Gender

If we look at males and females on a biological level, of course there is a distinct difference. Not in just reproductive organs, but in the way our brains are wired which in turn effects almost everything else about us. On the other hand, if we look at gender simply as a social construction things are less cut and dry. If a female grows up with five brothers, of course she will probably have a tendency to be a little more rough and tumble, probably like sports, or other "typical" male things. Honestly though, I do think our societal expectations of our gender does go parallel to who we actually are at a biological level. Thousands of years ago men were still the hunters and protectors of the group, providing food and security and women were still the child raisers. Today, that idea is still apparent. Obviously different cultures portray these roles in different ways, but in the U.S. I actually think we go against those roles, on some level, more so than any other place in the world. Women don't have to stay home and have children, and it's not expected of them. Men will even take time off of their jobs to raise children while women reenter the workforce. It is okay for women to live alone and protect themselves, they don't need a man by their side to shelter them from everything. But on some innate level, I do think there are just certain things that women are hardwired to think about differently. I think women are less likely to approve of violence for the reason stated in class. Deep down we're still "child bearers" and so we're hardwired to not want to get involved in violence to protect our young. And even a woman has no child I think that concept probably still applies. This can be seen in the differences in gender for the approval of gun control laws. There is an obvious majority of men that denied the passing of gun control legislation, whereas 80% of women approved of this. That alone says a lot. Women are also more likely to be Democrats, they want equality and everyone to be cared for. This is obviously not a realistic goal, but it does go back to the way our brains work, we want our children, the children of other parents, to be taken care of and provided for.
I am not sure how I feel about the "Single Men: Menace to Society" concept we discussed. Besides the fact that I think men are more violent than women, I don't understand why these single men have a tendency to attack other people, oftentimes, for no reason. I can't pretend to know a reason for this, but it is disturbing and something I think that needs to be researched more.