Men Are Different from Women - Essay Example

We feel even more uncertain about our ability to tell the difference between men and women (Bland, 2003).
According to Bland (2003, pg. 1), “Men are different from women. That would seem to be self-evident. They are different in aptitude, skill, and behavior, but then, so is every person. So why do we make such a fuss about it? It seems not unreasonable to suggest that the sexes are different because their brains are different, but then no two human brains are the same. It is suggested that our culture is in trouble because many women have been brought up to believe they should be as good as a man. Well, why not?... Suffice it to say that all the studies report on the way boys and girls are, not how they got to be that way. Or rather how they were at the time of the study. Commonality across cultures and species implies some biological basis. The fact that the situation is changing reflects the power of socialization.”   In this paper, first, we will go over girls, and then over boys.  We will give both stereotypes of the different genders, as well as the results of scientific studies on the topic. Girls Many stereotypes exist about girls, whether or not they are true.  One will find out that girls fit these stereotypes most of the time.  Some of them are as follows: • Girls are more sociable • Girls are more nurturing • Girls are more compliant • Girls have lower self-esteem • Girls are hard to sustain One stereotype that used to be on this list, but that has disappeared over the past two decades is that girls have less motivation to achieve than boys.  With feminism and the large push for male-female equality, it is easy to see how a traditional stereotype like this one would fade away (Bland, 2003).   It has been found through scientific studies that girls pick up sound better than boys do.  This makes them better audio learners.  According to Bland (2003, pg. 1), “Why are girls more successful at school? Perhaps the emphasis on communication in projects and exams submerges differences. Success at school nowadays depends on being able to write essays and examination papers. If girls are better at verbal communication than boys, then they are likely to succeed. But, if there are more boys in remedial reading classes, does it not imply a serious defect in our educational system?”  Women also seem to have great endurance when it comes to playing sports.  This has led to many sports becoming unisex instead of just being designated as male or female sports (Bland, 2003). Boys Scientifically, males are taller and heavier than their female counterparts.  This means that they typically have an advantage in beating women in strength and speed.  The following facts and stereotypes describe men as opposed to women: • Men are more aggressive • Men are more antagonistic physically • Men are more destructive verbally • Men enjoy taking risks • Men enjoy playing games where they get to fight • Men enjoy taking on dares • More men are convicted of crimes • More men commit crimes of violence. According to Bland (2003, pg. 1), “Biologically, men certainly seem to be the weaker sex. Although one would expect there to be an equal chance of the fetus being a boy or girl, it appears that the ratio for boys is about 20 percent higher, yet only about the same number come to term. This greater tendency for male fetuses to be aborted carries on, with more boys stillborn and susceptible to congenital or inherited conditions, such as hemophilia, cerebral palsy, convulsions, or heart disease. "On average, men experience heart attacks 10 years earlier than women, and have a better rate of survival after one year. Symptoms also vary by sex: women experience shortness of breath, fatigue, and chest pain; most male heart attacks come on as a sudden, striking pain in the chest." In adulthood, men have greater vulnerability to virus infections and a shorter average lifespan.” Read More