Men aren’t from Mars, Women aren’t from Venus

Disclaimer: Gender is fluid and far from the binary of men and women. However, I am primarily focusing on two genders in this article. This is because I identify as a woman, and have been a keen observer of men throughout my life.

In our androcentric society, gender differences are everywhere, from girl’s versus boy’s toys, to beauty ideals. Women and men are physically different, and these physical differences are confused with biological differences. So, what biological sex differences are there, really?

The answer is complicated. Men and women adapted to their set roles, so the differences between genders are bigger than they appear. There are biological differences between men and women, but the differences are influenced by socialization.

Society portrays men and women as vastly different, but when viewed through a psychological lens, the differences between men and women are not as large as they seem. According to the gender similarities hypothesis, there are more similarities than differences. Instead of concrete similarities and differences, there is a ‘mosaic’ of similarities and differences, meaning that they overlap and are nuanced. A number of meta analyses in the research study by Hyde (2018) showed that in a number of variables including social behaviors, cognitive abilities, and psychological well-being, there was not a significant effect size, showing that these differences were not very meaningful. Joel and Fausto-Sterling (2016), describe humans as belonging to a single population instead of two different populations separated by gender. This supports the gender similarities hypothesis, as it suggests that men and women are more similar than different.

Though men and women aren’t all that different, they have very different experiences in society because they adapted to their set roles. According to the social structural theory, there are set societal expectations for behavior.

A society’s division of labor drives psychological differences, and individuals accommodate or adapt to the roles they are in. These roles have been conditioned from a young age.

During a virtual field trip to Walmart, boy’s toys were geared towards outdoor activities, and seemed to be designed for rough play. Girl’s toys, on the other hand, were designed for less active, indoor play, and did not offer toys for rough play. As multiple studies have demonstrated, young boys play more aggressively and actively than girls. However, there is no genetic evidence showing boy’s preference for aggressive play.

If socialization did not push boys to be aggressive and girls to be non-aggressive, it is a likely possibility that girls and boys would have more similar styles of play.

Later in life, separate societal roles are still intact. Men have more power and status than women, shown by men having dominant roles career-wise, and women having subsidiary roles. The stereotype of the housewife and bread-winner husband supports this statement. The housewife depends on the husband’s income, placing him in a position of power, and the wife in a subsidiary position. When the roles are reversed, and the wife is the breadwinner, it often evokes a negative response. Perhaps it is because the breaking of societal roles is seen as ‘unnatural’. However, there is little genetic evidence supporting the perceived differences between genders. According to Fausto-Sterling (1997), there are virtually no genetic differences between men and women; differences appear because the genes are in different environments.

Societal factors play a huge role in the perceived differences between men and women. These differences are detrimental towards women, as they provide a foundation for sexism. They are also detrimental towards members of society that do not fit the stereotypical roles of men and women, because these members of society are often ostracized for their differences and pushed to conform to social norms. By raising awareness that the differences between men and women are not as concrete as they seem, this can be a step towards achieving equality for both sexes and welcoming those who do not fit the stereotypical male or female role.