Gender is not a social construct

[Bara_no_Hime]

Yeah, I did read through, but I thought I'd post my insight anyway. I don't know much Latin either to be honest; just things I've picked up from Wikipedia/Wiktionary or other random research.

Mildly embarassing factoid: I obviously knew gyno because gynecologist. However, I also knew it from gynosphinx, from the D&D monster manual and, more recently, Pathfinder Bestiaries. And, I recalled that one of the other sphinx types was an androsphinx. I thought it was the male sphinx, but then I wasn't sure because of the andro in front of androgyny (missing the now obvious gyny at the end). I should have gone with my first instinct - I would have looked all smart and stuff. But, in reality, I was remembering the different types of sphinx from D&D/Pathfinder. Yeah.

But yeah, I tend to think about gender a lot, even though I've never had any real gender or sexuality issues myself (not that I have to, though). I just find it to be a fascinating subject, and it helps that I'm currently studying A-Level Sociology.

Indeed.

... I feel like I should say more, but I can't think of anything to add. Gender and sexuality fascinate me as well, mostly due to how many different representations of that can be found in my social group. My life is one big Quiltbag.

 

[Do4600]

Gender roles and mannerisms are defined by culture, but culture itself is defined by hundreds of millions of years of evolution, our culture is very much a product of our physiology and psychology. Generally, the roles people have now in culture and society are still very much the same as they were 40,000 years ago, which is because our society and culture only had reason to change 10,000 years ago. Evolution defined what behaviors were the most beneficial for all of us to have for our environment over millions of years, for instance, the reason grandmother's and mother's traditionally raise children is because that behavior was the most effective at keeping the most off-spring alive, natural selection via behavior.

Our problem now is that our species has changed dramatically even in the past 100 years, while it may have been advantageous 100,000 years ago for women to only raise children and forage, it is no longer the case. In our advanced civilization no one needs to take a specific set of gender roles or mannerisms to be successful. Those behavioral roles, however, evolved right along side physiology and the physical imprints of those roles in our genes still exist and express themselves. Our culture evolved from those behavioral and physical traits and responding to a specific side is really just like fitting two pieces of a broken pot back together, they fit because they once were one. These traits are not mutually exclusive however, nature is always changing, trying to find a better way.