Biological determinism, or bio-essentialism, is the view that human traits, including gender expression and attraction, are predetermined by biological factors, as opposed to being created by socialization. Medicine has a long tradition of examining men and women through a bio-essentialist lens. Followers of biological determinism assert that primarily genetics, hormones, and neurology determine sex-specific behaviors. Medical science has also traditionally normalized the male experience, either ignoring the female experience or marking it as other. As such, biological determinism has been frequently used to provide scientific justification for sex stereotypes. For instance, the idea that female brains are smaller than male brains has been used to assert male superiority (Green, Sheila. “Biological Determinism and Essentialism.” Companion to Feminist Studies, 2020). Most modern social scientists and medical doctors do not ascribe to biological determinism, arguing that, while biology plays a role in gendered behavior, such behaviors are primarily a result of socialization.

Brizendine takes a bio-essentialist stance in The Female Brain, which is one of the reasons the text has been highly criticized. Brizendine ascribes to biological factors numerous stereotypical behaviors that are most commonly seen as sexist generalizations. She also overemphasizes the role of brain structures and hormones—for instance, citing the absence of prenatal

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now