Based on the external differences between men and women, you can think that they are also different as people based on their gender. Gender differences are extended far and wide. Very far. Men are goal-oriented and systematic, women are caring and empathetic, many people think. The famous adage: ,Men are from Mars, women are from Venus,. And not only that. The origin can be found in biological differences, which are insurmountable, inevitable and unchangeable, or so they think. Different brains, different hormones. Is there any scientific evidence for this?
- People differ
- A dichotomy: male versus female
- Gender and sex
- Sex and intersex
- Gender and gender diversity
- Gender dystrophy
- Equal opportunities, more differences
- Hypermasculine versus hyperfeminine
- Where can innate male-female differences come from?
- Hormones
- Difference in sex hormones
- Research into male-female differences in hormones
- Difference in brains
- Research into male-female brain differences
- Research shows: there is little difference based on gender
- How do you experience human differences?
- What can you do about it?
People differ
Everybody is different. It is often said. Yet it is very common to divide people according to their external gender characteristics: men on the one hand and women on the other. There is a world of difference between them, or so it is thought. These differences are often not psychologically, culturally or sociologically determined, but are inherent to being male or female. They are innate and therefore inevitable. It is biologically determined by evolution that men behave in a certain way and that women behave in a different way. According to this line of thinking, it is a given that women feel more (sympathetically) and that men think more (systematically). That men have to hunt (bread on the table, women, expensive cars) and that women naturally prefer to collect and care. In short: nothing you can do about it.
A dichotomy: male versus female
The rigid division of people into men and women is a nuisance. As a man you have to do this. As a woman you have to. What is considered masculine and what is feminine can feel compelling when it comes to how you should approach life as a man or woman. The expectations that come with it can make it difficult for people to make their own plans.
From the age of two to three, children conform to the expectations of their own sex. They see examples all around them that confirm these roles, and they are also pushed into the role that society believes belongs to their appearance. A boy’s birth garland is light blue, a girl’s birth garland pink. A girl is cute, a boy is cool. With a girl people talk more, with a boy they play more. But what you see around you and how you feel inside can be two different things. This can make people insecure. People are inclined to think in stereotypes and the us-them thinking may also make the world a bit more clear (but at the same time less safe, due to fear of ‘the other’). With respect and space for each other, not excluding others, paying attention to the many factors that play a role and emphasizing the similarities and not the differences, you can break this tendency towards polarization and discrimination.
Gender and sex
We also see the ‘scuffing’ in the development of the concept of ‘gender’, a concept that emerged in the 1950s, which seems to be overtaking the term ‘sex’ or ‘gender’.
Sex and intersex
Gender is about the physical differences between men and women and is based on biology. Women have two X chromosomes, men an X and Y chromosome. In addition to the chromosomes, (sex) hormones also play a role in the development of a female or male body. That is why it can happen (and research shows that this is the case in about 1 in 100 people) that the distinction between men and women is less clear-cut than it seems at first glance. Different intersexes can therefore be distinguished.
Gender and gender diversity
Gender refers to your gender identity: in which role do you feel most at home, what kind of behavior do you show, how do others see you. Your social identity is determined by culture. There are theoretically countless genders. After all, you can feel more or less masculine or feminine, behave more or less masculine or feminine. After all, this also depends on what the culture defines as male and female. The desire to clearly classify people into the box ‘man’ or ‘woman’, and the associated prejudices, can also cause you to feel limited to the role you think you should play. Different qualities are attributed to men than to women. Men behave differently than women. Different things are expected of women than of men. You are different, or so they think. In order to be socially accepted and to feel good within a society or culture, it seems important that gender and sex correspond as much as possible.
Gender dystrophy
As mentioned, the strict division into male and female and the compelling call from society to adjust your sexual identity accordingly can cause uncertainty. For example, for transgender people their gender identity or expression does not correspond to their sex or their body. This may include men who occasionally want to wear women’s clothing, to women who want to go through life as men (or men who want to go through life as women). When people decide that surgery offers the only solution to be able to live according to the gender they experience, an extensive medical and psychological process follows to proceed with gender change.
Equal opportunities, more differences
In many Western countries there is increasing equality between men and women. At the same time, gender differences appear to be increasing, according to research by Falk and Hermle in Science (October 19, 2018). This might lead you to think that when all material needs are met, people are free to do whatever they want to do deep down. If people are mainly concerned with survival, there is no time or attention to do what you would inherently prefer to do. This would explain why women mainly end up in caring professions and men prefer to work in professions in which competition and taking risks are central. But that does not take into account the society in which we grow up, argues Elisa Bellotti of the University of Manchester. From an early age we have seen that different things are asked of men and women. This affects the roles we identify with. Hence the results of this study should be interpreted differently. This means that more freedom also means that there is more pressure to conform to gender roles. We also see the same in studies on gender differences in sexual behavior. Men experience stronger impulses than women, according to research by Tidwell and Eastwick from 2013, which means, for example, that men indicate that they have a greater desire to have sex with a stranger. It is precisely in countries where there is more equality between men and women that the largest gender differences are found when it comes to the degree of unlimited sociosexual orientation, attitude and the tendency to enter into sexual relationships without emotional involvement (ISDP-2 study, Schmitt, 2015 ). This also confirms the social role theory. Is increasing social equality, given the attention to #MeToo and the number of reports of rape and inappropriate sexual behavior, a dangerous development?
Hypermasculien versus hyperfeminien
In addition to the insecurity of both men and women and the attempts to fill these gender roles more flexibly, you also see a counter-movement: the development of a form of hypermasculinity and hyperfemininity. These concepts refer to an extreme form of masculinity and femininity in appearance and characteristics, respectively. For example, masculinity is typically associated with aggression, daring to take risks, dominance, the urge to make a career and a desire for sex. External characteristics include a wide jawline, a low voice, broad shoulders and a beard. Femininity is defined in terms such as emotional, empathetic, vulnerable, sensitive, nurturing and accommodating. A dress or skirt, a narrow waist, make-up and long hair complete the external picture. You can step into this role without realizing it or, perhaps even worse, expect someone else to take on this role. If you understand masculinity as one thing and behave strictly according to it, then you expect women to behave like the opposite sex and therefore as typically feminine. That is how you will view and treat them (which in turn can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy: because you expect it and you provoke this behavior, as it were, it becomes reality). Of course, the same applies the other way around.
Where can innate male-female differences come from?
Differences between men and women are often attributed to the brain, which is said to be different for men and women. And to the endocrine system and the sex glands (gonads), where these hormones not only ensure a different body, but also different properties.
Hormones
Hormones are produced by the body itself through the endocrine system. Often due to hormone glands that are specifically intended for this purpose, such as the pituitary gland or the pineal gland in the brain and the thyroid (near the Adam’s apple in the throat). Organs can also produce hormones, such as the adrenal cortex hormones from the adrenal glands. These supplement the six sex hormones that are made either in the ovaries (female) or in the testicles (male). Ovaries and testicles, the gonads, not only ensure the development of sex hormones, but also the formation of sex cells.
Difference in sex hormones
Estrogens and progestins provide female sexual characteristics and are a factor in the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Estrogens are mainly produced by the ovaries (estradiol in fertile women and estrol in pregnant women) and by a woman’s postmenopausal fatty tissue (estrone). Progestins such as progestarone are produced by the adrenal cortex as steroid hormones and by the placenta during pregnancy. Men also have estrogens and progestins in their bodies, although to a lesser extent.
Testosterone is the male sex hormone. The testicles produce androgens, including testosterone as the main hormone. Testosterone ensures the development of male primary sexual characteristics (penis and testicles) and secondary sexual characteristics (lower voice, body hair, skeletal muscles). The testicles also produce sperm. Testosterone regulates libido. Women have a low dose of testosterone.
Research into male-female differences in hormones
Testosterone is said to provide typically male qualities such as competitive thinking and risk-taking. In Cordelia Fine’s book ‘Testosteron Rex’ she clearly challenges these types of assumptions. For example, Fine cites a study in which men who thought they had been given extra testosterone took more risks. The endocrine system turns out to be much more complex than expected. It seems that it is not the absolute value of a particular hormone that is decisive, but that it is the interplay and sensitivity of the brain to a particular hormone that matters. Personality and social environment also play a role. For example, administering testosterone, when the situation requires it, can cause a man to become more dominant and more focused on status-enhancing behavior, while at the same time suppressing empathetic behavior. It will then be easier to stand up for yourself. In another man, the same dose of testosterone administered under the same circumstances can cause unhealthy aggression.
Difference in brains
Some people assume a typically male and typically female brain. For example, the amygdala is said to be larger in men (this is the part of the brain in which emotions are regulated, whereby a larger amygdala leads to more aggression). Women are said to have a larger hippocampus (the part of the brain involved in memory and adaptability).
Research into male-female brain differences
Recent publications show that this worldview is not supported by research. The amygdala is slightly larger in male brains, as is the brain in general, but when you take the ratio to height and weight into account, the difference disappears. The hippocampus also shows no convincing differences between the male and female brain. In her research article (published on October 18, 2018), Professor Daphna Joel from Tel Aviv University convincingly demonstrates that male and female brains are not fundamentally different. To this end, she examined brain scans of men and women using an anomaly detection algorithm. This showed that clustering in male and female brains was impossible. A 2015 study concluded that the brains of men and women do not differ as a group. The conclusion is therefore justified that there are more similarities than differences between the brains of men and women.
Research shows: there is little difference based on gender
Scientists and experts generally agree: men and women are not that different after all. In terms of brains and hormones, they are more similar than they are different. This seems to be different in many animals. And yet we often do not see people first as individuals, but first as representatives of their gender.
People are not equal. Differences are also found. Sometimes because there is a difference, whatever the reason for it. Sometimes because the research topic is steered in a certain direction. If you ask men to throw a ball into a basket, they will do their best and show competitive behavior, which can be attributed to a higher dose of testosterone. However, if you take a topic that appeals to many women, you will see the same competitive behavior. Brain research can no longer determine whether it is innate or learned, because the brain can differ under the influence of circumstances and experiences. Men and women lead different lives, so it is logical that differences are found. Especially when you zoom in on a small part of the brain. Sometimes it is so obvious that we are not even aware of these guiding research mechanisms. Why would you investigate whether women or men show the most nurturing behavior? Isn’t that asking for the known route, because that’s how they have been socialized? Research into what is needed to change this behavior seems to be able to ensure a more balanced, more equal society.
How do you experience human differences?
Numerous studies have shown that activity in various brain areas differs between men and women. For example, the pain experience is different and the degree of visual or auditory focus differs. But what causes these differences? It is possible that there is a missing link, which is not yet known in 2018 and still needs to be investigated. But as it turns out, the environment, society and culture will undoubtedly also explain many of the differences. Brains are known to be adaptive and responsive to their environment. They may develop differently in different circumstances. So it seems important to support people in the way they want to live their lives. And not to judge them on the sex or gender to which they feel they belong. People are vulnerable and strong and resilient. Whether they are male, female or anything in between. You determine your own thoughts and feelings. As The Streets sings on his 2018 album: ‘You are not the voice in your head, you’re the one that listens to it’.
What can you do about it?
You usually can’t do much on your own against society or culture. Power determines who is placed outside culture, as the French philosopher Michel Foucault (1926-1984) already emphasized. Whether this concerns women, LGBTIs or (other) ethnic, national, religious or political minorities. By determining the discourse (the norms contained in language in a society through which reality is structured), the powerful Other has the say. At the same time, you also pass on the culture as an individual. And so you also contribute to this. That is why you can start with yourself. By becoming more aware and living more consciously, you make the space for yourself larger and that of society smaller. By systematically questioning the power structures and questioning the prevailing discourse, you can also take apart the coherent worldview that is created by the whole of language, procedures, norms and values. And thus give the world a different meaning.
Look at yourself
It can provide more insight to reflect on the way you look at people. Do you respect people or limit them to the boxes that their appearance and behavior evoke in you? Challenge your brain to look at people differently . Don’t be limited to their gender role. People are so much more. Just like you are yourself.
Gender-neutral parenting The sooner you start with a more gender-neutral view and upbringing, the better. Precisely because the brain adapts to experiences and circumstances, by changing these you can directly influence how a child feels in his or her ‘skin’. Consider: your attitude, your behavior, your language use. And you help yourself at the same time!
What do you consider typical masculine and feminine qualities? Consider to what extent you allow these beliefs to play a role in your upbringing. It can be very beneficial to be aware of your language use and expectations.
Are you tempted to tell your daughter that she looks beautiful? And to call your son cool in his new clothes? Do you quickly find that your son acts up when he cries and do you want to comfort your daughter? Is your son allowed to be rude, but do you expect more compliance from your daughter? Do you quickly experience your daughter as aggressive, while you experience the same behavior as assertive in your son? Do you let your son finish talking before your daughter? Do you only encourage your son to play outside, while you encourage your daughter to read? Do you compliment your son when he can do something on his own and do you especially compliment your daughter when she helps you?
Try to see the child for who he or she is. Respect and appreciate your child. And learn to respect other people the same way. Let boys express their emotions and tell them that they can be vulnerable. Just like girls. Strength does not lie in the denial of emotions, but in being able to deal with them. Look at your child and what he likes to do and what behavior he shows. But also look at what’s behind it. Every child wants parental approval. As a parent, you partly determine what is ‘good’. You can encourage children to also show different behavior, because what is a child’s natural behavior? If a child, regardless of gender, wants to exercise a lot, give him space. If necessary, also ask at school whether and how your child’s need for exercise can be taken into account. But also encourage the child who does not want to take action on his own. And let your active child consciously rest every now and then. Help a child who wants to be helpful to learn to stand up for himself. And vice versa. This way you ensure a balanced supply, so that the brain can develop in balance. On the way to total individuality. And the balance between male and female qualities in every person, regardless of gender, is like a bridge that can reach across prejudices and boxes.