Nature Vs Nurture?

Question

Simone De Beauvoir said 'one is not born a woman but becomes one'. How far do you agree? Does society construct the feminine and make us socially acceptable 'females/women' or does our 'biology/sex' define us as female?

Answer 1

Ha, sounds like a first year sociology exam or essay question. Ok, let's tackle this.

First of all the nature and nurture debate is based on two bodies of knowledge, one is biology the other is sociology. There is a small brach of socio-biology, but honestly these sciences don't talk to each other, they just present more evidence on one side and we may never have a conclusion.

On the side of nurture, I respond to one respondent below who states that her boy child chooses computers and concludes nature. Well, the nurture is not only about mother's or father's nurturing, it's about the social environment and common sense here leads you wrong, as the boy would have watched men or boys on TV, or in life working with computers, children like to imitate and if they can make a difference between a man and a woman (usually they can at a very early age) then that's what happens, they imitate the male as they are a boy searching for an identity of a boy child.

Society certainly has constructed the feminine, or what Simone de Beauvoir calls the 'myth of the eternal feminine', which takes place in various branches of society from Religion, Biology to Philosophy, they are all biased against the female. Biology, until Simone de Beauvoir's days of experimental science was guess work, which gave primacy in fertilisation and sexual reproduction to the male, though biology (and de Beauvoir extensively uses biological evidence to refute past myths on biology) we know that the female has a much larger role through the fertilisation of the egg, and that symbolism of a large egg and lots of spermatozoids looking to fertilise it was a symbolic victory for the feminist movement as it shows female primacy in some way.

Biology does give you parametres about your life, but de Beauvoir herself is an example that there are choices involved even if the biological parametres are set. She was the first woman in France to complete the prestigious Ecole Normale Superieure, and she studied philosophy which at her time was restricted to male students. She didn't have any children, as it was her choice not to have any, and his marriage to Jean Paul Sartre was not a conventional one, as they were very much equal in their philosophical, intellectual, social and other standings, and one didn't dominate the other in the intelectual societies where they both appeared.

When Simone de Beauvoir discusses the woman, she uses the capital 'W', which means the myth of the feminine, and most women adopt parts of this myth as their self identity (whether biology dictates it or not as a sociologist I can't tell), but I would assume that if biology dictates a drive to love and reproduce, then it can culturally happen in many different ways. There are societies where women dominate, for example I lived in Ghana doing research and there the Ashantis have a queen mother who chooses the king among the cousins of the children of the king (I think), so power rests with a woman there in a traditional sense. Other societies it is the women who pick the males, and thus men use lots of make up and decorative feathers, just like Western women use lots of make up and so on.

So I agree to a great extent that 'one is not born a Woman, but becomes one', if we assume that Woman with a capital 'W' is the culturally received notion of the woman. For most people that's what matters. The diversity female cultures (all having the same biology) on its own demonstrates that there is a wide influence of culture towards the feminine experience, if women in Ghana, UK, Sweden and Saudi Arabia are so different with the same biology, then how other than via nurture can you explain this.

Answer 2

Actually, ma'am, she may have been speaking of mental maturity. Even if she wasn't, I will speak of that subject. Both boys and girls will eventually, (not considering sickness or any abnormality) physically mature into men and women, respectively. Yet, mental maturity requires experience, and doctrining.

Indeed, nature provides both men and women the physical tools necessary for life, (again, not considering sickness or any abnormality). However, only doctrining and experience can give the knowledge and wisdom to use those tools. For instance, having wood, nails, and a hammer does not mean a man knows how to build a house.

True, one's learning enviorment, (including society) plays a crucial role in how a man or woman uses the tools nature has granted them. Howing, social influence is not synonymous with oppression. Social influence can be beneficial or harmful. If taught properly, a man can be doctrined to be a proper father, brother, husband, son, and member of society. As well, a woman can be taught to be a proper daughter, sister, wife, mother, and member of society. What is proper and what is not is a whole new topic. Nonetheless, the truth is both boys and girls need doctrining in order to be mature and proper men and women.

Answer 3

Nature defines us as female, it dictates what constitutes towards our physiology which makes us different from the male, there are a number of differences between the sexes which can be explained solely through biology. Being a woman though, in my opinion, is a social construct. Reading an earlier answer from a lady who states that both her children are treated in exactly the same manner yet there are gender differences, although she may be doing that, children are not brought up in isolation, they imitate and pick up on things from people around them, the media and possibly even unconscious signals from their parents. I think its definitely a combination of the two, our sex is determined by nature whilst our gender is acquired through society (nurture)

Answer 4

i think it`s a little of both. nature makes us female physically by giving us breasts and periods. Nurture also plays a role because some women have a more feminine nature whereas some women are "tomboys". sometimes society dictates that for a woman to survive in a male dominated world, she needs to act more like a man. ie women in the army. great question!

Answer 5

Your biology/Sex defines whether U r a female or not.
But, being a "Woman", that you will have to take the effort to be one. You have the option of being a B***h, or a Woman of Substance. You make your choice on free will.

Answer 6

I have two children. A boy and a girl. They have been treated identically since the day they were born. Yet my son chooses to play with computers and cars, while my daughter gravitates towards dolls and all things pink. It's nature, without any doubt whatsoever. Nature.

Answer 7

If we look at the different cultures worldwide, i do believe that women and men- even without stereotypes are different to one another. However in certain cultures women are the dominant sex, with men being passive nuturers. Society is made up of home, education, church ect. In these institutions, i believe, children learn that they are expected to be a certain way and behave according to expectations. sad but in my opinion true!

Answer 8

Interestingly she seemed to elect to subjugate herself to Sartre. She was 'of her time' and although she explored notions of woman-ness she chose to be 'inferior', to support him at her own expense. I agree that we ' become one' but the woman she became was tightly bound within a dominant male/ supportive female paradigm which subsequent generations have tried to challenge.

Answer 9

Women are born women only the poofters are constructed

Answer 10

It is a controversy that you would die trying to defend. Both contributes. One is not lesser than the other. i know, I have my major in psychology.