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My interviewee and I discussed whether gender was brought about by society or by biology. We concurred that it was a societal influence—that if a person is taught that one behavior is normal in a certain society, they are more likely to exhibit those behaviors. Humans are adaptable creatures. The interviewee made the argument that, especially with the way that gender is evolving on a societal level here, it's becoming more and more obvious that it is a social construct. Much of what decides our representation of our genders is the way we interact with not just our families, but at school and other such places; anywhere we interact with people.
This is in concurrence with the general opinions of what we are learning in class. Biology, while it certainly a significant factor in our lives, is not what governs our behavior; it is society. In her speech at the UN headquarters in New York, Emma Watson points out the issues related to this issue, saying that "In the UK suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20-49; eclipsing road accidents, cancer and coronary heart disease. I've seen men made fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what constitutes male success." This fragility would not be the case if there was not a societal expectation of men that is contrary to people's personalities; conflict between personal expression and societal expectations should not be as stark at it is currently. This conflict affects women as well, pressuring them to conform to more feminine pursuits and behaviors, even if their own personal inclinations would lead them elsewhere.
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