So, having done a speech that involved these questions, and getting surprisingly few answers, I feel curious as to what the forums answers are, if you will indulge me. Please, if you do answer, be honest, and try not to argue. The info is kinda important.
What defines someone as a man?
What defines someone as a woman?
Are there any actions indicative of either gender?
Honest.? The daddy has a dinky and the mommy has a .... Oh you know the rest.. C'mon. [-X
Honest.? The daddy has a dinky and the mommy has a .... Oh you know the rest.. C'mon. [-X
Quote from: "Insult to Rocks"So, having done a speech that involved these questions, and getting surprisingly few answers, I feel curious as to what the forums answers are, if you will indulge me. Please, if you do answer, be honest, and try not to argue. The info is kinda important.
What defines someone as a man?
What defines someone as a woman?
Are there any actions indicative of either gender?
1) A person that assumes complete responsibility for themselves.
2) see answer #1
3) see answer #1
I don't always agree with APA, but I will on this one. You go past the physiological and it gets way too murky and full of icky similes and generalities that force people to think, and that is never a good thing.
Call me crazy, but I'm thinking a tad more specificity in the question/experiment is in order.
Is that a actual request, or do you need to see some specific "examples" of gender anatomy? :wink:
I only started the thread because I got a lot less feedback than I expected in my actual presentation, and I figured you guys would be a veritable fountain of knowledge/meaningless conjecture/ snarky comments/ insane gibberish. So if I need to clarify anything specifically, please let me know.
The main thing you need to understand is that there is a difference between biological
sex and psychological
gender.
For most people biological sex and psychological gender match up. I, for example am biologically male and mentally male.
For other people their biological sex may be one thing, but their physiologic gender is anything in between.
Now, that in mind I'll address your questions:
QuoteWhat defines someone as a man/woman?
Biologically it's a combination of physical structures and genetics. While physical structures can be changed with hormones and surgery, genetics can't yet be changed. I'd argue that since genetics can't be changed yet that biological sex can't be changed either.
Mental gender is whatever the person feels they are. There are several theories as per what determines this, but that's another thread for another time.
QuoteAre there any actions indicative of either gender?
This is the big one here, and the hardest one to answer IMO.
There are of course biological differences between the sexes that make some activities easier for one or the other, but that's only a part of it. There's also the cultural influences that must be factored in.
Gender stereotypes dictate certain actions as either feminine or masculine. Determining how much of this is biological or cultural is difficult to say the least. We can reasonably argue that things like showing emotion or wearing make-up being feminine is cultural rather than biological, but the lines blur when it comes other things. Is it arguable that a sport like football or boxing being more masculine is cultural, but it can also be argued that men are better suited for contact sports. The same goes when it comes to women and sports like gymnastics or figure skating.
When it comes to mental activities the line between culture and biology becomes even harder to define. Engineering is a traditionally male dominated field, but there have been recent efforts to get more women interested in it. Some people have criticized these efforts as being fruitless, suggesting that engineering simply isn't suited for women. Admittedly these people have been massive sexists, but there is a biological difference between the brains of men and women. Is the low number of women in engineering due to solely to cultural barriers, or is there some legitimacy to the claim that engineering is simply an easier field for the male brain than it is for the female one? It's hard to say.
So...umm...yeah. Short answer: maybe.
I agree with Skeletal, there's two sets of answers.
Biologically, a male has a penis and a woman has a vagina. Actions that are indicative of gender would include impregnating women on the male side and giving birth and breastfeeding on the female side.
Mentally, the only thing that determines whether someone is male or female is that person, about themselves, and there are no mental actions that are indicative of a specific gender.
Male humans have a Y chromosome, females do not.
There are a variety of physical characteristics and behaviors more common to one sex than the other, e.g. breasts in women, larger upper body strength in men, but these are not exclusive.
(//http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Bailey_Jay_at_AVN_Awards_2011_1_%28crop%29.jpg)
I'll just leave this here.
2013 IFBB Arnold Classic
(//http://www.bodybuilding.com/contest_media/25622/0/d/img_68891362170510.jpg)
Quote from: "GSOgymrat"2013 IFBB Arnold Classic
[ Image (//http://www.bodybuilding.com/contest_media/25622/0/d/img_68891362170510.jpg) ]
How to make an ordinarily pretty woman extraordinarily ugly yet uhmm..healthy? :-k
That ain't healthy.
Quote from: "Insult to Rocks"What defines someone as a man?
Cock & balls.
Quote from: "Insult to Rocks"What defines someone as a woman?
Tits and vag.
Quote from: "Insult to Rocks"Are there any actions indicative of either gender?
Women can have babies, men cannot. Men produce and can ejaculate sperm, whereas women produce eggs which can be fertilized by sperm. If you mean actions as in behavior, then no. Although, unsurprisingly, the physique of a woman or man determines what she or he can do, provisionally, I don't think there's any action (that isn't determined from above mentioned biological differences)
should limit the action of either. But with culture and "gender roles" that's what you get. Although I do think that we're fast approaching an ubiquitous global culture that is without the, IMO, retarded "gender roles" hoopla.
These biological differences aren't absolutes, more like gradients. You can have a manwoman or a womanman, called hermaphrodites. As well as both surgically and hormonally alter the bodies of men and women to go towards the other gradient.
Quote from: "Sal1981"Women can have babies
Except for those that can't
Quote from: "Sal1981", men cannot.
Yet.
Quote from: "Sal1981"Men produce and can ejaculate sperm
Except for those that can't.
Quote from: "Sal1981", whereas women produce eggs which can be fertilized by sperm.
Except for those that can't.
Quote from: "Jason78"Quote from: "Sal1981"Women can have babies
Except for those that can't
Quote from: "Sal1981", men cannot.
Yet.
Quote from: "Sal1981"Men produce and can ejaculate sperm
Except for those that can't.
Quote from: "Sal1981", whereas women produce eggs which can be fertilized by sperm.
Except for those that can't.
Fine, how about I add the adjective "
functioning" to the genitalia? 8-[
Then what do you call people without functioning genitalia?
Quote from: "Jason78"Then what do you call people without functioning genitalia?
Men and women without functional genitalia. I don't see the need to complicate this. When we talk about men being able to impregnate women and women being able to have babies and beast feed we're talking about the typical biological functionality of men and women. It is by no means an effort to exclude those who are infertile or have dysfunctional genitalia, we're just talking about what distinguishes men and women biologically.
How about girly sissy dudes like justin bieber ? How we define them ?
Quote from: "leo"How about girly sissy dudes like justin bieber ? How we define them ?
Generally they're adored and fawned over by guys named Leo.. :)
Quote from: "Jason78"Then what do you call people without functioning genitalia?
Now you're just being pedantic.
Sex-wise, the differences are obvious. I think there are some biological differences that contribute to gender identity, but admit there are exceptions to the rule. I think culture plays a big part and I'm a product of blue collar American culture, so I tend to favor the masculine male and feminine female way of looking at things. That being said, I'm a big fan of the harm principle, so go ahead and express yourself.
When god made man, he made them out of string. He had a little left over, so he gave him that thing.
When god made woman, he made them out of lace. He didn't have enough, so he gave them that space.
That and the appropriate chromosomes.
Quote from: "Indiscriminalist"When god made man, he made them out of string. He had a little left over, so he gave him that thing.
When god made woman, he made them out of lace. He didn't have enough, so he gave them that space.
.
58 and thats the first time I ever heard that..... thank you ......you mother fucker. :)
That's why FSM has put me on this giant spinning meatball with his Noodly Appendage aitm!
Quote from: "Indiscriminalist"When god made man, he made them out of string. He had a little left over, so he gave him that thing.
When god made woman, he made them out of lace. He didn't have enough, so he gave them that space.
That and the appropriate chromosomes.
Hah, you've got this all wrong. [-X God created Adam, then took a rib out of him, and created Eve. And that's why women are inferior to men. It's in the bible, you bitch...:P
Quote from: "Sal1981"Quote from: "Jason78"Then what do you call people without functioning genitalia?
Now you're just being pedantic.
Yes. Yes I am.
Quote from: "josephpalazzo"Quote from: "Indiscriminalist"Hah, you've got this all wrong. [-X God created Adam, then took a rib out of him, and created Eve. And that's why women are inferior to men. It's in the bible, you bitch...:P
You're forgetting the dirt version, too. [-X