Title: Male and Female: The Overlapping Curves | Psychology Today
Headings: Male and Female: The Overlapping Curves
Noam Shpancer Ph.D.
Male and Female: The Overlapping Curves
What’s with the differences between men and women?

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Third, the argument that genetic differences inherently give rise to differences in behavior and functioning is problematic. Genes do not establish traits or behaviors, they establish potentials. The path from genetic potential to actual behavior in the world, from genotype to phenotype, passes necessarily through the social environment. Society, in this context, influences genes in two primary ways. First, it decides how much of your genetic potential will be fulfilled. Your genes may predispose you to be six foot four, but if you grow up malnourished, in a neglectful early environment (social conditions) you will not achieve your potential height. Second, society controls the manner in which you will express your genetic potential. A big, strong, agile man may find himself on a football team, if he's American. If he's Japanese he may find himself on the sumo mat. Our DNA doesn't have a ‘football gene' or a ‘sumo gene.'