Gender Role Behaviors: Biology and Society Share Responsibility Essay

There are many different facets to the nature versus nurture argument that has been going on for decades. One of these, the influence of nature and nurture on gender roles and behaviors, is argued well by both Deborah Blum and Aaron Devor, both of whom believe that society plays a large role in determining gender. I, however, have a tendency to agree with Blum that biology and society both share responsibility for these behaviors. The real question is not whether gender expression is a result of nature or nurture, but how much of a role each of these plays. Both Devor and Blum can agree that society plays a large role in establishing gender identity. In his article â€Å"Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes,† Devor states, â€Å"Gender role characteristics reflect the ideological contentions underlying the dominant gender schema in North American society† (Devor 571). Deborah Blum agrees to an extent in her article â€Å"The Gender Blur: Where Does Biology End and Society Take Over?† As stated in her article by behavioral endocrinologist Mark Breedlove, â€Å"We’re born with predispositions, but it’s society that amplifies them, exaggerates them† (qtd by Blum 574). It is clear, however that the two disagree on the extent of the societal role in determining gender role characteristics. Devor’s statement, and entire article for that matter, point to a clear belief that biology has no effect on gender roles. Instead, he believes that our views of the â€Å"natural† behaviors of males and females are based solely upon the society that we live in, that we have been conditioned to see certain characteristics as â€Å"feminine† and others as â€Å"masculine†. This ideology sparks from the belief that biological factors make males more aggressive and dominant than fem... ...logy or society? Nature or nurture? In this case, I would say that the answer is that both biology and society have great influence on how males and females behave in their roles. The only question now is, to what degree do each of these play a role? For this answer, we may have to wait. The key thing is to know that nature starts the process, and nurture helps that process along.  Works Cited Blum, Deborah. â€Å"The Gender Blur: Where Does Biology End and Society Take Over?† Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. 6th Edition. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. 573-580. Print. Devor, Aaron. â€Å"Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes.† Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. 6th Edition. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. 567-572. Print.

Kite Runner †Religion Roles/How Political Events Effect Characters Essay

3. In the novel The Kite Runner, the author Khaled Hosseini rarely mentions religion, but in a way, it plays a big role in the growth of the main character, Amir. In the beginning of the novel, Amir first questions his religion. Either he can listen to a â€Å"mullah† who taught that drinking was a sin, or he can listen to his more westernized father who thinks that religion is meaningless and drinks for his enjoyment. As one works their way through the novel, religion at first appears as a minor role, and eventually evolves into a much greater role in the life of Amir. The first important instance of Religion, appears in chapter three when Amir learns about sin and drinking. â€Å"Mullah Fatiullah Khan†, a teacher who taught Amir about Islam, said that â€Å"Islam considered drinking a terrible sin†, and that drinkers would one day answer for this on â€Å"the day of Qiyamat, Judgment Day†. Amir tells Baba, Amir’s father, about what he learned and Baba responds by saying that Amir has â€Å"confused what [he’s] learning in school with actual education†, says that â€Å"no matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin†, and that one sin was theft. Killing, cheating, lying, were all variations of theft. Amir blames himself for killing his mother, and believed that Baba hated him for this. Many people seek forgiveness through religion, but at this point of the novel, Amir has no idea which religion he should turn to. This young Amir seems as if he is indifferent toward Religion, and maybe might not care for it as a traditional follower of Islam would. Even though it seems this way, he will carry religion with him throughout the novel and will become a greater part in his life as he matures. In chapter twenty-four of The Kite Runner, Amir talks to the American Embassy about adopting Sohrab, Hassan’s son that Amir rescues from a Taliban official, and a man says that Sohrab is going to need to go to an orphanage again. Sohrab did not like the idea of being in an orphanage again and tries to commit suicide by slitting his wrists. Amir is able to get Sohrab to the hospital, then finds a white bed sheet and locates west so that he could pray. When he puts his forehead to the ground, he remembers that he hasn’t â€Å"prayed for over fifteen years† and has â€Å"long forgotten the words† but it did not matter to him. He then speaks the words he still did remember. In his prayer he says that he can now see that â€Å"Baba was wrong† and prays for forgiveness of his sins, betrayal, and lies. Amir promises to become a good follower and for his last words he asks for one last thing and says, â€Å"My hands are stained with Hassan’s blood; I pray God doesn’t let them get stained with the blood of his boy too. † I stated previously that many people seek for forgiveness through religion. For most of Amir’s life, guilt was carried with him and was never able to forgive himself. When he was in times of need, like his father’s diagnosis or Sohrab’s suicide attempt, he sought to his faith. This shows that Amir unconsciously also carried his faith throughout his life. Amir is a very introverted main character, but when he turns to his faith, the reader is truly aware of his feelings. Amir needs to believe in god to provide an agent for forgiveness. His faith will finally allow him to forgive himself, and will ultimately make Amir become more mature, and a man like his father. Months later on a Sunday morning, Amir gets out of bed and prays the â€Å"morning namaz†, and did not â€Å"have to consult the prayer pamphlet†. He says that â€Å"the verses came naturally now†. This shows that Amir has now accepted his faith and has grown from it. Amir’s religion and guilt played hand in hand with another. By reconciling and coming to terms with his betrayal of Hassan, he can finally now embrace Islam. 2. In the years of 1978 and before, Afghanistan was a peaceful country. The citizens relatively had freedoms, but with the arrival of the Russians and Taliban, these freedoms were to diminish. These political changes in Afghanistan have a direct effect on the characters lives in The Kite Runner. In chapter five, one reads about the first shootings that Amir hears. There were gun shots and explosions in the streets that lasted less than an hour. Those were â€Å"foreign sounds† to the Afghan people then. â€Å"The generation of Afghan children whose ears would know nothing but the sounds of bombs and gunfire was not yet born. † Amir then states that â€Å"The end, the official end, would come first in April 1978 with the communist coup d’etat, and then in December 1979, when Russian tanks would roll into the very same streets where Hassan and I played, bringing the death of the Afghanistan I knew and marking the start of a still ongoing era of bloodletting. † This is the part of the story where everything begins to change for the characters in The Kite Runner. The communist takeover of Afghanistan would drive Baba and Amir, along with other privileged class, into exile. The political situation in Afghanistan had led to a point where â€Å"you couldn’t trust anyone in Kabul anymore† and â€Å"for a fee†¦ people told on each other†. Dead bodies would turn up on the sides of the streets with bullets in their heads. Baba had to then make arrangements for him and Amir to flee to Pakistan. Baba and Amir would have to leave their old life behind them. Baba would have to leave his life of luxury and wealth. Amir left behind his childhood life, and left his betrayal of Hassan in Kabul, which will carry with him throughout the novel. Amir states that â€Å"For me, America was a place to bury my memories. For Baba, a place to mourn his. † When they settled in Fremont, California, Baba has a hard time fitting in and would eventually become unhappy working at a gas station. Amir on the other hand will have the opportunity to go to school and graduate college. The move to America is a set back for Baba, but for Amir, it will allow him to grow as a man. Amir would eventually return to Kabul in search for his nephew Sohrab. When Amir sees the streets of Kabul, he noticed that they are flooded with beggars. â€Å"They squatted at every street corner, dressed in shredded burlap bags, mud-caked hands held out for a coin. † The shocking thing here is that these beggars are mostly children, no older than six or five sitting at the laps of their mothers. Amir states that â€Å"the wars had made fathers a rare commodity in Afghanistan. † Hosseini paints a picture of the living situation that Amir’s half-brother Hassan was stuck to live with. Hassan was not privileged enough to flee, and had to live in this war torn Afghanistan. Amir’s nephew Sohrab is one of the unfortunate children that is born into a life of gun fire, explosion, and poverty. It is up to Amir to become a man and find â€Å"a way to be good again. †

Gun Control Laws Should Not Be Legal - 946 Words

â€Å"Gun Control†, pertains to laws dealing with the use of firearms in America. Whether one believes it or not, guns are trying to become outlawed in America, due to an out number of killings and other crimes. As the Bill of Rights states â€Å" A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms should not be infringed† [160]. Many argue that if more citizens were armed, the crime rate would dramatically drop. Guns to become illegal in America does not need to happen, in order to not start unnecessary problems. Gun control laws will not eliminate crime, only gun owners can eliminate crime. Furthermore, a twelve year old boy brought a shotgun to school, and injured two of his classmates in New Mexico. The boy had easy access to the gun, due to his family being highly involved with hunting. The young boy having easy access to the gun indicates danger, but does not mean that guns should be taken away from citizens for their own safety. Mental health may have played a huge part in this incident, or even too much knowledge about guns at such a young age. If the family will be willing to allow for the child to handle the gun, proper training should be given, and will not hurt the situation, only make the outcome more positive. For example, the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. A male drove to the school, and killed twenty kids between the ages of six and seven. Innocent, young children with their whole livesShow MoreRelatedGun Control Laws Should Be Legal1250 Words   |  5 PagesToday in the United States, few gun control laws are strictly enforced, allowing many dan gerous citizens to easily obtain firearms. With guns in the hands of the wrong people, there is a constant threat to others. Well over half of the population in the United States own a firearm of some sort. There are over one-hundred and fifty laws in the United States, this includes state and government laws. These laws are very strict when it comes to carrying guns and handling them in public, but the problemRead MoreGun Control Laws Should Be Legal Essay1345 Words   |  6 PagesGun control has been a hot topic in your society recreantly everyone has a different view on gun control. There are two sides to the argument people that are for gun control and people that are against gun control. The media talks about the two biggest factors the National Rifle Association and the Second Amendment the right to bear arms. But the most important question is whether gun-control laws actually reduce gun crimes or murder rates in general. Most people believe that having a fewer numberRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control949 Words   |  4 Pagespolicy issues have some legal components to them. For me a policy issue that comes to mind would be Gun Control, because I am a gun owner who is a supporter of the second amendment. With shootings and other gun related trouble happening all over our country those who create and maintain our gun laws have a big responsibility to take care of. The policy issue of gun control has both people who support the right to bear arms, while there are others who think all guns should be done away with, and thisRead MoreGun Control Will Not Reduce Crime Essay1532 Words   |  7 PagesIn Just Take Away Their Guns, author James Q. Wilson argues that Legal restraints on the lawful purchase of guns will have little effect on the illegal use of guns (Wilson 63). Wilson points out that it would be tough to remove all legally purchased guns from the streets and nearly impossible to confiscate illegally purchased guns. Gun advocate J. Warren Cassidy argues that The American people have a right to keep and bear arms. This right is protected by the Second Amendment to t he ConstitutionRead MoreThe Importance Of Gun Control1587 Words   |  7 PagesThe ability to own guns is a privilege, not a right. Once a person or group of persons has abused their privilege, they do not deserve to carry on without a reduction or disbandment of the privilege. Gun control needs to be stronger to protect the people of the United States, to protect people from themselves and so much more. Constitutionally, gun control is legal and should be enforced due to the recklessness of the people. â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free StateRead MoreGun Control And The Possession Of Guns1247 Words   |  5 PagesGun Control is more like a ban on the possession of guns and other arms. Laws and Policies are defined to reduce the concept of gun possession from society. The efforts are made in wake of a real threat to the lives of many people and also to control illegal activities like terrorism, robberies and killings. Those times are long gone when a gun was possessed in an order to keep the flocks of animals arranged or to guard the cultivated lands. Now the guns are becoming a real threat to human life.Read MoreThe Battle Of Gun Control847 Words   |  4 Pages Gun Control  refers to laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms in order to  control  crime and reduce the harmful effects of violence. (http://definitions.uslegal.com/g/gun-control/) US Legal Definitions. The gun control debates and issues started hundreds of years ago. First, in 1873 the State of Georgia passed a law to ban handguns and this law was thrown out, because it was ruled unconstitutional. Second, in 1865 several SouthernRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control1454 Words   |  6 Pageswhether gun control is needed in this time period. Passing of strict laws is creating a tension between people who believe Americans have the right to bear arms against those who think guns kill people and need to be controlled. Who should Americans believe? First you have to understand that gun control laws could be very helpful in stopping certain crimes..certain. For example, in Tennessee, One of the most gun owning place, has put a ban on guns in certain places. The Tennessee law, which takesRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1687 Words   |  7 Pagesayehu Yitbarek Levell English 121-325/S25 04/20/2017 Gun Control Gun control is a controversial and important issue all over the world. A gun, as a weapon for defense and protection, has been misused by many resulting in unlawful acts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dedicated protect public health and safety, in 2010, there were roughly 31,670 gun-related deaths in the U.S. About 11,100 were homicides (35%) and about 19,400 (61%) were suicides (Jim). Every day, a lotRead MoreShould There Be Stricter Gun Laws and Should All Drugs Be Made Illegal?1129 Words   |  4 Pages Should there be stricter gun laws and should all drugs be made illegal? This topic is something I think we have all heard before, for years many states have went back in forth making drugs illegal then legalizing it for medical purposes only. The same goes for the debate with whether or not there should be stronger gun laws or should it just remain the same. On December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut an armed gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary school and performed a mass shooting. Unfortunately