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"How far would it be true to say that the only reality about the differences between men and women is the beliefs which people hold about such differences?"


Society has many persistent gender stereotypes such as female housewives and male breadwinners which are still prevalent in the twenty-first century. So what is it that makes males become men and females become women. Yes, we are all aware of the biological differences; women produce children whereas men do not, but are the biological differences enough to justify the way in which gender is developed. Society has many persistent gender stereotypes such as female housewives and male breadwinners which are still prevalent in the twenty-first century. So what is it that makes males become men and females become women. Yes, we are all aware of the biological differences; women produce children whereas men do not, but are the biological differences enough to justify the way in which gender is developed
This essay will examine the extent to which it is true to say that the only reality about the differences between a man and a woman is the beliefs which people hold about such differences.
A significant amount of the essay will focus on the social psychological explanations for gender development. The focus will be on three key theories:
Social learning theory, cognitive developmental theory and gender-schema theory. The idea that it is the nurture element which allows the production of a social construction of gender will be examined and in order to counterbalance the ideas put forward by social psychologists it is only appropriate to incorporate the argument advocated by biologists in regards to gender.

Let us delimit what is meant by values and beliefs are constructed on ones social surroundings (culture) as opposed to being born facts. There are often what guide or influence our behaviour. What is it that perpetuates these beliefs? Where do they...