD]

I personally like existential philosophy. So basically everything is inherently meaningless but in that we can create meaning for ourselves. The problem is we have to take responsibility in that creation of meaning. Like most responsibility people push it away on to other factors.

[israelisevil]

i know actual transgenders went through surgery (female to male not faggots) its very demeaning say someone just claims they something else the same as someone trying transition from one to other. 2 GENDERS YOU CAN SWITCH BUT there's ONLY 2. and if it was a social construct people wouldn't switch men and women have different expectations in society.

[SomeGuyCalledTom]

Your gender IS your biological sex, they only changed the meaning because social constructionism got trendy in late 90s until present day. People seem to confuse gender with self-image. I might have a self-image of being an apache helicopter, but try putting that on my birth certificate.

[CuriousCat123]

Huh. I never thought of that. I think it more so has to do with the physical and mental structure. Men and women have different parts. Men and women also go through puberty at different ages in their life. And women or girls tend to become more mature and less childish earlier in life. Therefore gender is based off of physical and mental structure.

[Aakash_Hangargi]

I think people were too much hairy earlier so it was know whose male and whose female but the difference to know would bd the breasts and no pee pee so to not fuck with the own kind the ladies getting pregnent and distinguish who get impregnated that classification was made

[McSlav]

Gender and Sex are synonyms, Gender is the same as Sex, however if you are talking about the expression of sexuality (ie Masculine and feminine) it should be more modren, something decided unrelated of gender, for example, the most popula are non-binary they chose to express their sexuality neutraly (masculine and feminine but not one or the other), and the group consists of both genders.