Module 5
When you read researches, theories, religious doctrine or popular literature that infers feminine/masculine
gender binary is naturally derived from sex, and places an emphasis on differences, the underlying
assumption is likely biological determinism.
Biological
Approaches
Chromosomes
The sex of fetus is determined by its chromosomes. Humans have 23 Most of this research
pairs of chromosomes. Furthermore, a fetus is undifferentiated until focuses on three areas of
the sixth week of gestation. Until the seventh week, all XX and XY are
identical. (Carroll,2005,Strong, DeVAult and Sayad,1999) difference:
*Chromosomes
Males and females have X chromosomes but only male have a Y
chromosomes. *Hormones and genitalia
* Brain development
XY – is what determines a male child or usually identified as male.
XX - is generally a female child.
The presence of intersex proves there are more than two sexes. They
are persons who have sex chromosome combinations of XO, XXX, XXY,
or XYY.
Although chromosomes
may determine the sex
of the person, the
question remains,
“Can the sex
chromosome determine
one’s gender identity?”
Research associating maleness with greater physical strength. It is the
Y chromosome that develops variances in internal and external sex 1
organ.
The difference in body fat translate
into differences in muscle mass, with
men having generally having less fat
and greater capacity for muscle
strength.
Women’s body fat averages about
10% higher than men.
Men also tend have greater strength because they have a larger
capacity of oxygen, lower resting heart rate, higher blood pressure,
and the ability to recover from physical activity more quickly.
Women’s child- bearing abilities often are pointed to as an example of
extreme endurance.
On the question of Male fetuses have more developmental difficulties and birth defects,
their deliveries average an hour longer and the death rate of male
physical
fetuses is higher than that of female fetuses.
endurance:
Women also tend to live longer than men, but this
difference maybe lessening as more women engage
in risk-taking behaviors such as cigarette smoking (CharChar 2003)
Psychologist Sigmund Freud celebrated the male penis as
a sign of strength and power.
How genitalia
From artist, journalist and historians to religious leaders heralded the
related to gender penis as an outward sign of men’s virility and right to assert their
strength over others. The virile penis has become an essential
identities?
characteristic of masculinity.
“Social interpretations of women’s sexual organs identity as reactors,
followers and beneficiaries of men’s decisions.”
Hormones
-It affects sex distinctions as early as seven weeks after conception.
They are related to chromosomal differences.
If the fetus has a Y chromosomes, it will produce an abundance of
androgens, hormones that then develop the internal and the external
Some women sex organs of males. Fetuses with no Y chromosome will only produce a
produce more small amount of androgens and will develop genitalia more consistent
with female sex organ.
testosterone than
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some biological It is commonly assumed that there are clear distinctions in female and male
men, and some men hormones, but these assumption is false. To label estrogen and progesterone as
strictly female and androgens and testosterone as purely male is to maintain false
produce more
dichotomy. Rather they all exist in human beings but to varying degrees within
estrogen than some and across the sexes. (Caplan & Caplan 1999)
biological women.
Hormones affect people throughout their lives. At puberty, testosterone stimulates the development of lower voices,
increased body hair and increased sex drive and development of sex organ for females as well as males.
Higher levels of testosterone are often thought to explain why many men are physically and sexually aggressive,
attempts to dominate, gain power over others and express anger. (Schwartz & Cellini 1995)
Quantitative study of 4462 male military veterans by James Dabbs and Robin Morris found out that
unusually high levels of testosterone were associated with delinquency, drug use, multiple sex
partners, conduct disorders, abusiveness, and violence.
In an analysis of research in sex aggression and hormones, Anne Fausto-Sterling (Medical Science Prof) found
inconsistent results. Hormones cannot explain aggressive behavior.
Estrogen stimulates menstrual cycle and related changes to all women. Estelle Ramey in her research linking
many woman emotional swing to hormonal cycle changes. The medical profession largely attributed
women’s menstrual discomfort to hypochondria.
Brain Development
Brain structure has examined for sex and gender differences. Some evidence indicates that females and
males tend to specialize in one hemisphere of the brain although they each use both hemispheres.
Left Hemisphere - language skills, abstract thought development, and linear, logical and mathematic abilities.
- usually ask a lot of questions first
Right hemisphere- holistic and intuitive thinking, artistic activity, nonverbal processing.
- quickly get a feeling for a situation.
3
Some biologist argue that men tend to specialize in the left hemisphere and
develop stronger skills tied to it such as the traditional masculine abilities in
mechanical process and women tend to specialize in the right hemisphere and
develop stronger abilities such as traditional feminine relationship skills and
intuition.
Furthermore, some argue that women tend to be better at
using both sides of the brain because the corpus callosum,
which bridges the two hemisphere is larger in women.
The two
hemispheres have
the ability to
compensate for
each other and to
cooperate.
Although some evidence
of biological influence This has been used to explain many women’s tendency
exists, the links to gender toward strong language skills, the ability to identify other’s
are not as simple as some emotions more quickly (Belgy and Murr,1995) and the ability to
might think. use both hemispheres for listening.
Ultimately, biology alone
cannot determine gender Psychologist David Meyers (2004) cautions against
identities, and it certainly assuming that people use only one hemisphere for
cannot predict gendered individual tasks. Instead, they almost always use both
communication. hemispheres because there is a constant exchange of
information.
Otherwise, all women and
all men in all cultures and The National Academy of Sciences reports that sexual
all countries across the orientation may be influence by brain differences. The
world would express band of fibers called the anterior commissure, which
masculine and feminine in connects brain hemispheres tend to be larger in gay men
identical ways. than in heterosexual women and men. (Elias 1992)
4 Currently, the influence of Other researchers have found that twins raised apart tend
biology is more correctly to have the same sexual orientation. (Whitam, Diamond,
located in how Martin 1993)
assumptions about it References
continue to prescribe
Defrancisco, Victoria P. & Palczewski, Catherine Helen (2007). Communicating Gender Diversity: A Critical
expectations for women’s Approach. California: Sage Publications, Inc.
and men’s communication
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY0E01G6ZWE
activities.
