Sex and Gender

SEX AND GENDER

The terms “sex” and “gender” have been used interchangeably, but their uses are becoming increasingly distinct, and it is important to understand the differences between the two.

In contrast to sex, the concept of ‘gender’ is not viewed as an inbuilt trait. Instead, gender refers to the behaviours and attitudes a group considers appropriate for its males and females. Subsequently, gender is not fixed at any one time; it is susceptible to change over time and is culturally variable. Whereas sex refers to male or female, gender is associated with masculinity or femininity. Thus, this implies that our gender is learned because we are socialized by our culture to assert certain behaviours and attitudes which are suitable for our sex.

The ‘sex-gender distinction’ can be discussed in detail:

Sex:

The differences between the male and female sexes are anatomical and physiological. “Sex” tends to relate to biological differences. For instance, male and female genitalia, both internal and external, are different. Similarly, the levels and types of hormones in male and female bodies differ.

Genetic factors define the sex of an individual. Women have 46 chromosomes including two Xs and men have 46, including an X and a Y. The Y chromosome is dominant and carries the signal for the embryo to begin growing testes.

Both men and women have testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. However, women have higher levels of estrogen and progesterone, and men have higher testosterone levels.

The male or female split is often seen as binary, but this is not entirely true. For instance, some men are born with two or three X chromosomes, just as some women are born with a Y chromosome.

In some cases, a child is born with a mix between female and male genitalia. They are sometimes termed intersex, and the parents may decide which gender to assign to the child. Intersex individuals account for around 1 in 1,500 births.

Some people believe that sex should be considered a continuum rather than two mutually exclusive categories.

Gender:

Gender tends to denote the social and cultural role of each sex within a given society. Rather than being purely assigned by genetics, as sex differences generally are, people often develop their gender roles in response to their environment, including family interactions, the media, peers, and education. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines gender as:

“Gender refers to the socially constructed characteristics of women and men, such as norms, roles, and relationships of and between groups of women and men. It varies from society to society and can be changed.”

Gender roles in some societies are more rigid than those in others. The degree of decision-making, financial responsibility expected of each gender, and the time women or men are expected to spend on homemaking and rearing children vary between cultures. Within the wider culture, families too have their norms.

Gender roles are not set in stone. In many societies, men are increasingly taking on roles traditionally seen as belonging to women, and women are playing the parts previously assigned mostly to men. Gender roles and gender stereotypes are highly fluid and can shift substantially over time.

Thus, one can claim that social, environmental, and cultural factors nurture the gender of an individual. In contrast, sex is a biological trait and while it can be altered in the course of advanced surgery, it is normally believed to be fixed and determined by natural forces.