Gender Differences | Causes and perception

Gender differences are the factors that determine how women and men fit into society, what roles they assume and how they behave. To eliminate these differences, it is necessary to fight against equality, fair treatment and gender discrimination in every part of society.

Gender and differences

Gender is the behavior of a person that differs from his or her biological sex, in accordance with the gender roles and behaviors defined by society. Gender is the cultural, social and psychological definition of differences between men and women.

Gender differences, on the other hand, are the factors that cause women and men to be judged differently in society, discrimination and inequality. Gender differences manifest themselves in many areas, such as women generally being paid less, receiving less promotion in the workplace, less political representation and exposure to gender-based violence.

Gender and gender differences determine the roles people play in society. Gender includes gender roles and expectations for men to work and take care of the household, while women take care of the children and family at home. Gender differences, on the other hand, are reflected in many areas, such as women being less accepted and respected than men in business and social life.

Gender and gender differences affect the lives of both men and women. The factors that determine the differences between men and women depend on many factors such as culture, religion, social class, age, ethnicity and gender.

Causes of gender differences

Gender differences are the result of economic, social, cultural and political inequalities between women and men. Among the reasons for these differences, the following factors play an important role:

Social culture and beliefs

Social culture and beliefs create expectations about how women and men should behave in society. In some cultures, men are expected to have leadership, power, and control, while women are expected to take on traditional roles such as housework and childcare. These societal expectations can prevent women from equal opportunities with men in education and business.

Education and employment

Women’s opportunities in education and business are important factors influencing gender differences. As women’s educational attainment rises, so do their business opportunities. However, in some countries, women’s educational opportunities are limited and they have to make greater efforts to access men’s positions in business.

Gender discrimination

Gender discrimination is a factor that prevents women and men from enjoying equal opportunities. It manifests itself in many areas, such as women being paid less and promoted less in business, while men are more politically represented and exposed to gender-based violence. Gender discrimination is one of the main causes of gender differences.

Media and cultural influences

The media play an important role in determining how women and men are perceived in society and how they should behave. The stereotypes of men and women often seen in the media contribute to perpetuating gender differences.

Gender stereotypes

Gender stereotypes are general beliefs about characteristics that women and men are supposed to have; for example, men are assertive and dominant; Women, on the other hand, are kind and considerate to others.

Gender roles refer to beliefs about the behaviors expected of men and women, such as men earning money and women taking care of children. These stereotypes are often inaccurate overgeneralizations.

Studies of sex differences that actually exist between men and women are based on meta-analysis, a technique that statistically combines the findings of many separate studies to arrive at a general conclusion. Meta-analyses are applied in the areas of cognitive, emotion and communication, and social behavior.

Gender and cognitive skills

There is no gender difference in verbal ability between men and women. Women show little superiority in math skills and men in spatial skills. In general, there is no significant difference between men and women in terms of general intelligence, as measured by scores on standardized tests.

Gender and social behavior

Men and women differ in their social interactions. For example, men are more aggressive than women, women are ahead of men in providing social support and care, but men are more likely to offer help.

Although there are large differences in research results in this area, women show slightly more conformist behavior than men. Men and women are equally capable of meeting the requirements of effective leadership, with some variation in leadership styles.

It is unclear to what extent gender stereotypes and expectations play a role in creating diversity in each of the domains of aggression, helping, conforming and leadership. For example, due to the social expectations of male heroism, men seem to be more helpful, while women seem to be more conforming, depending on how the research questions are organized.

What is Gender?

Gender is defined as the combination of roles, expectations, values ​​and behaviors that society defines between women and men. Gender is not the same as biological sex (being male or female).

What are the gender differences?

Gender differences are the result of inequalities between women and men in economic, social, cultural and political areas. These differences manifest themselves in many areas, such as the fact that women do not have equal opportunities with men in education and business, women’s lower wages and the fact that political representation favors men.

What are the causes of gender differences?

The causes of gender differences include social culture and beliefs, education and employment, gender discrimination, media and cultural influences, and some biological factors.

What are the consequences of gender differences?

Gender differences prevent women and men from having equal opportunities, which can have negative economic, social, cultural and political consequences. Situations such as women being paid less, being promoted less and political representation in favor of men are some of the consequences of gender differences.