Many experts have investigated differences between men and women in terms of behavior, group, and individual traits since early 1900s and have identified much dissimilarity between the two sexes. Few of the differences are identified in early years while others emerge in adolescence or late childhood. In his book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, John Gray (2002) states: “ after all, we are unique individuals with unique experiences” (9). The differences among individuals appear in intelligence, personalities, physiological and psychological differences, gender etc. Gender is the sole representative of the differences and similarities that exist between males and females. It is a fact that the differences between the two genders are more evident than the similarities between them. However, this fact cannot be ignored that there exist some similarities between them as well. There are differences and similarities between men and women in terms of their physical strength, brain size and structure, and behavior and thinking.
According to a renowned psychologist Carol Tavris, “ the similarities between the sexes in behavior and aptitude are far greater than the differences” (Crooks and Baur 120). Therefore, this fact cannot be ignored that men and women have many similarities. In a meta-analysis carried out in 2005, more than 7, 000 research studies on cognition, group and individual traits were analyzed which showed very less differences between the two genders (Hyde, 2005). One similarity between the two genders is that both have the same hormones which function in the same manner. Sometimes, men have a higher level of resting hormones called androgens whereas; women may have different types of reproductive hormones however, these reproductive hormones are the same utilized by males for production of sperms. Thus there is an overlap between male-female endocrine processes.
Similarly, the brains of both male and female function in the same manner. Although, the brains of both the sexes vary in size, the basic function of the organ across the sexes remains the same. Female brain may react differently to different stimuli as compared to male brain but that difference is across individuals rather than genders. Another similarity between the two sexes is the similarity between genitals. It is a common understanding that genitals in male and female are different due to their appearance however, the fact is that both the genitals are produced from embryonic tissue. The clitoris and labia are produced in sixth or seventh week, before which both the organs are physiologically developing in an identical manner. In the same context, men and women exhibit almost identical sexual behavior in most parts of their lives. Studies have stated few differences in both sexes in terms sexual activity of both sexes. Both genders almost have same amount of sexual activity in the similar kinds of manners throughout their lives.
Some psycholinguistic experts believe that both men and women tend to communicate in a similar fashion. For example, men and women who belong to the same social or communal background possess same kind of vocabulary. Moreover, men and women with comparable educational background have the same intellect in problem solving, reading comprehension and task completion. Experts also believe that both sexes reason alike, interrupt conversation at almost same number of times, are equally prone to disclose personal information, and are equally assertive.
On the other hand, many experts believe that brains of male and female are completely different in form and structure. This difference occurs due to sex hormones at a very early stage of the development of fetus. Studies of the female brain show that females have language functioning in both the sides of their brains (Sonawalla ). In men, language functioning seems to be present in the left hemisphere only, although males have brains 10% larger than that of females (Greenberg, Bruess, and Conklin 295). The gray matter present in a male brain is also 6½ times more than that in a female brain but female brain has white matter that is 9½ times greater than that of a male brain (Carr 36). There are also differences between the cerebrums of both the sexes, due to which women are able to score higher in verbal skills while men score higher in mathematics and spatial skills.
Since the brain structure in males and females are quite different, there tend to be differences in behaviors of the two genders as well. Women tend to communicate more efficiently and effectively than males, due to their language functioning, therefore are able to establish better human relationships than men. Men, on the other hand, are more isolated, less-talkative and task-oriented. Women are able to take care of themselves and form friends, or “ tend or befriend” even in times of stress, whereas men do not possess this ability and respond with “ fight or flight” (Franzoi 186-88). The reason for this behavior is rooted in hormone difference between the two genders. Women are also able to express their emotions and feelings better than men, which helps them in creating strong bonds with other people. They are more social than men due to their language skills and their ability to connect to others. Apart from this, men have stronger spatial abilities than women. However, when it comes to physical alarming, both the genders are physically alarmed when threatened; the only difference lies in the response of that threat where men react with more aggression than women.
Men and women also differ in a number of ways in their physical characteristics. Women tend to enjoy a longer life-time than men; they outlive men by three to eight years. According to some, this statistics is true for women around the world, except in some countries, such as Bangladesh and India, where men outlive women (Daniluk 263). The diseases in men and women are also different. For example, women are more prone to breast cancer and reproduction disorders than men. The skeletal structures of both men and women are also different. Women have shorter built than men and usually have shorter heads, legs and longer trunks as compared to men. Women also have smaller lungs and a larger stomach, appendix, liver and kidneys than men. In physical strength, men are 50% stronger than women (Francis, MacRae, and et al 110-11). The heart rates of both men and women are also different and a woman’s heart beats eighty times in a minute as compared to a man’s heart, which beats 72 times a minute (Steinach 38). The lung capacity in females is also lesser than in males; it is approximately 20 – 25% lesser (Harris 344). Women are more capable to withstand high temperatures than males, due to their metabolism, which slows down lesser than males.
In conclusion, it can be stated that men and women share different responsibilities and tasks and might seem to be different in many ways, but still as human beings, they share many similarities. As Amy Patterson – Neubert (2004) says, “ For the most part, men and women use, and strongly prefer, the same ways of comforting others – listening, sympathizing and giving thoughtful advice.” Both the sexes are similar in terms of hormonal activity, brain functionality and sexual activities. However, some experts believe that brain form and functionality if both males and females are completely different. Evidence also states that males and females are similar to each other in terms of the way they communicate and approach a task. On the other hand, various studies state that due to differences in brain structure and functioning, women are more talkative than men and are able to express their emotions more easily. Similarly, physical characteristics of both genders are also profoundly different, which enable the sexes to carry out different tasks with different levels of efficiency.
