Could gender roles be biological?

Could Gender Roles be Biological?

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    25
Satya

Satya

C'est la vie
Retired Staff
MBTI
INXP
Research at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center has shown that gender roles may be biological among primates. Yerkes researchers studied the interactions of 11 male and 23 female Rhesus Monkeys with human toys, both wheeled and plush. The males played mostly with the wheeled toys while the females played with both types equally. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_role#cite_note-4Psychologist Kim Wallen has, however, warned against overinterpeting the results as the color and size of the toys may also be factors in the monkey's behavior.
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Thoughts?
 
I don't think so because as weird as it sounds I mostly played with the plush toys when I was younger.
 
i never played with toys except for blocks which i used to try to skate on them and make a mess out of the house.Maybe its the monkeys culture which overtakes the gender behavior.I mean if genes took after this, we will just have no control over the outcome.
 
Not as crazy as it sounds imo.

I think it's most clearly seen when you talk to/read about those who are transgender, they'll usually say they played with toys that were associated with the other sex when they were children, take the example of a boy who feels his biological gender is a girl, social expectations should have him playing with cars but ze would more often be seen playing with traditionally female toys like dolls, the child knows nothing of what ze is 'supposed' to do. Tis a common story.

I don't think it's that black and white but it makes sense for gender roles to have a biological basis.
 
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I think it is mostly biological.

Talking from experience. I am homosexual. When I was very young, I became friends with girls much more, and just understood them better, and I still to this day. I also played with dolls, and liked many girl things like playing house. But I also liked boy things like cars and breaking things. My father REALLY discouraged (and sometimes punished) for doing "girly" things when I was young. My mom let me do what I want.

In a nutshell, I just naturally went with what ever. So I think it is mostly biolgical.
 
I agree, I think it's mostly biological, with aspects of culture and temperament
 
Voted yes. I see no reason why they couldn't be.
 
My brother used to play with dolls all the time when he was little, now he is about as masculine and straight as you can get.
 
I think "playing with dolls" is perhaps a debatable indicator of gender. Possibly more an indication of wanting to shape, control, oversee, care for others? Which I don't consider a primarily female urge.

I never played with dolls myself, though my heterosexuality has never been in doubt. I played with "figures". Specifically, building homes, cities, towns, worlds with lots of different figures, many of which weren't even human figures. GI Joes were good because they had more functionality than most of the other figures of that day. Disaster scenarios (and heroic rescues) were also regular themes. I never felt that I wasn't being a girl by playing those games.
 
ZenCat said:
I think "playing with dolls" is perhaps a debatable indicator of gender. Possibly more an indication of wanting to shape, control, oversee, care for others?
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Good point, which goes to show the study doesn't really tell us much, it could indicate anything?
 
I played with almost a thousand green and white army men :D King Cobra kicked arse.
 
I don't think it's biological. environmental is my guess :)
 
Gender roles are biological. I have never seen a woman propagate her seed, nor have I seen men give birth. [Edit] This is the law of nature.

Unless you count that recent transgender that kept his female parts and gave birth. I'm ashamed to be human at the thought.
 
I think you need to work on your understanding of "roles".
 
The modern understanding of "gender roles" is perpetuated by culture, but I think it is obvious that it started somehwere in our evolution. There certainly is sound biological reasoning for many of the traits associated with masculinity and femininity.
 
I think it depends. It's logical to assume gender roles are solely biological, but I think that's a difficult - maybe even dangerous - statement. To me, saying "all men do X" and "all women do Y" isn't taking everyone into account. Granted, men are naturally weaker at some things and women are naturally weaker at other things, but putting a blanket statement over all situations is probably less realistic.

But overall, I think gender roles are biological. With key exceptions.
 
FC3S said:
Gender roles are biological. I have never seen a woman propagate her seed, nor have I seen men give birth. [Edit] This is the law of nature.
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You’re talking about biology. Gender roles are not the same.

Gender role refers to the attitudes and behaviors that class a person's stereotypical identity, e.g. women cook and clean, men fix cars. To associate oneself as either masculine or feminine is identifying with gender.

Unless you count that recent transgender that kept his female parts and gave birth. I'm ashamed to be human at the thought.
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Bigot much?
 
Lurker said:
You’re talking about biology. Gender roles are not the same.

Gender role refers to the attitudes and behaviors that class a person's stereotypical identity, e.g. women cook and clean, men fix cars. To associate oneself as either masculine or feminine is identifying with gender.



Bigot much?
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It isn't your place to correct an opinion - something I am by rights entitled to - when it is what the topic creator asked for.
 
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