In the contemporary society, gender and sexuality forms the basis for recognition. In effect, social construction defines that males and females are different creatures. Human classification in both contemporary and traditional society was synonymous with biological and physical characteristics hence the identification as males and females. To begin with, sex and gender play significant roles in the modern society where discrimination forms the basis of resource allocation and access to opportunities. Some features used in classifying individuals include internal reproductive systems, body shape and hair characteristics.
However, gender terminology is commonly used as a synonym to the word sex. Consequently, social values, attitudes, and behaviours help in identifying a person as either a woman or man depending on the various functions performed. The discrimination that exists between males and females emanating from the misuse application of the two terminologies are unjustified because only sexual and reproductive organs in essence form the basis of difference between female and male sex.
For one, the term gender refers to the state of being male or female, while in the social context, it refers to the social and physical differences that exists between men and women depending on the custom. Bearing in mind of this understanding and perceptions, girls and boys in the contemporary society underwent situations that make them learn that certain features are essential in distinguishing males and females.
Different social expectations orchestrated these differences in identities of men and women from the moment the child is born (Anna, Bryson, & Jones, 2011). From the time of birth to maturity, the society defines gender roles based on the physique of any individual depending on the sexual identity. All cultures have unique ways of evaluating and assigning responsibilities to both men and women. Other than the noted scientific and observable features, girls and boys have more similarities among them than the perceived differences.
To another end, physical construction helps in classifying girls and boys as either the female or the male sex. More interestingly, these physiological and biological differences between men and women are created naturally ranging from family, community, and country. However, in reality sex does not necessarily be dichotomous as may be evident by inter-sexed persons. One notable observation from these perceived biological factors that differentiate between males and females is that biology is largely influenced by socioeconomic, cultural, and political environment. These cultural and political influences from the natural environment are what constitute to gender.
Furthermore, it is inevitable in the contemporary society that men have become leaders occupying higher positions and authority in the society than the female counterpart. Women are discriminated against in terms of employment and access to lucrative opportunities because nature reflects men as aggressive and strong creatures capable of handling tasks that are more challenging. On the other hand, the nature argues that women are more expressive, arousing, subjective thus binding them to reproductive roles within the family. Nowadays, there is notable change in the perception on the gender roles unlike in the past where males were superior to female.
Human rights organizations alongside other activists have championed for equal treatment for both sex both at workplace and at homes. In the traditional society, women performed domestic chores while men enjoyed opportunities in furthering their education and careers. However, few females who got the opportunity to serve in the labour market endured discrimination from their fellow labourers and employers. For example, it was a common custom in the past to award male good remuneration than the females. Such trend in remuneration received support from the notion that men were powerful and hardworking towards achieving the set goals and objectives of the company therefore deserved more pay.
Misunderstanding of gender and sexuality makes some society to believe that male children are better than compared to the female children. Due to this reasoning, male children in such societies get better education and health care than females. One contentious issue that people fail to understand is that sex is inborn while gender is something that simply arises from socialization. For that, reason sex is unchangeable as opposed to gender and gender roles that significantly vary from society to society and culture to culture. The biological roles assigned to each gender are socially, cultural and historically influenced by personal experiences.
In particular, social constructions of gender play a significant role in determining attitudes on the capabilities of men and women. Furthermore, these social constructions influence the responsibility, descriptions, and position that each sex occupies in the society. Gender affects approximately all the aspects of life among the females; their needs, access to resources and employment in the lucrative sectors. In nearly all communities in the modern and contemporary society, men and women dress differently and each have different interest to accomplish as may be defined by their social cultures.
With high discrimination for opportunities, congress and law courts have endorsed laws aimed at overcoming these discriminations based on sex and gender especially at work place. With employers adopting policies and measures that report sexual discrimination, overcoming these challenges require legal intervention (Mooney, Peccei, LaBelle, & Henriksen, 2011). The enactment of the employment laws have helped in protecting and reducing discrimination based on sexual identity.
Strict laws on gender-based discrimination have significantly helped in ensuring equality and freedom at workplaces. In particular, freedom and equality are fundamental human rights for peaceful coexistence. Hence, gender equality remains one of the most discussed topics in this period of personal freedom and liberation though some inequalities still exist; measures are in place to curb the menace.
Several biological explanations try to explain gender roles though such explanations have drawn critics challenging the basis for such argument. One explanation emanates from the field of sociology. Sociologists believed that the roles assigned to men primarily aimed at relieving hunger and poverty in the society. For this reason, man engaged in hunting and gathering of animals for food outside homes. As Beasley (2005) denotes, the other major role on gender cantered on nursing of children.
Because of arousing attitude of women, they were the ones who could take care of children at homes. In essence, the customary structure on gender roles restricted women in particular to less lucrative opportunities. Meanwhile, men perfectly suited their duties of hunting and gathering because of their perceived physique. In the ancient societies, scientific observations and perceived reasoning greatly defined the gender roles thereby confining men to work away from homes while allowing women to primarily engage in perform domestic chores.
To another end, progressive reasoning also explains why men are more violent compared to female mate. In prehistoric times, in the event that a man killed another man in competition for female mates, such men were viewed as capable of producing fertile offspring. By nature, sociologists and evolutionary psychologists believed that natural selection contributed to the debate of gender and sexuality because they favoured aggressive men and nurturing women. By so doing, the evidence of these evolutionary and social construction supports that women and men continue in their traditional gender roles.
However, critics challenge both evolutionary explanations supporting gender inequality by inserting that greater gender variations occurred in the traditional society than highlighted by the assumptions of evolutionary theory. In addition, critics believe that biological differences that influence gender roles during the prehistoric times have no place in the modern society, in which physical strength is not a determinant for endurance. Lastly, critics have challenged argument by the evolutionary psychologists justifying gender inequality that confines both women and men to their traditional roles (Johansson, 2007).
Conclusively, gender and sexuality differences certainly do exist in reality, but what brings controversy is the interpretation of such differences. Since differences exist between women and men, there is need to peg such differences against biological evidence but not social construction. Bearing in mind of these differences and evidence supporting the argument, what remains unclear is the extent to which we accept these biological explanations for gender in solving the problem of gender inequality in the modern society.
Sex is constant and does not change because it is biological, but gender perceptions changes over time from culture to culture. Gender encompasses specific roles, values and attitudes that society ascribe appropriate for each sex. This social construct manipulate observation on masculinity and feminism, calling for factors such as ethnicity, class, and religion to reflect more equality for gender.
References
Anna, G. J., Bryson, V., & Jones, K. B. (2011). Sexuality, gender and power: Intersectional and transnational perspectives. New York: Routledge. Web.
Beasley, C. (2005). Gender & sexuality: Critical theories, critical thinkers. London: SAGE. Web.
Johansson, T. (2007). The transformation of sexuality: Gender and identity in contemporary youth culture. Aldershot, England: Ashgate. Web.
Mooney, A., Peccei, J. S., LaBelle, S., & Henriksen, B. E. (2011). Language, society and power. London: Routledge. Web.