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Forums - Politics - On the Social Construction of Sex

 

Is biological sex a social construct?

Yes 2 5.26%
 
No 36 94.74%
 
Total:38
o_O.Q said:
MrWayne said:
I voted for "No", I don't think biological sex is a social construct however the notion that biological sex is binary is a social construct.
What do we mean when we talk about biological sex? Do we talk about chromosomes?
Our Chromosomes are non binary, many people have XX or XY but there are also people who have X or XXY, and among those people who have XX or XY are people who have unnormal mutations in that chromosome pair.
Do we talk about genitals?
Some people have non functional genitals, some have underdeveloped genitals, some have no genitals and some have both genitals. In the Dominican Republic exist a weird gene defect where boys are born without a penis and only develop on when thay enter puberty.

So the article is at least right in the sense that biological sex is not so easy as we think.

"I don't think biological sex is a social construct however the notion that biological sex is binary is a social construct."

well that's what was intended with that poll so you should switch to yes

fair enough, so for you sex would work something like this right? with different people appearing at different points along the graph between male and female right?

I fear it's not possible to change your vote once you voted.

Yes, this graph is obviously also a social construct, a simplification but a more accurate one than the binary male/female. Maybe we will discover an even more accurate depiction of sex in the future but we will never truly know how reality really is since we can only perceive it filtered through our self.



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I find the fact of variation to be quite worthless in stating that sex is a social construct. All species have variation (even in sexes). And yes, some people are born 'between sexes' as it were. But intersex people are not born on a scale of sex, they're born with an abnormal genetic mutation.



Is math and science a social construct, because we made them up. They didn't exist before we created them. Are the answers they give us really the truth or does it simply explain what we see and not what's really happening underneath?



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the-pi-guy said:

What about people that are born with both parts?  

Just pointing out that the bolded isn't exactly accurate.

Then they're technically 'both' and are arguably deserving of our utmost attention from the medical and life sciences community ... 

As far as I can see there are only potentially 3 valid biological sex states. You're either a male, female, or both but by no means does it serve as a justification for transsexuals to defy this classification system on an ideological basis since there are very real biological consequences that comes with it ... 

To give 'transsexuals' a special exception is unacceptable and would undermine the years of established clinical data ... 



I for the most part agree that gender and gender roles are a social construct but sex, nah. Sex is biological, it's concrete science. Gender on the other hand are a set of societal and cultural pressures exerted on people based upon their biological sex.



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collint0101 said:
I for the most part agree that gender and gender roles are a social construct but sex, nah. Sex is biological, it's concrete science. Gender on the other hand are a set of societal and cultural pressures exerted on people based upon their biological sex.

well how to you explain the variance in sexual characteristics?

and are you ready to marginalise all the people who do not fit comfortably into "male" and "female"?



o_O.Q said:
collint0101 said:
I for the most part agree that gender and gender roles are a social construct but sex, nah. Sex is biological, it's concrete science. Gender on the other hand are a set of societal and cultural pressures exerted on people based upon their biological sex.

well how to you explain the variance in sexual characteristics?

and are you ready to marginalise all the people who do not fit comfortably into "male" and "female"?

Yeah there are various in betweens in regards to biological sex that fall into a wide range of different categories but from my point of view society as a whole pushes them toward picking 1 of 2 gender identities because this whole "gender is a social construct" movement isn't quite mainstream yet. That being said I feel as if being biologically male, female or intersex is concrete scientific data that is separate from social norms and stigmas applied to behavior through gender roles.  



o_O.Q said:
collint0101 said:
I for the most part agree that gender and gender roles are a social construct but sex, nah. Sex is biological, it's concrete science. Gender on the other hand are a set of societal and cultural pressures exerted on people based upon their biological sex.

well how to you explain the variance in sexual characteristics?

and are you ready to marginalise all the people who do not fit comfortably into "male" and "female"?

I don't know how one does "not fit comfortably into male or female". You either have a penis, or a vagina, and that is literally just that. It's what determines your sex. if you do not believe that, then you need some psychological help. Now, how you want to use those said tools, is entirely up to you, and completely okay (Unless harmful to others).

Like who cares if you're a very feminine soyboy, or a dude with actual tits, if you got a penis, you're a dude, nothing else. It's not complicated. If you are a dude, who thinks of yourself as a chick, and force other people to succumb to your own irrational views, you're a psychopath.



Gender roles are a social construct same as race. They're many different genders but only three biological sexes, male female and intersex. So no, biological sex itself (and gender to a lesser extent) isn't a social construct but the roles and expectations we place on each definitely are and they need to be addressed because it creates a toxic environment. To a point where men are seen as strong and unemotional and women are seen as weak and fickle. This creates a society to which men can't be weak/emotional and if they are they're seen as lesser than and women can't be in places of power because they're too fickle to run anything and if they are they're seen as bitchy or undeserving. It's horrible, it doesn't allow humans to just be humans. People shouldn't be held down by the circumstances of their birth.



 

Jobs/careers and even rights are a social construct.

Think about all the homeless who don't have jobs because they are seen as 'different' and/or 'unworthy' of the same type of acceptance everyone else enjoys.

Think about all the criminals who are locked away because they are seen as 'different' and/or 'unworthy' of the same type of freedom everyone else enjoys.

How do we really know that these people aren't born this way? If they are, how can we treat them like this? Why do we try and force them to fit in and play by the 'rules' or suffer the consequences?

Last edited by EricHiggin - on 29 April 2019

PS1   - ! - We must build a console that can alert our enemies.

PS2  - @- We must build a console that offers online living room gaming.

PS3   - #- We must build a console that’s powerful, social, costs and does everything.

PS4   - $- We must build a console that’s affordable, charges for services, and pumps out exclusives.

PRO  -%-We must build a console that's VR ready, checkerboard upscales, and sells but a fraction of the money printer.

PS5   - ^ -We must build a console that’s a generational cross product, with RT lighting, and price hiking.

PRO  -&- We must build a console that Super Res upscales and continues the cost increases.