For thousands of years, people around the world has argued over sexual subjects, among which there is one that always brings emotional reaction: Are sex and gender the same thing? According to biological anthropologists, humans have always displayed all varieties of sexuality since the beginning of time. However, as we go deeper into what sexuality means to mankind, the answer may differ depending on whom you ask, for so many people confuse the word sex with the word gender. Scientists claim that sex is referred to the biological and physiological characteristics that define a man or a woman whereas gender to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities and attributes that a society dictates to be appropriate for men and women. Based on these definitions, we can clearly see that the dubious reaction towards the question of gender and sex could be settled in a blink of an eye but there are other things to consider.

There are people in our American culture that has modified their physiology to become like the other sex and had also adapt to the gender role of the other sex. Such concrete example was a friend of mine who lived in Massachusetts, she had surgery and implanted a penis in the place of her vagina and had exercises as well as other surgeries that make her look identical to a man.Furthermore, she talks like a man, has testicles like a man and is now living with a girl with who she has an adopted child. Back to the initial point of this debate, one thing becomes vital to mention how both definitions for gender and sex are met in this case.

So, every logical person would agree with this statement but one might raise an important point by saying: What about reproduction? This is a crucial analysis, I think, because reproduction plays a great role in defining your sex. Nevertheless, to say that a previously female individual has to have spermatozoids that are effective for reproduction, really means that all males have to have efficient reproductive spermatozoids. In reality, it does not always work like that for every man. So, to say that a transgendered woman needs to have reproductive organs to be accepted as a man really means that a man should have reproductive organs to be considered as a man. As hard as I try to believe that this statement is true, I just cannot believe it because it does not fit to the world in which we are living. In other words, we humans do not put emphasis on whether or not you can reproduce to assign the female or the male title to an individual.

Talking of the male and female title, I think that is an interesting point to discuss relating it to the sex and gender issue. If we are to differentiate between whom is female or male, our standpoint should hinge upon decision making and self-concepts rather than just an appearance because so many people are changing their outer self to inflict a new appearance to it. Instead of using the same old mindset that has put us in war for the past fifty thousand years and relay on mythical explanation to define our gender and sex, we should rely on logics which tells us that gender and sex are merely subjective concepts.

In a nutshell, it can clearly be seen that the definition for sex and gender do not hold true in some situations. However, these two concepts has caused numerous individuals to lose their lives in the ancient world. Not being able to accept the lifestyle of homosexuals and bisexuals, many cultures have destroyed anyone who would deviate from traditional sexuality. Today, people are more tolerant towards these individuals but that does not mean the majority likes it.Altough it seems evil to hate people in our own species but the fact seems to have a legit anthropological origin: If everybody was homosexual, there would be no procreation. This is the question that many are trying to answer: Are we hostile towards same sex relationships because we are haters or is it just because of our evolutionary past?

For thousands of years, people around the world has argued over sexual subjects, among which there is one that always brings emotional reaction: Are sex and gender the same thing? According to biological anthropologists, humans have always displayed all varieties of sexuality since the beginning of time. However, as we go deeper into what sexuality means to mankind, the answer may differ depending on whom you ask, for so many people confuse the word sex with the word gender. Scientists claim that sex is referred to the biological and physiological characteristics that define a man or a woman whereas gender to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities and attributes that a society dictates to be appropriate for men and women. Based on these definitions, we can clearly see that the dubious reaction towards the question of gender and sex could be settled in a blink of an eye but there are other things to consider.

There are people in our American culture that has modified their physiology to become like the other sex and had also adapt to the gender role of the other sex. Such concrete example was a friend of mine who lived in Massachusetts, she had surgery and implanted a penis in the place of her vagina and had exercises as well as other surgeries that make her look identical to a man.Furthermore, she talks like a man, has testicles like a man and is now living with a girl with who she has an adopted child. Back to the initial point of this debate, one thing becomes vital to mention how both definitions for gender and sex are met in this case.

So, every logical person would agree with this statement but one might raise an important point by saying: What about reproduction? This is a crucial analysis, I think, because reproduction plays a great role in defining your sex. Nevertheless, to say that a previously female individual has to have spermatozoids that are effective for reproduction, really means that all males have to have efficient reproductive spermatozoids. In reality, it does not always work like that for every man. So, to say that a transgendered woman needs to have reproductive organs to be accepted as a man really means that a man should have reproductive organs to be considered as a man. As hard as I try to believe that this statement is true, I just cannot believe it because it does not fit to the world in which we are living. In other words, we humans do not put emphasis on whether or not you can reproduce to assign the female or the male title to an individual.

Talking of the male and female title, I think that is an interesting point to discuss relating it to the sex and gender issue. If we are to differentiate between whom is female or male, our standpoint should hinge upon decision making and self-concepts rather than just an appearance because so many people are changing their outer self to inflict a new appearance to it. Instead of using the same old mindset that has put us in war for the past fifty thousand years and relay on mythical explanation to define our gender and sex, we should rely on logics which tells us that gender and sex are merely subjective concepts.

In a nutshell, it can clearly be seen that the definition for sex and gender do not hold true in some situations. However, these two concepts has caused numerous individuals to lose their lives in the ancient world. Not being able to accept the lifestyle of homosexuals and bisexuals, many cultures have destroyed anyone who would deviate from traditional sexuality. Today, people are more tolerant towards these individuals but that does not mean the majority likes it.Altough it seems evil to hate people in our own species but the fact seems to have a legit anthropological origin: If everybody was homosexual, there would be no procreation. This is the question that many are trying to answer: Are we hostile towards same sex relationships because we are haters or is it just because of our evolutionary past?

Paper Text

John Charmant Baines Kristina Subject: Anthropology Hour: T, 6:30-9:15 Reaction Essay II Sex and Gender It is often said that female and male complete each other and they are like quantum mechanics and general relativity. However, emotions do not know the boundary existing between these two sexes. It goes to the level of one preferring the same sex as a lover or sexual preference. This phenomenon is disturbing to many and some still abominate that such a thing could be as real as it seems. Anyway, there is only one to find out whether or not, there is any anthropological backup to why it is such a difficult concept to grasp. Some claim that it is abnormal for others to be in a same sex relationship but the concept of sex and gender could be the key to decipher the puzzle.

For thousands of years, people around the world has argued over sexual subjects, among which there is one that always brings emotional reaction: Are sex and gender the same thing? According to biological anthropologists, humans have always displayed all varieties of sexuality since the beginning of time. However, as we go deeper into what sexuality means to mankind, the answer may differ depending on whom you ask, for so many people confuse the word sex with the word gender. Scientists claim that sex is referred to the biological and physiological characteristics that define a man or a woman whereas gender to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities and attributes that a society dictates to be appropriate for men and women. Based on these definitions, we can clearly see that the dubious reaction towards the question of gender and sex could be settled in a blink of an eye but there are other things to consider.

There are people in our American culture that has modified their physiology to become like the other sex and had also adapt to the gender role of the other sex. Such concrete example was a friend of mine who lived in Massachusetts, she had surgery and implanted a penis in the place of her vagina and had exercises as well as other surgeries that make her look identical to a man.Furthermore, she talks like a man, has testicles like a man and is now living with a girl with who she has an adopted child. Back to the initial point of this debate, one thing becomes vital to mention how both definitions for gender and sex are met in this case.

So, every logical person would agree with this statement but one might raise an important point by saying: What about reproduction? This is a crucial analysis, I think, because reproduction plays a great role in defining your sex. Nevertheless, to say that a previously female individual has to have spermatozoids that are effective for reproduction, really means that all males have to have efficient reproductive spermatozoids. In reality, it does not always work like that for every man. So, to say that a transgendered woman needs to have reproductive organs to be accepted as a man really means that a man should have reproductive organs to be considered as a man. As hard as I try to believe that this statement is true, I just cannot believe it because it does not fit to the world in which we are living. In other words, we humans do not put emphasis on whether or not you can reproduce to assign the female or the male title to an individual.

Talking of the male and female title, I think that is an interesting point to discuss relating it to the sex and gender issue. If we are to differentiate between whom is female or male, our standpoint should hinge upon decision making and self-concepts rather than just an appearance because so many people are changing their outer self to inflict a new appearance to it. Instead of using the same old mindset that has put us in war for the past fifty thousand years and relay on mythical explanation to define our gender and sex, we should rely on logics which tells us that gender and sex are merely subjective concepts.

In a nutshell, it can clearly be seen that the definition for sex and gender do not hold true in some situations. However, these two concepts has caused numerous individuals to lose their lives in the ancient world. Not being able to accept the lifestyle of homosexuals and bisexuals, many cultures have destroyed anyone who would deviate from traditional sexuality. Today, people are more tolerant towards these individuals but that does not mean the majority likes it.Altough it seems evil to hate people in our own species but the fact seems to have a legit anthropological origin: If everybody was homosexual, there would be no procreation. This is the question that many are trying to answer: Are we hostile towards same sex relationships because we are haters or is it just because of our evolutionary past?

This is a pretty great comment, actually. It reads as snark, but I intuit that it was intended to both be a bit snarky while also alluding to an important point.

A lot of the nature/nurture debate includes within it the implicit assumption of dualism. That is to say, with regard to Greg’s comment, that there’s some sense in which some given aspect of cognition/personality would not be identifiable as a “difference in an area of the brain”. Unless one is a dualist, then everything reflects some difference in brain function at some level of anatomical detail, including a predilection for grilled cheese sandwiches.

Garcia-Falgueras A. and Swaab D. F. (2008) “A sex difference in the hypothalamic uncinate nucleus: relationship to gender identity” Brain Oxford JournalsMedicine Brain 131 (12) 3132-3146.

http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/131/12/3132.long

Kruijver F. P. M., Zhou J. -N., Pool C. W., Hofman M. A., Gooren L. G. J. and Swaab D. F. (2000) “Male-to-Female Transsexuals Have Female Neuron Numbers in a Limbic Nucleus” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 85 (5) 2034-2041

http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/85/5/2034.full

Of course, more research is needed, but these studies suggest that certain brain structure in the limbic nucleus might predict gender identity.

Do yo have a constructive suggestion by way of expanding on that which gives you your firm beliefs? Feel free to let us know about the important theories and stuff. Seriously.

I have heard many important theories and hypotheses for why boys express “a narrower range of preferences than girls,” without relying on genetics. I firmly believe this difference is not related to genetics at all. And yet, once you come upon something you don’t understand,
you’re willing to call it genetics. Why?

You are falling into the very traps being critiqued — for anything you haven’t (yet) figured out how to understand through social/behavioral/cultural development, you just throws your hands up and call it genetics.

Actually you’re 50% identical. Big difference. Your own kid will also be 50% identical to you, but your sibling’s kids (nephews) will only share 25% of their genes with you.

So a gene leading you to forsake reproduction and help your sibling reproduce instead, would need at least to double the reproductive efficiency of your siblings to be positively selected.