Compare and contrast: gender; gender stereotypes, gender roles, gender identity and ‘doing gender.’ Include a discussion of causal explanations including a) social forces, b) learning roles, and c) inborn traits.
In discussing gender and what it means to the male it is important to realize to what degree beliefs in gender are dictated by society or dictated by biology. Being born biologically a man is simple enough they gravitate towards predetermined inborn traits. However, when we add in social pressures from society the definition of being a man becomes hard to define. Men find themselves under social pressure to behave the way men do in their culture. Boys and men then start abiding by the gender stereotypes set out for them that they cannot interpersonally connected like a woman and should not be weak or gentle. For some men who are emotional they cannot live up to the ideal of this traditional masculine role and it will have negative effects on their own gender identity. Not being able to express who you truly are and surprising naturally occurring tendencies leads to hyper masculinity in