1. NEUROCHEMICAL AND HORMONAL DIFFERENCES
Despite any level of cultural or societal "conditioning," there are certain natural behaviors that will always be different between men and women, no matter what. One prime example of this is a woman's maternal response to a baby's cry. There are many other more subtle behavioral and neurochemical differences between men and women. When women chit-chat, their oxytocin level -- a feel-good hormone that elicits feelings of trust, bonding and love -- rises, according to a recent study by Dr. Shelley Taylor, psychology professor at UCLA. This means they experience pleasure and feel connected with others. Also, consider other natural hormonal differences between men and women such as men's higher levels of testosterone and women's higher levels of estrogen.
2. ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT
Erin's argument ignores the likely possibility that the way our societies developed was based off innate difference between men and women. Erin's assumption is that society defines gender roles through cultural and societal "conditioning." If this assumption were to be true, how then did our society get to this point where such "constructs" exist? Look throughout the entire animal kingdom and you will find biological differences between sexes of species that define differences in behaviors of each sex, not any kind of "societal" conditioning.
Nature and Biological Difference
1. NEUROCHEMICAL AND HORMONAL DIFFERENCES
Despite any level of cultural or societal "conditioning," there are certain natural behaviors that will always be different between men and women, no matter what. One prime example of this is a woman's maternal response to a baby's cry. There are many other more subtle behavioral and neurochemical differences between men and women. When women chit-chat, their oxytocin level -- a feel-good hormone that elicits feelings of trust, bonding and love -- rises, according to a recent study by Dr. Shelley Taylor, psychology professor at UCLA. This means they experience pleasure and feel connected with others. Also, consider other natural hormonal differences between men and women such as men's higher levels of testosterone and women's higher levels of estrogen.
2. ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT
Erin's argument ignores the likely possibility that the way our societies developed was based off innate difference between men and women. Erin's assumption is that society defines gender roles through cultural and societal "conditioning." If this assumption were to be true, how then did our society get to this point where such "constructs" exist? Look throughout the entire animal kingdom and you will find biological differences between sexes of species that define differences in behaviors of each sex, not any kind of "societal" conditioning.