Gender Is A Black And White Topic - 1195 Words

Introduction Some people would say that gender is a black and white topic; either you have masculine or feminine traits. In our text it states, â€Å"Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women† (Rathus, Nevid, Rathus, 2014, pg. 155). Having said this, what specific factors determine whether an individual is classified as masculine or feminine? From a scientific perspective, it has been proven that an individual’s genetic makeup entails whether or not they are a man or woman. The fault I see in this would be that even though I agree that genetic components can formulate an individual as either a man or woman, the gender of said individual†¦show more content†¦According to Penalva Sanchez (2003), â€Å"In our system, females have two of the same kind of sex chromosome (XX), while males have two distinct sex chromosomes (XY). Some species (including humans) have a gene S RY on the Y chromosome that determines maleness; others (such as the fruit fly) use the presence of two X chromosomes to determine femaleness. In mammals, females are XX, they can pass along either of their X’s, and since the males are XY they can pass along either an X or a Y. For a mammal to be considered a female, the individual must receive an X chromosome from both parents, whereas to be considered a male, the individual must receive an X chromosome from their mother and a Y chromosome from their father† (Penalva Sanchez, 2003). Although this makes a valid claim as to how an individual’s sex is determined, it does not inform us as to how gender is differentiated. However, according to Vawter et al. (2011), â€Å"gender differences lay in brain development and may also be related to patterns of gene expression.† During this case study, â€Å"gene expression in male and female dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and the cerebell um† were profiled. Their findings included that men and women do in fact have gender-specific genes. With respect to the latter, physical apperarance is not as scientifically proven in determining gender. Physical Appearance and Personal Choice Physical appearance may not be a sole determinate in