The two genders to which we owe our existence are the only options for the continuation of the human race. However, the interesting thing is; The question is how masculine and feminine fetuses, which look almost the same in the womb, can differ so much when they become adults. While men and women have so many similarities, it is quite interesting that one dominates the other, determines which gender can and cannot do what, and that this has such strong historical roots.
While people's ethnicity, eye color, physical structure and skin color vary, there are only two (biological) genders. In fact, technically, the increase in the number of genders is an advantage for the species. Although approximately 99% of living things are two-gendered, there are a very few multi-gendered creatures (that is, they have different skin colors rather than male or female). Although there is a theory that the chromosomes may mutate and the species may face extinction, the exact reason is not known.
A chromosome in our genetic structure determines our biological sex. At the moment of conception, a human baby has the potential to become male or female. It differs depending on the genetic code represented by the characteristics of the XY chromosome structure for males and the XX structure for females. Under the influence of the genetic code, testicular hormones are secreted in men, which has a blunting effect on feminine characteristics. If sufficient testosterone levels are not present, differentiation always occurs in the female direction, regardless of the genetic program. In other words, even if the genetic code is male, a deficiency in the amount of testosterone will result in the development of female sexual characteristics. The feminization principle comes before masculinization.
If a baby whose genetic codes are female is exposed to excessive androgens (male hormones) in the womb, his behavior may be found to be more "masculine" and he may be very active and aggressive when he is born and grows up. Likewise, a baby whose genetic codes are male may be found passive and "feminine" in later life due to insufficient androgens in the womb. However, this does not affect his actual sexual identity. So basically, our biological gender, which is determined in our genetic program when we are an embryo, is shaped by being exposed to the influence of hormones in the womb. Take this form; due to the pressure and guidance of the social environment after birth It will change further with the parent's expectations, attitudes and behaviors.
Psycho-Social Development of the Gender
With the birth of a human baby, he experiences a painful separation from the peaceful and comfortable environment he had. Now he is born and he breathes gaseous air with his lungs; sucking the breast using his mouth; Giving up the position he has been comfortable in for 9 months; tolerating clothes touching his skin; getting used to the sounds and images he hears around him; He needs to find solutions to the problems he is experiencing. The only thing he can do is cry and he explains all his problems by crying. Over time, he observes, discovers, learns and socialises. When he is born, he establishes his first bond with his caregiver (mother), and over time, he experiences different relationships and meets new people. The first new person he meets is his father. In these first years of his life, he observes the parent of his own gender and the parent of the opposite gender and the relationship between them. He identifies with his same-sex parent; In other words, he takes his attitudes and behaviors as a model, imitates his emotional expressions, and tries to be like him. He re-creates his gender by observing the behaviors he is exposed to in the environment in which he is born, in a way other than the gender determined by his chromosomes. Starting from about the age of 2, a child knows his/her own gender, recognizes the sexual organs, and tries to behave according to the roles that his/her family finds appropriate for this gender. He examines other children of different genders in terms of their behavior and genitals, and plays sexual games. In this process, if the child is not subjected to harsh and oppressive intervention from adults and if the adults set an appropriate and constructive example for him/her, it is expected that the child will develop personality and emotional characteristics appropriate to his/her gender code. In his theory of psycho-sexual development, Freud examines how children turn into "women" and "men" in a social sense.
When we examine the development process of people's sexual characteristics, we see that the psycho-social interactions between the baby and its parents play an important role in determining sexual behavior. We see that the effect of genetic and hormonal elements is relatively reduced. If there is a healthy family system, the child's existence is approved as it is and he is allowed to express his feelings; For example, he does not have to cry because he is a man, some of his behaviors She is corrected because she is wrong, not because she is a girl; He is not asked to behave in a certain boy/girl way, he is expected to be the boy/girl he feels like.
Still, sometimes traumas or some abnormal situations can prevent the formation of a healthy personality. The absence of one of the parents in the family, their inability to provide attention and love, one of the parents experiencing a serious physical or mental illness, the child's inability to play with friends of the same sex, the child being treated as if he or she is of the opposite sex, overprotection, indifference, and emphasizing physical beauty can lead to a disorder in the child's sexual identity and orientation.
How We Look: Gender Roles
When we look at the people around us, we make an evaluation based on the things we can see and try to place them into the definitions that have already formed in our minds. If she wears a long dress and has a veil on her head, we think she is a woman. But in another society, in another geography, this may also mean that he is a man. Female image and male image change according to time and place. We know that the appearance of men and women has changed in different geographies throughout history. Not only appearance, but also the division of labor between men and women varies according to geography and history. In some societies, sensitivity, compassion and changing emotionality can be seen in men, while aggression and cunning can be seen in women. While diving, canoeing, and building houses are women's work in some cases, knitting, weaving clothes, and cooking can sometimes be men's work. Since ancient times, women have been subordinate to men in status, mobility, and public leadership. It was impossible for this inequality to change due to child care and primitive technological conditions. The extent of inequality varied according to ecology and division of labor, but either way, inequality was a matter of survival rather than a cultural imposition by man. Anthropologist Levi Strauss examines the sexual division of labor and concludes that this is not a biological specialization, that is, people do certain jobs because of their biological sex, but rather they must have another purpose. Because what is seen as men's or women's work in some societies may be the exact opposite in another society. If male/female If the things that are additional work are of biological/vehbi origin rather than specific, these should be the same jobs in every society. While the sexual division of labor is strictly segregated in many societies, what work constitutes is entirely variable. Strauss explains this with the interdependence between the two genders and the kinship systems we establish for survival.
People learn to behave according to their gender from the people around them. In our environment, when a baby is born, it is dressed in blue if it is a boy, and pink if it is a girl. Different behavioral patterns are taught depending on gender, some emotions are deemed inappropriate and some characteristics are encouraged. Efforts are made to raise the child in accordance with the "normal" or "ideal male/female target". When someone is called "woman" or "man" in society, not only biology is mentioned, but an opinion is expressed about their appearance. In fact, we do not know which chromosomes he has, which sexual organs he has, which hormones he secretes and how much, in fact we do not need to know, the only thing we know is whether he looks like a woman or a man. However, we also unconsciously comment on how much of a man or how much of a woman he is. Therefore, we can say that the roles attributed to male and female genders are artificial.
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