It is unfair to blame genes or society for the status of women.
It is unfair to blame genes or society for the status of women. State and argue your stand.
There are many controversial views prevailing whether biological makeup or social conditioning has ultimate control over the status of women today. It has come to the acknowledgement to men and also some women themselves that they are being viewed as being the ?weaker? sex in this battle of the sexes which has been on going for decades or more but had led to no apparent conclusions. I would say that this occurring perception that women are comparatively the ?weaker? sex and their inability to excel in certain tasks are by and large the fault of the society with biological makeup being only a minute factor.
No doubt many would argue that sciences has given us results of studies and researches that the gender differences in men and women are the results of biological makeup. Testosterone, a hormone in the brain is main ideology behind the behaviors of the gender (Laura, 2000, p.4). On the contrary, did sciences tell us that women are the ?weaker? sex? Did sciences tell us that when women are less able to perform in certain area of work, that we should discriminate them in these fields? No, it did not.
Taking India for example, the women in India suffered discriminations from receiving less healthcare than men do, to mistreatment in women such that the fear of violence had dampened many aspirations amongst women(http://www.thp.org/reports/indiawom.htm). These ill conditions the women of India are facing are in no ways associated with their biological makeup. It is the perception of women in the society as the whole that contributes to these. These perceptions might had been due to traditional and cultural practices of the past and the failure of the people to see the need to modernize. ?A range of government programs have been launched to increase economic opportunity for women, although there appear to be no existing programs to address the cultural and traditional discrimination against women that leads to her abject conditions.?(http://www.thp.org/reports/indiawom.htm). The government is indeed trying to find a remedy to the problem but there can only be so much that can be done, society perceptions can hardly be changed overnight.
Nevid said that psychological studies often show the ?nature or nurture? debate that affects the behavior. Researches found out that monozygotic twins (twins with identical DNA), when separated at birth and brought up in different environment, would have different personality traits (2003, p.85). No doubt genetically similar make up would account for the similarity between twins would are brought up in the same environment, but it is often argued that it is also due to environmental conditioning that result in such. The tendency for parents to let twins wear the same type of clothes, do and play the same things is an example of environment conditioning in twins. Thus in today?s society, the status of women would be largely the effect of social conditioning, the result of an idea perceived that women must be of such inculcated to them at a young age.
Another aspect we can look into is the status of women in ancient China. Since the days of dynastic China, women have already been seen as being subservient to men. This is the kind of perception that the society sees women and that has been brought down to even today, women?s rights activist have been continuously fighting for the equality of the sexes but the environmental upbringing of some chauvinistic men would see otherwise to their cause.
We have looked at the different factors that attributed to the status of women today. Cultural, traditional and environmental factors are largely the cause to its effects in predetermining women as the ?weaker sex?. Thus, it can be concluded to a large extent that it is the fault of society that makes up the status of women today and the contribution of genes to this effect is negligible.
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Well, the above is my essay due for submission. I think it suck and doesn't quite answer the Question. Lolx! But then...whateva!
Leave your comments ya! Later.
There are many controversial views prevailing whether biological makeup or social conditioning has ultimate control over the status of women today. It has come to the acknowledgement to men and also some women themselves that they are being viewed as being the ?weaker? sex in this battle of the sexes which has been on going for decades or more but had led to no apparent conclusions. I would say that this occurring perception that women are comparatively the ?weaker? sex and their inability to excel in certain tasks are by and large the fault of the society with biological makeup being only a minute factor.
No doubt many would argue that sciences has given us results of studies and researches that the gender differences in men and women are the results of biological makeup. Testosterone, a hormone in the brain is main ideology behind the behaviors of the gender (Laura, 2000, p.4). On the contrary, did sciences tell us that women are the ?weaker? sex? Did sciences tell us that when women are less able to perform in certain area of work, that we should discriminate them in these fields? No, it did not.
Taking India for example, the women in India suffered discriminations from receiving less healthcare than men do, to mistreatment in women such that the fear of violence had dampened many aspirations amongst women(http://www.thp.org/reports/indiawom.htm). These ill conditions the women of India are facing are in no ways associated with their biological makeup. It is the perception of women in the society as the whole that contributes to these. These perceptions might had been due to traditional and cultural practices of the past and the failure of the people to see the need to modernize. ?A range of government programs have been launched to increase economic opportunity for women, although there appear to be no existing programs to address the cultural and traditional discrimination against women that leads to her abject conditions.?(http://www.thp.org/reports/indiawom.htm). The government is indeed trying to find a remedy to the problem but there can only be so much that can be done, society perceptions can hardly be changed overnight.
Nevid said that psychological studies often show the ?nature or nurture? debate that affects the behavior. Researches found out that monozygotic twins (twins with identical DNA), when separated at birth and brought up in different environment, would have different personality traits (2003, p.85). No doubt genetically similar make up would account for the similarity between twins would are brought up in the same environment, but it is often argued that it is also due to environmental conditioning that result in such. The tendency for parents to let twins wear the same type of clothes, do and play the same things is an example of environment conditioning in twins. Thus in today?s society, the status of women would be largely the effect of social conditioning, the result of an idea perceived that women must be of such inculcated to them at a young age.
Another aspect we can look into is the status of women in ancient China. Since the days of dynastic China, women have already been seen as being subservient to men. This is the kind of perception that the society sees women and that has been brought down to even today, women?s rights activist have been continuously fighting for the equality of the sexes but the environmental upbringing of some chauvinistic men would see otherwise to their cause.
We have looked at the different factors that attributed to the status of women today. Cultural, traditional and environmental factors are largely the cause to its effects in predetermining women as the ?weaker sex?. Thus, it can be concluded to a large extent that it is the fault of society that makes up the status of women today and the contribution of genes to this effect is negligible.
________________________________ END _______________________________
Well, the above is my essay due for submission. I think it suck and doesn't quite answer the Question. Lolx! But then...whateva!
Leave your comments ya! Later.
posted by The Custodian at 5:33 PM
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