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Gender Differences

In: Social Issues

Submitted By kholmes1983
Words 942
Pages 4
Gender Differences are socially determined. A child can be born female and male but they have to grow and develop their gender. There are quite a few factors that play a part in determining what roles an individual plays in gender. The factors that are the most influential are family, culture, friends, and music.
The family is the first influence that shapes and molds the gender of each child. Even from the beginning the mother talks to the child within the womb. She may tell the child (if it is a girl) that you will be pretty, smart, caring, important, and etc. There are times the child takes on the behavior that the mother exhibited during pregnancy. I observed a situation of a close relative, where her husband continued to leave the relationship and comeback and leave again. It was understood after speaking with the mom that she left her relationship with his dad a lot during the pregnancy.
During the growing up process the child observes the roles of the mother and the roles of the father. In the cases where the mother is the more dominant or the father is less dominant, there is a possibility that the daughter may grow up and be a dominant individual. Girls mock the behavior of their mothers. She may see her mom being feminine; mother may wear make-up, dresses, heals, and exhibit the characteristics of what some may consider being a lady. In an ideal world a father or male influence would show boys how to fix cars, build things, do yard work, be a provider, and a protector. On the other hand the mother can attempt to raise a son and he have the true male characteristics stated before or he can take on the role of a woman and become feminine. The same case with a dad raising a daughter she has a possibility of being masculine. The male being feminine and the female being masculine does not make these individuals gay, just like the female being feminine and

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