The traditional biological understandings of sex and gender create a binary concept mainly in the

Although men and women have significant biological differences, the question whether gender-specific labels stems from these biological differences or are gender constructed remains a polarised nature versus nurture debate. Whether it is through the process of socialisation or genetic make-up, “gender identity” is given from a person’s birth, determining how a person culturally interacts and the expectations society places on them. Along with a “gender identity” comes a whole set of “norms”, “values” and so-called “gender characteristics”, which are supposed to define the differences between a male and a female. According to the World Health Organisation (n.d.), the term “sex” is often used to define the biological and physiological

Typically, sex and gender have been described as a package deal; one reflects the other. However, this is false and has become a popular topic in today’s society. Sex is defined as “the biological characteristics that distinguish males from females” (Henslin, 2014). Therefore, a person’s sex is determined by their physical traits, such as a penis or a vagina. Gender, on the other hand, “consists of whatever behaviors and attitudes a group considers proper for its males and females” (Henslin, 2014). Gender norms vary between cultures and are not based off of physical traits.

It has long been debated whether there is a difference between sex and gender, and if so, what that difference is. In recent years it has been suggested that sex is a purely biological term, and gender is socially constructed, or defined and enforced by society. Sex is assigned at birth based on the genitalia, and usually, gender is determined by the

According to the textbook, the term Gender Dysphoria means “biological sex and gender identity do not match, thus leading to distress and impairment” (Chapter 8, pg.279). The textbook also discusses how “children with Gender Dysphoria is apparent in repeated statements that the child wants to be the opposite sex or is the opposite sex; cross-dressing in clothing stereotypical of the other sex and how the child has persistent fantasies of being the opposite sex such as; pretend play or activities associated with the opposite sex” (Chapter 8, pg. 279). However; the textbook also mentions how “people with gender dysphoria have persisted discomfort with their own sex” (Chapter 8, pg. 279).

This penis was seen as a fault which needed a resolution (Garfinkel, 1967, p. 126-32). Agnes admitted that there are crucial biological measures that differentiate males from females. Furthermore, other cultures have become aware of the existence of “cross-genders” (Williams 1986, cited in West and Zimmerman 1987) and the likelihood of more than two sexes (Cucchiari 1981, cited in West and Zimmerman 1987). More importantly, Kessler and McKenna (1978, p. 1-6) made a significant argument that genitalia isn’t revealed to society on a day-to-day basis; still we carry on observing a world of two naturally sexed human beings. It is the assumption that measures are required that supplies the basis for sex classification. They argue gender is cultural occurrences, rather than a group of characteristics or ways of acting. Original sex assignment and having the crucial criteria for that gender category hasn’t got much to do with the identification of sex category in day-to-day life. To conclude, Kessler and McKenna (1978) believe people take granted that sex and sex category are identical in

In How to Build a Man, Fausto-Sterling questions the neutrality of scientific works through examinations of scientific interpretations of sex and the practice of sex assignment at birth. Based on evidence and conducted by educated scientists, science is usually seen as truth and authority. However, interpreted by human beings with preconceptions, science, far from telling the truth and liberating people from old social understandings, actively interacts with current social values and reinforces the norms. In the perspective of gender study, a person’s assigned sex is often seen as a stable biological identity as opposed to gender as a personal identification. Fausto-Sterling puts into question the certainty of assigned sex and implies that understanding sex as socially constructed is essential for change. However, how is this new understanding of science indicative of its role in the field of gender study?

To begin with, it is essential to identify the difference between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’. ‘Sex’ is biologically classified according to the presentation of an individual’s genitalia. In most societies such as the Western society, there are only two sexes that are recognized (Lorber, 1993, p. 569). Males are said to have XY chromosome (testes and a penis) whereas women are said to have XX chromosome (vagina and ovaries) (Fausto-Sterling, 1993, pp. 40-41). However the concept of labelling genitalia as ‘male’ or ‘female’ is problematic. This is because it completely disregards the individuals who are intersex. Anne Fausto- Sterling went on to suggest the five sex system in order to have the individuals who are intersex recognised in society. This stated that in addition to males and females, herms (people born with both testes and ovary), merms (people born with testes and

In sociology, we make a general distinction between sexuality and gender. Sex is the biological trait that we use to determine whether or not a person is a male or a female, whether it be through chromosomes, genitalia, or some other kind of visual physical description. When society talks about the obvious differences between men and women, they are often drawing on sex rather than gender, which is now an understanding of how society helps to shape our new understanding of these biological categories. In class we learned how to differentiate between the three, understanding that Sex refers to the natural or biological differences that distinguish males and females, Sexuality refers to desire, sexual preference, sexual identity, and behavior, and Gender is a social construct that consists of a set of social arrangements that are built around sex.

The discussion of genes and gender and the respective roles they play in determining sex and identity have been widely discussed in recent decades. The idea that biology can solely determine ones sex, wherein no external factors impact that determination requires further discussion. The topic of whether there are strictly two distinct genders represented in society has been recognized largely as a western cultural viewpoint. While not everyone agrees with this viewpoint, one biologist that plays a role in this discussion is Anne Fausto-Sterling. She is an expert in gender development and wrote extensively on the subject of gene and gender. In this paper I will discuss Fausto-Sterling’s view on sex and gender, and how she undermines the idea of strict universal dimorphism. Being that sexual dimorphism is the favored view of most in the scientific community, this discussion comes with some controversy. She states that with the understanding of intersexed individuals in society, we as a society must abandon the idea that there are only 2 sexes.

The introduction of gender is augmented that biology plays the most critical role in gender. According to Reskin, (1991, cited in Skrla 2000, p. 4) sex is defined as biological category, categorized at birth according to genitalia or chromosomal typing. Gender, is used as an indication based on society’s perceptions to create distinctions between the sexes, in which feminine and masculine are incorporated into (Reese 1995, cited in Skrla 2000, p.4). In fact, according to Hare-Mustin and Marecek ‘Gender is used in contrast to terms like sex for the explicit purpose of creating a space in which socially mediated differences between men and women can be explored apart from

Thus there is a complex relationship between sex and gender. Some people do not fully meet the biological characteristics of their sex, but they have lived their entire life as the ‘’expected’’ gender. Consequently gender is not only determined by the XX and XY genes. There is a complex relationship between biological characteristics and how society interprets them. Gender is determined by anatomy, biology, social and cultural forces, it is a legal and social identity.

Now in our generation there has been great controversy about what gender you are and what kind of love you believe in. One thing many people fail to realize is that your gender and your designated sex are two completely different things. Not only is there that divide between sex and gender but there is pre-determined rules that everyone is expected to follow that is connected to their specific gender. Because gender is an ever-changing thing for some there needs to be the support for those wishing to live their life the way they want, without judgment. Along with the judgment because of the way someone feels they should be there are many crimes a year because someone chooses to change genders and enjoy their life. The support that Americans provide now is good but there needs to be a better society for those that feel differently about their predetermined sex.

The concepts of sex and gender define the majority of our behavior within society. The irony within this is that sex is not the same in gender. However, the way society pushes roles in gender, the difference between gender and sex is rarely noted. It isn’t just society, but the media as well that pushes for a differentiation of behaviors between the two sexes, resulting in overall social constraints as well as personal experiences that are defined by gender.

These ideas challenge most people’s ideology surrounding biological sex, considering that we associate sex and gender, closely. However, as these people living outside the binary would argue, there is absolutely no correlation between a person’s biological sex and gender. Resulting from a recent rise in non-binary gender advocates, these identities are slowly becoming recognized in legal, medical, and psychological spheres. The reason this matters is related to the cultural and social emphases that we in the United States, and many Western cultures, place on biological sex and conventions of gender. If our worldview inserts

Physiological or physical distinctions between males, females, and persons that are intersexual is referred to as the “sex” of that individual. Whereas a person’s “Gender” is the social or cultural differences having to do with their biological sex that was assigned to them at birth. Male babies that are born are assigned as boys and Female babies that are born are assigned as girls. Babies that are born intersex can be designated to either category. Scholars regard gender as a Social Contrast, which means it is a concept that was made up from culture and society norms and that it doesn’t exist naturally.