The Social Construction of Gender Behavior Essay - 1110 Words

Both Deborah Blum’s The Gender Blur: Where Does Biology End and Society Take Over? and Aaron Devor’s â€Å"Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes† challenges the concept of how gender behavior is socially constructed. Blum resides on the idea that gender behavior is developed mainly through adolescence and societal expectations of a gender. Based on reference from personal experiences to back her argument up, Blum explains that each individual develops their expected traits as they grow up, while she also claims that genes and testosterones also play a role into establishing the differentiation of gender behavior. Whereas, Devor focuses mainly on the idea that gender behavior is portrayed mainly among two different categories: masculinity and†¦show more content†¦Although Blum would agree with Devor’s point about the role society plays into shaping gender differences, it’s only to a certain extent as she focuses primarily on the idea of the bi ological relations that apply to gender identity. With personal reference to her young son, Blum explains how gender identity doesn’t necessary focus completely on societal views. She discusses the story involving her young son at the age of 2 who loved dinosaurs, but it was only the blood-swilling carnivores. The wimpy plant-eaters were none of his interest. As it stated in Blum’s piece, â€Å"I looked down at him one day, as he was snarling around my feet and doing his toddler best to gnaw off my right leg, and I thought: This goes a lot deeper than culture† Using this situation, you can conclude that young children is the best example to show that it doesn’t necessary take only society to shift gender behaviors. As Blum says, â€Å"Preliminary work shows that fetal boys are a little more active than fetal girls. It’s pretty difficult to argue socialization at that point†(Blum 682) Young children almost have no idea about how society works , furthermore it’s undetermined that they can be affected to act in order to fit in the standards that has been placed regarding the gender you fall under. This is the point Blum makes that counters Devor’s argument based on idea thatShow MoreRelatedA Metaphor For The Closet Is Wearing A Mask Essay1493 Words   |  6 Pagesand gender identity conceals the true person to the world, to unmask is to make a decision to reveal chosen sexual and gender identity to self and others. Another example of the mask could be pretending to a Christian to keep people from knowing about a sinful lifestyle for fear of being an outcast. In the context of Christianity, unmasking makes sense in the relation to expected Christian normative behavior. Within this context a person’s behavior is framed within the context of social and scripturalRead MoreWomen s Social Construction Of Gender1524 Words   |  7 Pageswith trying to redefine various positions at this point in history. 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