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Gender misconceptions: Confusing chromosomes with culture

by Colette Georgii

Created on: October 20, 2007

CHROMOSOMES AND CULTURE

There is a big difference between chromosomes and culture. Chromosomes determine whether we are male or female. Chromosomes also determine our biological makeup. We can have XY chromosomes if we are male and XX chromosomes if we are female.

There are also anomalies of chromosome makeup such as XYY and XXY and others. There are also other varying genetic disorders such as Downes Syndrome, which has a whole extra chromosome. There are also extra fragments of chromosomes that indicate genetic disorders.

Culture refers to the type of society and background a person comes from. Ethnic and language background denotes culture. There is such a thing as the American culture or the European culture. Every nation has a unique culture. Groups have a culture.

There is such a thing as culture among the gay community. Culture is what makes up diversity. Culture defines diversity. Diversity has to do with the many different cultures that exist and the differences between them.

There can be a music culture, prison culture, university culture. Each has a unique type of community and way of doing things.

So in a sense chromosomes can sometimes define culture. People of Downs Syndrome also have their own culture. People with physical disabilities have a unique culture. The hearing impaired have their own culture. The blind have their own culture. It is important to learn of these many different cultures. Although we are all equal, we are all different. There can also be a male culture and a female culture. We are alike in many ways but also different in many ways.

Men like doing some things better than other things. Men like playing pool, getting together with the guys, drinking, swearing, talking loud, working on carpentry things and mechanical things like cars, and watching football games. Women like cooking, taking care of children, cleaning, and going shopping. Sure there are some major lapovers such as Men become chefs and love to do the backyard barbecue. But this is more of a power type cooking than the little woman slaving over the stove in the kitchen. And some women like carpentry and fooling around with cars.

There are also physical differences between men and women that define their roles such as it is now known that women can not drink as much as men because they do not have the same enzymes in their stomach as men and therefore alcohol goes more directly into the bloodstream of the woman than of the male. (http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih3/a lcohol/guide/info-alcohol.htm).

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