41% of British people say that gender is a social construct, but 36% oppose that view
What is gender? Some theorists strongly draw on a distinction between sex, a biological category, and gender seen as a social construct. One major view is that sexuality and gender are fields in which people create their identities. According to the LSE Gender Institute “Gender can mean men and women, and the relationship between them”.
A new First Verdict poll showed 41% agree with the statement that gender is a social construct based on sexist stereotypes. This point is opposed by 36% while 23% say they neither agree nor disagree.
This question received quite a few responses from First Verdict users. One person, pointed to “the grey area between deciding what aspects of either nature or nurture, or both, create a person’s ‘gender’”. In another opinion “ideas of gender depend completely on society’s expectations’. “The battleground between feminists (‘gender is defined by sexism and therefore irrelevant’) and transgender people (‘gender is defined by feelings and important’) is fascinating” this comment suggests.
In November 2014 in the UK a campaign has been launched called for the Scottish government to recognise a third gender in Scottish law. In the UK, people who do not identify as male or female currently have no legal recognition of their gender.
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