My inquiry question is: ‘Is being masculine or feminine biological or a social construction?’
To answer this question, I will first research the two theories of gender development. **I know that there are many theories that try to explain gender but I will only research the two main ones.
- What is biological determinism? What is the scientific evidence of it?
- What are different theories of gender socialization?
The first round of my research will be on biological determinism (or essentialism). This theory claims that being feminine or masculine is due to the biological distinctions between the sexes. I will look into the two main parts of this theory; how the evolutionary process and biological differences between the sexes determine gender. For example, I will look into studies that show how gender might be caused by sex hormones, genes and female vs male brains.
The next round will be about gender as a social construct (socialization). This theory claims that femininity and masculinity are not inherent, but are learned through socialization in all aspects of life, such as in the family, school, friends and all the overall culture. There are many different theories and views that try to explain how socialization works and why it happens. I will look into different theoric takes on gender socialization; such as Simone De Beauvoir, Judith Butler, Catharine MacKinnon and Nancy Chodorow.
3. Is gender learned or inherent? Both?
What is the impact of gender in our lives?
In my last round of research, I will finish answering my inquiry question: ‘Is being masculine or feminine biological or a social construction?’. To do so, I will be contrasting these two gender theories that I learned about in the last two rounds of research and try to find a common ground between them. I will also research how gender affects us, both positively and negatively.
I hope that by answering my inquiry question, others will be able to understand and gain more knowledge about some of the different theories of gender development. Most people only have a basic understanding of this topic and this research will go into deeper details on it. Knowing about gender is important because it affects, positively and negatively, many aspects of our lives.
Five sources for my research:
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-gender/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315785215_Gender_Development_Theories_of
https://www.thoughtco.com/biological-determinism-4585195
Sofia B.
Hi Sofia,
This is a very interesting topic to research about that also relates to current gender issues.
I love how you highlighted key terms and ideas, it made this article much easier to understand.
Here are a few sources that might help:
https://www.unicef.org/gender-equality
https://inequality.org/facts/gender-inequality/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/types-of-gender-identity
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10447-019-09380-y#:~:text=Gender%20differences%20are%20defined%20as,actual%20biological%20differences%20among%20sexes.
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/12/05/on-gender-differences-no-consensus-on-nature-vs-nurture/
I look forward to your future posts,
Karen Zoulau
Hi Sofia,
this is such an interesting topic I would love to learn more about! Your structure and details for this post are very clear and organized. A suggestion I have for you is to research specifically the behavioral factors of being masculine or feminine. Whether those behaviors be simply how someone acts, or how society has influenced people act.
Here are some websites that might be useful:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/gender-roles
https://dornsife.usc.edu/wendywood/gender-differences-in-social-behavior/
I’m excited to see more from you, and good luck!
Hi Sofia,
This is such an interesting topic! When I was a kid I would always think the colour pink was for girls and blue for boys. Your research plans are very detailed and organized. I think gender impacts our life a lot. I feel that men think women should only work in the kitchens etc. I wish this would change, but I can’t win over society. Here are some websites to help your research: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/old-school-parenting-modern-day-families/201907/time-move-beyond-gender-is-socially-constructed
https://www.who.int/health-topics/gender#tab=tab_
-Kiara
Hi Sofia,
This is such an incredible topic to choose. Most children around our age have grown up thinking certain things were for girls or boys only such as certain clothing or colors. This is such an admirable topic and I will make sure to follow your project along the way.
Hi, Sofia! Great inquiry question! Your topic can be so controversial, but yet so current. I like how you explain each step that you will be discussing since this topic can be quite confusing sometimes. The process, the evolution, the variety of perspectives. I am really looking forward to what are you up to and what theories you will come up with and that you will explain them to us.
Some good sources that might help you:
– https://www.vic.gov.au/gender-inequality-affects-everyone
– https://papersowl.com/examples/gender-inequality-affects-everyone/
Good Luck!
–Andrea.