Is our gender determined by nature or nurture?

Encyclopedia of Opinion

Question: Is our gender determined by nature or nurture?
Position1 of 3›: Gender is determined by biological factors
Argument‹2 of 3›: Gender differences caused by evolution

This argument suggests gender roles have been crafted through the process of evolution,

The argument

Through natural selection, women have evolved to be the carers of children whilst men have evolved to be the providers for their families. This leads to unique behavioral differences between the two sexes, and has a big impact on gender role. Evolutionary characteristics held by woman include being more caring, protective and loyal than men. Evolutionary characteristics held by men include like being more: aggressive, competitive and dominant than women.

Context

The theory of evolution was popularized by Charles Darwin in the nineteenth century by his work on natural selection, a change in heritable traits of a population over generations.

Premises

[P1]Through natural selection women evolved as carers of children while men evolved as providers for their families. [P2] This produced unique behavioural differences, with women more caring, protective, and loyal and men more aggressive, competitive, and dominant. [P3] These evolved traits shape the distinct roles each gender plays. [C] Therefore, because gender differences are caused by evolution, gender is determined by biological factors.

Counter-arguments

The sexual division of labor has been proposed as an explanation for various noted cognitive differences between sexes, however individual differences are greater than the average differences between sexes, and furthermore these differences become void with very short training. These small observed cognitive differences could very easily be the result of socialization, instead of a minor evolutionary adaptation.

Rejecting the premises

Any perceived evolutionary gender differences play a nugatory role in shaping personality in the 21st century.