Gender Is Biologically Determined Essay

Critically discuss the idea that gender is biologically determined.

Gender refers to the array of traits relating to and differentiating between femininity and masculinity (Cordier, 2012). Based on the context, these traits may include sex-based structures (including gender roles), biological sex (i.e. being female, male or intersex) or gender identity. Biological psychology views gender-based identity and roles as arising from and relating to biological processes. From a biological perspective, gender differences are viewed to emanate from differences in sex (Lockshin, 1999, p.362). In other words, men and women feel, act and think differently due to the difference in the structure and functioning of their brains. Biology, however, is one of the two main perspectives that explain gender differences; the other perspective is sociology (Slife, 2010). Since the origin of gender studies, biological imperative has always been viewed to cause the differences in gender-based roles and lifestyles
Feminists hold the belief that biological determinism of gender has promoted gender inequalities. When the sex of an individual is female, then one is expected to predispose the gender characteristics of a female such as maternal, passive, and domestic. Given that biological diversity between men and women is the root cause of the social inequalities, then one can do nothing to effect changes. This is the argument used by feminists to rub off the importance of biology in determining gender. Additionally, feminists believe that there is no need to associate biology and gender roles. Butler (1999), a feminist, questions on fixedness of gender and biological determinism of sex. She argues that if gender and sex are a social construct, then any effort to assign sex specific aspects is not possible. This view could be termed as self-defeating which means that sex and gender are deeply rooted in