Differences Between Sex And Gender Essay

To me gender is what you want to be seen as and sex is the body parts you are born with. Today there are even surveys including a “no comment” option along with male and female. Many factors contribute to gender identity, such as what sex you are attracted to, what sex you feel you belong alongside, or even how much testosterone our body produces. As soon as I came into this world, I was given a pink blanket. From then on I was expected to buy all the sparkly spirals and pink pencils. I am expected to love wearing skirts and dresses to school. I am expected to cross my legs and scorn people that tell inappropriate jokes. To the world is was out of the ordinary that I would pick the blue spirals and green pencils, wear jeans and a tshirt every single day, and to be the one telling those awful jokes my brother taught

Similar to race and ethnicity, sex and gender are terms that can sometimes be confused. Sex “refers to physical or physiological differences between males and females” and gender “refers to social or cultural distinctions with being male or female.” A person’s sex relates strictly to biological factors, while a person’s gender relates to characteristics that are identified as masculine or feminine in society.

Gender as defined by society as a division between biological sex and the roles you must take on in society. In reality gender is a true spectrum that does not follow a simple linear pattern. There are three major aspects that make a person who they are inside. These aspects are Sex, Gender and Gender Identity.

Firstly, it must be made clear that gender and sex are not the same thing. Sex is a biological term and is assigned at birth based on the body’s physical aspects whereas gender is more complicated than this.

Everybody is born sexed, instead of gendered. Gender is a social construction which does not flow from the genitalia or any organs. A sex category can become a gender status through naming, dressing, and the use of any other gender markers. In other words, gender is cultural and social, while sex is biological.

Sex is categorized on biological grounds for example male and female and it is as a result of nature while gender elaborates sex on social grounds. (West and Zimmerman 1987) define gender as something people learn to do through social pressure and one is not born with it.it is learned over a period of time . A person’s sex does not necessarily correspond with his or her gender and hence division into various gender categories for example transgender, gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, intersex and gender queer. Gender categories are created when a male or a female do not match with their specific sex roles in the society. Human sex differences in humans are between males and females and they are determined by presence or absence of Y chromosomes.

We must understand the difference between the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ because these words are not synonymous to each other. Sex is defined by biological identity, or what you are assigned at birth, and Gender means what you identify as. (Mikkola).

Interpersonal Theories of Gender are described as factors that influence the development of masculinity and femininity. Our text states, “Psychodynamics theory emphasizes

Merriam-Webster provides two definitions for the meaning of gender. The first is simply that gender is a synonym for sex. The second, however, states that gender is “the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex (Merriam-Webster).” This is the definition for gender used in this paper, while sex is defined separately, as the biological differences between males and females.

In today 's society sex and gender seem to have two separate connotative meanings. Sex is a more scientific term that explains physical traits and sexual preferences. Gender carries a more social tone. Meaning that it refers to the different clothing, activities, career choices, and positions people hold in society. A person 's social status helps separate or classify the two sexes. <br><br>Sex is the total sum of physical characteristics that distinguish males and females from each other. The most distinctive difference in characteristics is that man and women have different reproductive organs. This is pretty obvious and so are other traits like facial hair, deep voices, and muscular builds. It is not often that you see a six foot five

Understanding that sex and gender are two separate classifications is important. Sex can be used to refer to “...the physical and biological differences between men and women” (Tischler, 2014, P.259). Things like breast, testicals, the ability to give birth are a few physical and biological differences that do in fact separate men from women. Gender is used to allude to the social and psychological aspects of what defines a man from a woman. What is socially appropriate for a woman to do, such as wear a dress, is not socially acceptable for a man to do. In most societies, the sex and gender should line up, as in men act like men and women act like women, however someone feelings of how to act may differ from what behavior is expected from someone of their sex.

The dictionary definition of gender is “The behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with the one sex” Basically, whatever is deemed okay for that sex to do physically, mentally, or psychologically is gender appropriate. One's personal gender identity is found in in who they believe they are inside. It is what they like, how they react, and what they choose. These two definitions often coincide due to various factors such as biology, conformity and the maleness of the human brain.

Kerbo (1994) refer to gender as the socially constructed definition of what it mean to be female or male. Sex and gender are two separate terms. Sex refers to the biological characteristics. However, gender is completely different. Gender is socially constructed not biological. For example many times when a baby is born male, others would say things like he’s going to be strong or aggressive. These behaviors are usually associated with male characteristics. Society places different types of behaviors, roles and expectations on females and males.

When they say opposites attract, they aren’t kidding! The difference between fondness and loathing of girls and boys are exceptionally vivid and apparent.

You are born with sexual attributes but gender qualities are developed after birth (Tovey and Share, 2003). The variations between the two sexes are an outcome of culture and society (Giddens, 2001). The best way to prove the difference between the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ is the situation of transsexuals. These people fit biologically into one sex but feel they belong to the other. Through surgery and hormone treatment they try to change their biological sex and by doing this they also have to learn how to act like the sex they have changed to. They also have to take on new masculine/feminine roles (Browne, 2005). One in every two thousand babies is born intersex which is a baby with mixed female and male characteristics.