Madhu chougaonkar: What is gender ???

'WHAT is GENDER "

MEN AND WOMEN are different biologically They play diffrent roles into reproducing the human species . Building on their bilogical differences every culture has evolved roles , traits and forms of behaviour which are thought to be typical of men and women .Some forms of behaviour are thought to be feminine , and others masculine . Similarly some task considered to be suitable for men and some for women .

These roles and traits are not necesseralily handed down to men and women by their biology .Quite a lot of it is the creation of society Gender is part biology and part society (Social construction) Men and women are therefore playing out two sets of realities .

1) There biolology , the way they are born ,whether its man or woman

2) The baggage given to them by society –What society thinks they ought to be as men or woman .

For example , the fact of bearing child sets women biologically apart from men .Culture has used this biological fact to assign primacy to women’s role as mother and wife and by extension her other roles in the domestic sphere,

GENDER RELATIONS SELECTIVELY HIGHLIGHT THE BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN WHILE BRUSHING ASIDE THE SIMILARITIES UNDER CARPET

These messages of men and women –what they are and they should be –are deeply rooted in the minds of individuals and collectivity that we call society .

Symbols, Myths, legends ,language, proverbs. Folklore and rituals are other powerful agents that condition our mind.

Finally ,the routine performance of different tasks itself results in men and women developing different personal qualities , Although men and women many similarities the ‘social construction had over emphasis the

Differences .