Sex is biologically determined, however, is gender the product of social construction or predetermined?

The first 200 words of this essay...

Asses the claim that gender is socially constructed.

Sex is determined though biological factors with reference to the reproductive functions either male or female. Gender is defined as a set of characteristics that distinguish between one's gender identity of masculine or feminine. Sex is biologically determined, however, is gender the product of social construction or predetermined?

Tiger & Fox argued that men and women have different 'biogrammars', or genetically-based programmes, which predispose them to behave in distinctive ways. The male biogrammar predisposes men to be aggressive and dominant, while the female biogrammar predispose women to have children and to care for them. Male and female biogrammars are not absolutely fixed as they change very slowly. This cannot be brought about by Tiger and Fox because they see it as unnatural attempts of either sex to challenge existing roles. Gender cannot be explained solely by biological terms such as biogrammar as the roles can interchanged.

George Peter Murdock argued that biological differences between men and women were the basis of the sexual division of labour in society. In a study of 224 cross-cultural societies, men were predominantly responsible for physically-demanding tasks like hunting and