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Gender differences exist for different reasons, but their most significant feature is that they have an impact on social interactions and building up relationships between men and women. This paper will explore the causes of gender differences including biological, cognitive, and social ones, discuss the influence of gender differences on the perception of such concepts as flirting, joking, and harassment, and reflect on some stereotypes regarding gender differences widely spread in society.
First of all, it is vital to draw the line between the concept of gender and sex. Gender is a behavioral and cognitive state of an individual influencing his or her behavior while sex is a biological characteristic (Gray, 2013). Gender differences have an impact on understanding flirting behavior, its motivations and potential consequences such as joking, having fun, and the threat of sexual harassment. It has been proven that sexual behavior of men and women differs.
That said, men often interpret women’s behavior as such having more sexual context than it usually does. It means that men tend to see courtship intentions in situations, actions, and jokes in which women do not actually put such hint in (Henningsen, 2004). It leads to communication misunderstandings that often result in attempts to sexually harass a partner in flirting. As of the perception of the concept of sexual harassment, there is nearly no distinction made between men and women when it comes to defining it.
However, there are differences in interpreting ambiguous situations and behaviors (Nielsen, Bjørkelo, Notelaers & Einarsen, 2010). Again, men tend to imply more sexual intentions in action than there really are.
There are several reasons for the existence of gender differences. First of all, they derive from the biological characteristics, i.e. being born as a man or a woman, brain operation, and hormonal influences (Miller & Halpern, 2014). Second, they are influenced by social and cultural factors. On having children, parents start shaping their gender roles by painting their rooms in specific colors or treating them in particular ways. It means that parents teach a child to behave with regard to a baby’s sex.
Moreover, parents often point to gender differences imposing a belief about behavior models peculiar for boys and girls (Gray, 2013). It later becomes a cognitive cause of gender difference because men and women are treated differently, that is why they see the world differently and are expected to act differently (Miller & Halpern, 2014).
There are various stereotypes regarding gender differences in sexual behavior. For example, people tend to think that sexual harassment results from miscommunication between the sexes. For the most part, I agree with this statement because it was shown that men and women interpret same situations in a different manner. Furthermore, there is a belief that women invite rape by their behavior, actions, and the way they dress.
This statement can only be true in the case when it implies comprehensiveness, i.e. when a woman is both dressed outrageously and behaves sexually explicitly. Otherwise, I cannot agree with it. Moreover, there is a stereotype that paying for a date implies that sex is expected. I do not believe that it is so because paying for a date is a demonstration of good manners and social etiquettes, which does not have the rule that the pay equals sex.
Finally, some people believe that they are not responsible for their sexual behavior under the influence of alcohol. I am strongly inclined that you are always responsible for your behavior starting from the amount of alcohol you have and the consequences it entails. There is no justification for saying that you are not responsible for what you have done.
So, gender differences influence our lives whether we are aware of this connection or not. There are numerous reasons for their existence, but the fact remains: men and women see the world in a different way, that is why they will always be different.
References
Gray, M. J. (2013). The relationship between gender identity and flirting style (Master’s Dissertation). Web.
Henningsen, D. D. (2004). Flirting with meaning: An examination of miscommunication in flirting interactions. Sex Roles, 50(7/8), 481-489.
Miller, D. I. & Halpern, D. F. (2014). The new science of cognitive sex differences. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 18(1), 37-45.
Nielsen, M. B., Bjørkelo, B., Notelaers, G. & Einarsen, S. (2010). Sexual harassment: Prevalence, outcomes, and gender differences assessed by three different estimation models. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 19(3), 252-274.
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