The main difference with regard to various gender theories is how they explain the gendered differences in behaviors characteristic for both sexes. When applied to the issue of behavioral problems in males, different theories find their causes in different sources. Biological determinism would explain behavioral issues in male students through the concept of male nature as inherently and naturally competitive, aggressive, and even violent (Tilling, 2013). However, this essentialist theory is at odds with the now well-established understanding that, while some people are predisposed toward delinquency, social influences are a far more prominent cause thereof (Delcea et al., 2019). In contrast to biological determinism, the social construction of gender theory posits that people enact gendered behaviors as they learn them from others and internalize gender norms dominant in their cultures (Tilling, 2013). This approach would explain the correlation between the male sex and behavioral problems through Western cultures’ promotion of aggressive notions of masculinity, going as far as to encourage bullying (Rosen and Nofziger, 2019). In short, the crucial difference between gender theories explaining behavioral problems in males is where they look for answers.
Knowing about and understanding these gender theories is obviously relevant for teaching in more ways than one. First and foremost, it is nigh impossible to efficiently address behavioral problems without understanding their cause. Secondly, and also importantly, gender theories that are long out of favor in the scientific community may still hold strong sway over the public. An example would be the mythopoetic men’s movement that draws heavily upon biological determinism despite all criticisms of the latter (Tilling, 2013). As such, better knowledge of gender theories is also crucial for the understanding of the ways in which people can rationalize their behaviors.
References
Delcea, C., Muller-Fabian, A., Radu, C.-C., Perju-Dumbravă, D. (2019). Romanian Journal of Legal Medicine, 27, 366-372.
Rosen, N. L., & Nofziger, S. (2019). Boys, bullying, and gender roles: How hegemonic masculinity shapes bullying behavior. Gender Issues, 36, 295–318.
Tilling, J. Resilience and gender development for at-risk adolescent males: Psychosocial intervention program development. Nova Publishers, 2013.