Boys and Girls Are Different - Essay Example

GENDER DIFFERENCES The topic Nature vs. Nurture has been a of much debate and discussion. Why are girls naturally drawn towards playing with dolls and enjoy cooking whereas boys are more attracted towards cars and trucks? Is this a result of genetic formation i.e. nature, or is it the outcome of the upbringing and training of the child i.e. Nurture? Many argue that the reason why boys and girls are so different is because of the way they are raised and influenced by the family and society. Whereas others advocate that these differences are hereditary and come from the genetic makeup. Nature vs. Nurture has been seen as one of the reasons why the actions of boys and girls are so conflicting and different from each other. The four main differences that are said to exist between boys and girls are: verbal-linguistic intelligence, mathematical acuity, spatial skills and aggressiveness. According to Alan Dix, there is not a very significant difference between the average general IQ scores of men and women. However; when it comes to spatial and linguistic skills, the differences do exist. As research suggests, females have greater linguistic skills while their male counter parts are better when it comes to visual-spatial skills. (Dix 2002) Both, genetics and environment, play an important role in the formation of personalities but it gets extremely difficult to analyze and differentiate between them. One cannot determine the effects between inborn genetic talents and family influenced development. According to Woo Moo Hurh, it is almost impossible for human beings to survive and exist without nature as well as nurture. He also raises a question about whether men and women act differently because of biological differences or because of culturally specified gender-roles that have been assigned to them. (Woo Moo Hurh 2000) Reviews of more than 80 research studies about psychiatric disorders in Europe and North America were taken into consideration and the study displayed the following results. There were higher rates of bipolar disorder and neurosis amongst women whereas the rates of personality or character disorder were higher amongst men, regardless of time or place. This means that men are more likely to behave anti-socially and get into drug and alcohol addiction and while women are more prone to suffer from neurosis and manic depression. (Woo Moo Hurh 2000) Another study by Maccoby and Jacklin in 1974 found 4 main gender differences: Verbal ability and writing skills favored females Mathematical ability was greater in men Visual-spatial skills were favoring men Men were more aggressive (Woo Moo hurh 2000) Is it very evident that boys and girls function differently and this can be considered as one of the main reasons why scientists have been researching for years to find out why these differences exist? A study shows that boys and girls use different strategies to explain and solve mathematical problems. This difference in strategic thinking can be seen in children when they are only in first grade. People might argue that this difference exists because of genetics but in reality, it is more than that. Research has shown that the difference in the way boys and girls solve problem is not dependent upon how difficult the problem is. The difference is in the way they solve those problems. The girls wish to be right ends up in slowing down the process of solving the problem. This is why girls hesitate before answering the question because they want to make sure that their answers are correct. While boys are more enthusiastic so they presume that they are right and hence answer the question first. This shows how society and other academic factors have an influence on these students and whether or not they feel comfortable in asking for assistance in math. (Bryan 2). Apart from that, previous studies have also shown that women are more likely to take up subjects like liberal arts and humanities while men would choose to do their major in the field of science and engineering. The difference of size in the enrollment of students, particularly in these two subjects, is very evident. And it seems to stem that the reasons why boys are more inclined towards subjects like math and science is because of nature and genetics. Another reason why boys and girls are so different is because of the culture they are following. Many traits of personality and intelligence are innate but the environment and society also has a great influence on them. Aggressive differences amongst men and women may be inherent but can these differences also be a result of environmental influences? Many people believe that aggression can also be developed through watching relatives fight. Evidence for a genetic difference in boys and girls come from 4 main sources: Young boys show more levels of aggression than girls even before the society and environment have had a chance to influence their minds. Males across different cultures show more aggression Males in many other animals are much more aggressive when compared to females The male hormone testosterone also increases aggression. (Sturt 1) The differences mentioned above show how aggression is directly linked with nature and genetics. Girls are better at verbal communication than boys whereas boys do great with mathematical problems. Aggression is found more in boys and very little in girls. All these skills and traits are innate; however, the environment plays a pivotal role in shaping the character and personality of boys and girls. If we look at women, the way they handle baby girls is completely different than the way they would deal with baby boys. Parents deal differently with their sons and daughters. Mothers are more close to girls and talk to them more than they talk to boys. Similarly, boys are given more freedom and encouraged by their parents to be more aggressive, bold and outgoing. They are raised to be less sensitive and emotional than girls. Also, parents show low levels of aggression when dealing with a daughter. Thus, culture also plays a significant role in the way boys and girls act. So it can be deduced that gender differences that prevail in men and women are both, naturally present and learnt. Boys and girls are born with differences; however, culture also determines the way boys and girls behave. It is no secret that men and women operate differently and so the debate on Nature vs. Nurture is the one that will continue to go on as time passes by. References: Bryan, Catherine A. “Gender Differences Found in the Way Boys and Girls Solve Math Problems” APA Press Release. (June 3, 1997) Available Online at: http://www.apa.org/releases/math2/html Dix, Alan. “Real Men Do It Generously” (Sep/Oct 2002) Available Online at: http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/~dixa/hci-educa%E2%80%A6/2002-sept-real-men.html Sturt, Gary. “Genetic” OCR Education Module Available Online at: http://www.garysturt.free-online.co.uk/gender.htm “To Sum It Up: Case Studies of Education in Germany, Japan, and the United States Chapter 3 – Dealing with Differences in Academic Ability (Part 2 of 2)” Available Online at: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/SumItUp/chaptr3a.html Woo Moo Hurh “Biological Factors in Personality” Personality in Culture & Society: An Interdisciplinary & Cross Cultural Approach. 2nd Edition. Kendal/Hunt Publishing (2000) Available Online at: www.csun.edu/~hbsoc126/docs/chapOutline2.pdf Read More