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Genetics with a touch of culture Gender-- what does that word mean to you? Does it separate two different species or does it separate two different types of behaviors? Are there true differences in genders? Who decides what gender we are? Who decides what things we like and what activities we enjoy doing? Does God? Does culture? Do we? No one really knows the truth. There are a lot of opinions in our society, but no real hard evidence or facts to back up those opinions. Since all that we have on this subject are opinions and educated guesses, I will give you my somewhat educated guess on the subject. To understand my viewpoint on this subject, you have to understand a few of my beliefs. First, I am a Christian. I believe that God created us and that God has given each of us a different personality and behavior. I believe that God gives males different interests than females because they both have two very different roles in life. So, basically I believe that genetics is the main influence on how we turn out when we are born. I believe that since genetics is the main influential factor, and God created genetics, then that means that God is responsible for each person=s set of preferences. Deborah Blum agrees with me in her essay, AThe Gender Blur: Where Does Biology End and Society Take Over?@, she doesn=t say that God is the reason for the genetical differences, but she does say, AYes, we=re born with predispositions...@(Blum 50). She believes that genetics gives us the main base for our opinions. And our decisions on which activities we choose to participate. Blum says that the culture we live in fine tunes our beliefs and activities. I do, however, believe that genetics is not the sole, defining factor of who we become, but they are the biggest. The other defining factor of our preferences and actions is the culture that we live in. The culture that we live in every day further develops those predispositions set by God. For example, if my genetic code makes me a more aggressive person, then I am going to want to participate in more aggressive activities. This would cause the person to become more aggressive in the eyes of society. ABut what is considered an aggressive activity?@ you might ask.
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