Sex Roles Vs. Gender Roles; The Social War of Finding the Difference

Sex Roles Vs. Gender Roles; The Social War of Finding the Difference

Gender may hold less meaning today than ever before in history, in the American society at least, but it still means quite a bit. Boys, girls, and a whole new rainbow of gender variants in between, may all be heading toward the same bright future, but they will continue to travel on separate roads. The metaphor, of course, doesn't win universal approval; many believe the nurturing of parents, impact of friends and the overwhelming influence of culture are what maintain gender roles and expectations. But arguably, so does nature. A growing body of genetic and behavioral research makes it difficult to continue the popular ideal that children are blank slates or moldable pieces of putty. At the core of every human being is a genetic make up, a make up including gender, which plays one significant part. "To ignore gender," argues Steven Pinker, a Montreal native and professor of Psychology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "would be to ignore a major part of the human condition" (Pinker). His latest book, The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature, includes a well written unraveling of the notion that all “sex differences”, other than the anatomical, are the result of parents, friends and society. He makes the case for expanding the impact of biology, the genders, he says, "do not have interchangeable minds" (Pinker).
Among a long list of differences hold facts such as; most women are more sensitive to sounds and smells, have superior depth perception, are better spellers, use the language more fluently, are more adept at reading facial expressions and body language, and "experience basic emotions more intensely, except perhaps anger." Men, Pinker says are typically better at solving mathematical word problems, mentally rotating objects and maps, have a higher tolerance for pain, a greater willingness to risk life for status or attention and a greater tendency toward violent competition. These differences are not justifications for...