General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: "We raise girls to cater to the fragile egos of men." [View all]davidn3600
(6,342 posts)Do you feel we are all born a blank slate? That nature has not given each gender any different tendencies or instincts at all? The reason an average little girl makes a beeline to the girls section of the toy store is 100% because of society-dictated gender roles?
As with most nature vs nurture debates, the true answer is that it's a bit of both. And that's what I believe. I believe this is a gray area.
What I find most intriguing about research in this topic is transgenders. If we are born as blank slates like you seem to think we are, why is it that a transgender person feels as if they are born the wrong gender? With these people, the brain's gender doesn't match the body. And they know something is wrong very early in life...2 or 3 years old many times.
The idea that women are supposed to cook and clean the house and the man is supposed to go to work...that's society. We are being taught (and forced) into those roles by our upbringing. I'm 100% in agreement with you there. But I think it's pretty obvious men and women don't think in exactly the same ways. We dont behave exactly the same. There is something different there between us. And to think that difference plays no role in our interests and career choices is a bit naive.