Social What do people actually mean when they say "gender is a social construct"?

[Gamer2k4]

I was thinking about this one earlier today and was winning the argument pretty handily against myself, so I thought I'd bring it here and see what other people think.

One of the major tenets of transsexualism is that gender is a "social construct." When people say this, I assume they're trying to say "gender is distinct from biological sex, so it's wholly subjective, and a person's sex doesn't have to match their gender." Well and good if that's how far you choose to think about it, I suppose.

The problem with that line of reasoning is that social constructs AREN'T subjective, or at the very least, they're subjective in a way that everyone is objectively expected to abide by. Laws are a social construct, but you still need to obey them, and you certainly don't get to make up your own and expect everyone to go along with it. Plenty of people would say morality is a social construct, yet a trans person is still going to expect - if not demand - that you follow their morality, and that if you object to it, you're in the wrong.

And what is a biological male saying when they claim to be a woman? Is it not, "My biological sex is male, yet I prefer to act and be viewed as someone with traditionally feminine traits, interests, and apparel"? And isn't that confirming all the more that, as a social construct, gender nonetheless is fairly rigid and not open to interpretation? If all you mean by "I'm a woman" is "my pronouns are she/her but everything else I do is masculine," what are you even saying? And if you believe that each person gets to define for themselves what a woman is, then that's not a social construct at all, but a personal one. So which is it?

I guess what it boils down to is that I can't understand why someone has to identify as another gender if gender is a social construct (that is, if gender is subjective). Why can't you be a man with feminine qualities, or a woman with masculine qualities?

 

[LMP]

We label things as more masculine or feminine. Like some toys, colors, jobs, hobbies. These things being considered a male thing or female thing is dictated solely by society. For example wearing dress, having gardening as a hobby, being a nurse. These things are considered more feminine.

 

[ricc505]

Anything is everything and everything is anything. Society is a social construct.

 

[oldshadow]

The problem is gender used to refer to biological sex. Now the left has changed it to "hiw you feel" but still want you to treat it like the same as biological sex.

How males and females act, dress and other things is a combination of biology and society.

For example a female may enjoy do and wearing clothes that are typically seen as female but she is still female biology. This was called a tomboy at one time. She is still female.

Now for biology.
"The "wiggle" in a female's walk, or characteristic hip sway, is primarily caused by the combination of a wider pelvis and two specific anatomical angles: the Q angle and the acetabular anti-ve." No male walks like this and at best the can try to imitate it.

 

[Snubnoze707]

We label things as more masculine or feminine. Like some toys, colors, jobs, hobbies. These things being considered a male thing or female thing is dictated solely by society. For example wearing dress, having gardening as a hobby, being a nurse. These things are considered more feminine.

Yeah, and we have those labels because their are Males and Females that make up our species. If that wasn't the case the labels wouldn't exist.

 

[HereticBD]

It means they live in a cartoon world you might've as a child, where sometimes children believed they were a Thundercat or a Ninja Turtle.

You could literally argue anything as a "social construct". Being responsible is a "social construct", because what does "responsible" even mean? We just invented it. Picking your ass all day, while jacking off to porn is "responsible", because "responsibility" is just a social construct we invented. Words and actions don't actually mean anything, under this absurd leftist ideology. It's why these retards always fail, once they get a little bit of power.

 

[Rygu]

What they mean is some people are mentally retarded and grew up on the internet, then add to that zero personality and identity, and then you create made up genders as an attempt to stand out from others because you have nothing else to go on.

 

[DoctorTaco]

Society says that to be a man you must be swift as a coursing river, With all the force of a great typhoon. With all the strength of a raging fire, Mysterious as the dark side of the moon.

Which is weird because society also says that to be a man all you need is to be born with a dick and if you’re not swift or strong and mysterious it doesn’t matter. And that if someone born with a vagina is all of these manly things it doesn’t matter, they’re still not a man even if they save China from the Huns.

 

[Cole train]

Society says that to be a man you must be swift as a coursing river, With all the force of a great typhoon. With all the strength of a raging fire, Mysterious as the dark side of the moon.

Which is weird because society also says that to be a man all you need is to be born with a dick and if you’re not swift or strong and mysterious it doesn’t matter. And that if someone born with a vagina is all of these manly things it doesn’t matter, they’re still not a man even if they save China from the Huns.

Now i really wish that i knew how to swiiiim...

 

[Flower2dPeople]

 

[Islam Imamate]

I was thinking about this one earlier today and was winning the argument pretty handily against myself, so I thought I'd bring it here and see what other people think.

One of the major tenets of transsexualism is that gender is a "social construct." When people say this, I assume they're trying to say "gender is distinct from biological sex, so it's wholly subjective, and a person's sex doesn't have to match their gender." Well and good if that's how far you choose to think about it, I suppose.

The problem with that line of reasoning is that social constructs AREN'T subjective, or at the very least, they're subjective in a way that everyone is objectively expected to abide by. Laws are a social construct, but you still need to obey them, and you certainly don't get to make up your own and expect everyone to go along with it. Plenty of people would say morality is a social construct, yet a trans person is still going to expect - if not demand - that you follow their morality, and that if you object to it, you're in the wrong.

And what is a biological male saying when they claim to be a woman? Is it not, "My biological sex is male, yet I prefer to act and be viewed as someone with traditionally feminine traits, interests, and apparel"? And isn't that confirming all the more that, as a social construct, gender nonetheless is fairly rigid and not open to interpretation? If all you mean by "I'm a woman" is "my pronouns are she/her but everything else I do is masculine," what are you even saying? And if you believe that each person gets to define for themselves what a woman is, then that's not a social construct at all, but a personal one. So which is it?

I guess what it boils down to is that I can't understand why someone has to identify as another gender if gender is a social construct (that is, if gender is subjective). Why can't you be a man with feminine qualities, or a woman with masculine qualities?

A good example of gender as a social construct are jokes about the Scottish kilt. In premodern Scotland it was a masculine article of clothing but to us in modern America it looks like a skirt which is for ladies. The difference has nothing to do with biology, it's rooted in different, socially constructed ideas of what clothing is seen as masculine or feminine.

Or think of rites of passage where a "boy" becomes a "man" upon completion of the ritual. Nothing biologically has changed in the individual upon completing the rite of passage but the society collectively agrees to recognize that male as a "man" afterwards.

Another example are premodern eunuchs. They are biologically male but upon castration are no longer seen as "men" which is why they're entrusted to guard the haram and enter women's spaces.

Or think about how men speak of what a "real man" is in regards to standards of behavior. When , for example, MAGA types say something about soyboys not being "real men" its virtually never a reference to biology but rather their perceived inability and/or unwillingness to live to up socially constructed and enforced norms relating to gender.

 

[WT3]

All I know is there are 3 gender Male Female and Ladyboy. At lease over in Thailand where I've lived the last four years.

 

[SurferH2O]

What they mean is that they are a mental case and easily swayed by ridiculous propaganda.

 

[nonoob]

Being educated showed proof that there are 2 genders, Male and Female.

Sex and Gender were never seperate Until the TPTB pushed their depopulation narrative.

 

[ShadowRun]

All I know is there are 3 gender Male Female and Ladyboy. At lease over in Thailand where I've lived the last four years.

Can you get in contact wit the Canada embassy in Thailand and confirm this ?

 

[Hellowhosthat]

It's never made sense to me. If an adult wants to wear a dress, chop their dick off and get some big ass fake titties then that's not really any of my concern but telling me gender is a social construct isn't going to make any difference.

 

[Islam Imamate]

It's never made sense to me. If an adult wants to wear a dress, chop their dick off and get some big ass fake titties then that's not really any of my concern but telling me gender is a social construct isn't going to make any difference.

I think if you thought it through you'd realize you understand it already on an unconscious level. I put a bit of effort into my first post ITT so I'll repost it here.

A good example of gender as a social construct are jokes about the Scottish kilt. In premodern Scotland it was a masculine article of clothing but to us in modern America it looks like a skirt which is for ladies. The difference has nothing to do with biology, it's rooted in different, socially constructed ideas of what clothing is seen as masculine or feminine.

Or think of rites of passage where a "boy" becomes a "man" upon completion of the ritual. Nothing biologically has changed in the individual upon completing the rite of passage but the society collectively agrees to recognize that male as a "man" afterwards.

Another example are premodern eunuchs. They are biologically male but upon castration are no longer seen as "men" which is why they're entrusted to guard the haram and enter women's spaces.

Or think about how men speak of what a "real man" is in regards to standards of behavior. When , for example, MAGA types say something about soyboys not being "real men" its virtually never a reference to biology but rather their perceived inability and/or unwillingness to live to up socially constructed and enforced norms relating to gender.

Just because one acknowledges the fundamental concept of gender as a social construct didn't mean you have to accept whatever progressives argue from that foundation but I think its pretty obviously true.

 

[Cid]

Pretty sure they weren't a thing until that kid in kindergarten cop.

Think that's what they're talking about.

 

[squeezewax]

She talks about the differences between males and females.

 

[Seano]

They try to separate sexuality from gender but then cut their dicks off.