Introduction
Gender is a subject that has been faced with heated debate regarding the roles played by men and women considering their biological makeup. Gender can be defined in different aspects depending on which perspective that one takes to look at it. It is through these definitions that a distinction is made on the roles that can be played by the individuals. Biologically, a man and a woman have distinct features that will enable them to perform certain roles. Despite a wide similarity in their body organs, certain features within them define their capabilities. On the other hand in social terms, the distinctions are made based on their ability to interact which is defined by their psychological makeup. As a boy grows into a man and a girl into a woman, certain psychological changes occur in their bodies which become prominent. This is when the distinctions come out as they embrace different roles (Hall, 2003). This means that during their early stages of life, it may be psychologically difficult to distinguish between a man and a woman due to the similar abilities that they have. The only thing that distinguishes the two at such a stage is their sexual orientation.
Gender Equality
Despite the differences in sexual orientation, there are roles that both men and women can equally play. Such roles are not determined by the chromosomes that build them up but rather by the experiences that they have had in terms of intellect. As a man and a woman grow up, they are usually exposed to similar environments which means that they have similar experiences. There have been several movements to sensitize the community against discrimination based on gender. This is not mean that people are denying their sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is something that happens naturally for productivity reasons (Barak, 2006). The fight against gender discrimination is to let society know that as long as men and women are exposed to similar environments and experiences, they can perform some roles that are believed to be designed for men (Rege, 2003). Society had traditionally created a big gap between men and women and required that they be exposed to different environments so that they are prepared to take up certain roles (Rege, 2003). Women were basically to be homemakers while men take up the general leadership responsibility and as each member of such a community grew up, they were reminded of this by their mentors and also exposed to such environments to enable them to carry along with this perception (Rege, 2003).
Things have however changed in most societies where it was realized that as long as men and women were exposed to similar situations, opportunities, and environments, there will be a very slim distinction that will be made between them. What was previously reserved for men is now being done by women even more excellently and what was preserved for women is being done better by men (Hall, 2003).
Several types of research that have been conducted on different abilities reveal that people are different despite their similar biological makeup. This difference defines their likes and dislikes which determines their abilities. This might be because of the environments that these people are brought up in and the kind of literature that they observe & read. It is therefore for the above reason that you will find a man who has been brought up in an environment that consists of many women behaving like a woman (Rege, 2003). Such an individual is likely to prefer the roles played by people of the gender he or she is used to. In the current society, the only thing that can distinguish a man from a woman is their sexual orientation and not the roles they take up in society. The only distinctions that can be made on them are their physical appearance and probably how they react to situations and circumstances (Hall, 2003).
Sociological Perspective of Gender
Sociology has a different view of looking at gender; this is mainly obtained from the psychological tests and researches that have been done on both men and women. Even in the roles that they take up; there are some differences in which a man will look at an issue. They may be performing a similar responsibility but come up with different results due to their psychological makeup. Some of the observations that have been made are that a woman will take time to make a decision or rather to come up with a solution but once they identify the solution it will have long-term benefits (Barak, 2006). Men on the other hand can make prompt decisions and hence being able to come up with solutions faster, and thus the famous saying was derived which asserts that”‘if you want something to be done faster, give it to a man and if you want it to be done well give it to a woman” (Barak, 2006). It was through such observations mentioned above; that researchers started to notice that there is a difference in the way a woman’s brain coordinates actions and decisions which is different from how a man does it. It was observed that a woman will take time to synthesize a problem as they are looking at how the solution will impact not only the present scenario but also the future. It was also found that a man will make a faster decision to only solve the present situation with little consideration of the future (Barak, 2006).
Some roles are mostly given to women in a managerial environment due to the emotional attachment that they have towards it. It has been identified that most of the roles that women are given, do it with an emotional attachment while a man will do it with a physical attachment. As much as the roles can be performed by both men and women, the results will be different which makes them be preferred to take them up. For instance, women have been identified to be more patient than men. They can hence perform well in responsibilities that deal with people (Rege, 2003). Men on the other hand are preferred in responsibilities that require them to make prompt decisions such as management, especially during a crisis. There are limitations to this whereby you find some men that are more emotional than women and some women that can make prompt decisions than men. These are some of the discoveries that are made on gender. It has become challenging to limit a man or a woman to certain features due to new observations being done. The statistics that are mostly given to differentiate the two are based on the majority.
Inventions in the field of technology are making orientations in terms of gender even more complicated. Several experiments are being done to come up with certain characteristics in an individual. This is done by the interference of genes which are responsible for the differences experienced in character and role. It has become possible for an individual to be designed in a certain preferred way by changing their gene makeup. This was mainly done for the sake of individuals that could either be defined as men or women. They had a mixture of both genes where they would display such characters. They were to be helped to adapt to certain specific gender clinically by naturally inducing certain hormones in their bloodstream. As the experiments succeeded, some people that did not prefer their gender took advantage of the development to acquire a brand new gender. There are however certain complications that are involved with the process. This is because there are a lot of artificial hormones being used which may not blend well with the body mechanism. It is also a process that takes quite some time that may be stressful to an individual. Interfering with the biological makeup is not something that can be done easily. It needs the involvement of skilled personnel of which may not guarantee absolute results.
Comparisons that can be made sociologically between men and women are based on the abilities of both to socialize and interact. There is balance in society when both men and women are put in a similar environment and made to express themselves (Hall, 2003). They can blend well as they realize the different abilities that are embedded within them. They learn to appreciate the diversities that come with their sexual orientation and also come to discover that it is not about what people see or think. There is usually more to a person than what is seen by the eyes. Comparisons are usually made on individuals if considerations are taken in the way they understand different subjects. Most of the differences are usually brought about by the attitudes that are held by societies concerning a certain gender.
Some people are yet to be delivered from such kinds of mindsets. They will hence perform and look at others by what they believe. Every attitude and mindset is derived from different cultural beliefs; it is, therefore, difficult to convince such a person unless their minds are made to understand otherwise. This is usually done by bringing situations that will enable the people to understand that what they have been for long holding on to is not true and that everything is possible to those that are determined.
Conclusion
There is the possibility of making clear comparisons between people of different gender considering their specific abilities. This ability is not based on what society has over time believed about gender but on what research and observation reveal. Certain roles that were traditionally believed to be suitable for men are now being performed well by women. Studies have made people realize the unnecessary limitations that were initially linked to gender differences. There are tremendous developments that are currently being experienced simply because men and women are being given similar opportunities. This may also be proved by looking at societies that have not embraced such kind of initiative; such communities are still lagging in development since they have limited their people basing on their sexual orientation. As much as other realities about gender can not be ignored like physical appearance and reproduction, other roles can be perfectly be played by both genders. What is required for such performance is trust and equal exposure to opportunities.
Reference
Barak, G., 2006. Class, race, gender, and crime: the social realities of justice in America. California: Rowman & Littlefield publishers.
Hall, J., 2003. Sociology on culture. London: Routledge publishers.
Rege, S., 2003. Sociology of gender: the challenge of feminist sociological knowledge. New York: SAGE publishers.