Sex refers to the biological divergent between male and female and gender discuss the social differences between male and female. Society’s focal point seems to be gender rather than sex. Researchers between sex and gender to study differences between human males and females with substantial accuracy. Sex is based on physical differences, for example, men and women have different genitalia. Gender is based on social factors, for example, women are expected to be more nurturing than men. But gender alters throughout the years and culture, as different groups have different for males and females.
In Chapter 2, “Theories of Gender/Sex”, many valid points have been made on the viewpoint of how we one and other. Three concepts stood out to be as cognitive development, social learning, and gender schema theory.
Social learning theory concentrates on the reinforcement of the biological attributes, the concept of rewards and punishments, and stereotypes. For example, it states “According to this approach, young girls tend to be rewarded for being polite, neat, emotionally expressive, and well behaved. Young boys to be rewarded for being independent, emotionally controlled, and physically active” (Page 38-39). We often come across this idea when we try to replicate the other person’s behavior. Personally, I feel that the social learning theory best illustrates the gender awareness process as human beings are social animals and develop through social interactions.
Cognitive development theory concentrates on the betterment of cognition in order to be aware of the gender-related aspects. We as humans us this process in our everyday lives. This how the human mind grows and changes within time. We don’t carry the same mentality we had from elementary school. It focuses on thinking, remembering, thought processes, decision making, and problem-solving. For example, it states “unlike social learning theory, this approach recognizes the more active role children play in developing their identities” (page 6).
Gender Schema Theory that a child learns from their environment and culture in which they live in a concept of what it means to be a man or a woman. For example, it states “In cognitive development theory, children first adopt a gender identity and then preform behaviors consistent with it. For example. When young boys say they cannot play with a doll because it is a girl’s toy, they are categorizing behaviors and objects using a gender schema and depending on where something fits in the schema, they decide whether or not they can do it” (Page 6). Gender schema not only have how individuals process information based on their attitude/beliefs that direct gender-appropriate behavior due to cultural influences. For instance, a child who was brought up in a very traditional culture might believe and upon observations that a woman’s role is as a housewife, whereas a man’s role is in work and industry.
In both videos “Shrinking Women” and “Ten responses to the phrase man up”, both spread powerful messages through their art of poetry. Both speakers express on the pressures and stereotypes placed on genders in society. I love the message, and I like how they declare their message in a way that doesn’t put another cause down but instead lifts each of them up as equals. I personally feel like the problem with our culture is that everyone always has something to save and most of us care way too much on their opinion. But how do we stop the judgments when that’s all we’re surrounded by? For example, it states “Men’s bodies are the unspoken norm to which women’s bodies often are compared and devalued (Weitz, 2017). Men are to be strong, women weak; men should be tall, women short; men should be substantial, women slender; men should be sexually aggressive, women passive. When men are presented as vulnerable (young, clean-shaven, soft-looking skin, big eyes), viewers notice because the image is playing against the macho gendered norm. The result is not just gendered/sexed bodies but a system that requires particular groups of bodies to dominate over other bodies (Lorber & Martin, 2011). Women all over the world are objectified every day with how they are supposed to look/act through advertisements, social media, celebrities, etc. Men are also are taught from a young age to be bold and fearless, and when the traits are displayed as monsters. This toxic culture has hurt us all. It won’t end until we educate ourselves and our children that people just don’t fit into a one size fits all mold and we have to not only accept it but embrace it.
