Hello everyone!
My question is: ‘Is being masculine or feminine a social construction?’
In my project, I will use the word ‘gender’ to refer to the gender stereotypes/social roles and behaviours that are usually linked to men and women; femininity and masculinity. The word sex will be used to refer to the biological aspects of females and males. Therefore, by asking the question, ‘Is being masculine or feminine a social construction?’, I’m questioning if either femininity and masculinity are learned through socialization, or if there is a biological predisposition that makes females feminine and males masculine.
I know that there’s from .05% to 1.7% of people that biologically have both female and male aspects in their chromosomes; these are called intersex. Even though I will mention them in the next entries, they will not be the focus of my research. In addition, this research will not involve issues like gender identity. I do not want to upset anyone or make anyone feel discriminated against. This will be solely about the facts regarding gender/sex and not about my personal views on how people identify.
This is a topic that I am very interested in because it helps me understand more about human behaviour. Questions like “Why are most of the rapists/violent criminals men? Could this be prevented?” are only able to be answered if we have a deeper understanding of gender. Questions like this intrigue me and I’m sure my research will further my understanding.
Thank you for reading,
Sofia B.
Hi Sofia,
Your inquiry question caught my eye because I have heard a lot about gender stereotypes and wonder if they will ever end.
I really like how you went into full detail when addressing how your research plan will go.
I’m excited to read your future posts,
Karen Zoulau
Hey Sofia,
I am also interested about your topic as now a days there are many issues such as kidnapping, sexual assault and etc that is mostly caused by men. I think it’s a major problem that needs to be solved.
I would love to help you for this project as these links might be able to assist you to understand better.
https://www.who.int/health-topics/gender#tab=tab_1
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/cochise-sociology-os/chapter/the-social-construction-of-gender/
I am looking forward to finding answers from you,
Tiffany Jang
Hey Sofia,
This is an amazing, and creative inquiry question. I think this is an incredibly interesting topic, and have never read any research on it. As for your entry, I really like how you clarified all the terms that you are going to use and that you intend no disrespect. It is also great that you are aware, and actively separating facts from personal opinions. Your entry made me want to research a bit, and I came across these sites that may help you.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/cochise-sociology-os/chapter/the-social-construction-of-gender/
https://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/gender-social-construct-except-when-its-not-11425.html
Best of luck with your inquiry, can’t wait to read about what you find.
Chantal M.