Introduction
Despite the feminist claim that all people are created equally and women should have equal rights because they are just as capable as men, there remain numerous differences between the genders. This does not necessarily make the claims of the feminists wrong, but to ignore the fact that there are differences between the genders negates the special qualities that make individuals different and glosses over some of the reasons why the genders have such differences.
The reason why the genders have such differences
One way that males and females are different can be found in the way they think, which does not seem to be a result of their upbringing or social constraints but instead seems to be a part of their biological states. Men tend to think about one thing at a time until they shift onto the next thing. They are usually geared toward action and movement but are equally capable of investigating the deeper meanings of a piece of literature or contemplating the heavens. Women tend to think about several things at a time and seem to be more concentrated on planning and preparing rather than acting although they are also equally capable of concentrating just on winning the next footrace or another single-minded pursuit. In addition, men seem to focus more on the physical, outward elements while women seem to focus more on their feelings and emotions, the inward elements.
Not to negate the very real physical differences that exist between men and women, but it seems a great deal of how we define our gender is based upon social elements. For example, from a very young age, girls are surrounded by the color pink, encouraged to play with dolls or stuffed animals, and are taught to pursue housekeeping activities through the use of play kitchens, etc. Boys are surrounded by blue, given toy trucks, cars, and planes to play with, and taught to go out and do things, be active, energetic, and always on the move. These types of treatments are continued not only by parents but also by teachers, toymakers, television and movie depictions, and everywhere else a child might look.
Of course, men and women are frequently defined primarily by their physical characteristics but this can often have detrimental effects on men and women who don’t fit the ideal shape. For instance, a woman with relatively small breasts will often be treated more like ‘one of the guys’ even if she has a greater tendency to surround herself with cute animals and lacy clothing items. A man with delicate features is often excluded from the playing field from a very young age with accusations that he is too weak or puny to participate in ‘real man’s games.’
Differences through the prism of time
In prehistoric times, there were numerous advantages to be gained by such definitions of male and female as the women needed to stay back at the cave to care for young children who still nursed for their major sustenance and men needed to go out and hunt to ensure the continued survival of their people. These roles were continued throughout the centuries even into the beginnings of the 20th century as women remained the keepers of the house and men remained the ‘breadwinners. However, these constraints were artificial once the world became modernized to the point where breast milk could be refrigerated for later use and women could move outside of the home. In recent years, it’s been more of a hardship determining how to divide workloads that have been traditionally gender-based as women are now required to work outside of the home to help make ends meet.