Why some forms use Sex and some use Gender?!
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Gender refers to socially constructed and culturally determined differences attributed to men and women and their roles in the household, community, and the society as a whole. These differences and roles, which are learned, change over time and vary widely within and between cultures. At the same time, the word sex is used to mean the real biological differences between a male and a female.
Biological sex identity is determined by reference to genetic and anatomical characteristics, but gender is determined by socially learned behaviour and expectations that distinguish between masculinity and femininity. Gender has two basic elements. A natural element, which is biologically enforced as an essential feature of life along with all the biological traits associated with it, and an artificial element imposed by the society, which is discriminately loaded with multiple dimensions against women.
Hi,
It is true that sex or gender are sometimes interchangeably written on forms, but there is a little difference between these two terms:
Sex is used to imply biological identity of an organism mostly, the multi-cellular animals. In this context, sex refers to either a male, female or hermaphrodite. In short, sex can be used to indicate the type of sexual organ that an organism possesses. It is used mostly for plants, animals and human beings.
Gender on the other hand refers to ideological and normative set of beliefs about an individual. It is a term that describes an individual based on what others perceive to be the person's roles, responsibilities, and relationship with others. Therefore, we can have gender indicating a woman, man, boy, or a girl; a father or mother.
In summary, classification in gender is contextually perceived while that of sex is more broadly recognized in scope.
I would agree with C George Thomas andMichael Uebel that sex and gender are distinct constructs. These terms should not be used interchangeably. Sex refers to a biological concept whereas gender is a social construct. Gender as a social construction is underpinned by the understanding that society significantly influences gender roles as well as definitions of masculinity and femininity. Gender is both malleable and unstable and varies according to context and culture. The work of Judith Butler (1990, 1999) and West and Zimmerman (1987) provide really useful accounts of how gender is constructed and reproduced through daily interactions and performances.
Butler, Judith (1999). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge. pp. 9–11
West, C. and Zimmerman, D.H., 1987. Doing gender. Gender & society, 1(2), pp.125-151.
Best wishes with your research.
Helas, sex is still two, gender is now 3 or more:/
The two terms are not interchangeable. Sex is used to imply biological identity of an organism. The term Sex is used to mean the real biological differences between a male and a female. Whereas Gender is a social category determined by the differences attributed to men and women on the basis of their roles in the household and the society as a whole.
Article Sex and gender: What is the difference?
Sex it a term that refers to a matter of your anatomy or physiology (genitalia, gonadal hormones), gender is your inner belonging to your own sex or to another sex (can be in contrast with your sex - so it can happen that a person with a male anatomy has a femininne gender identity and for example androphilic sexual orientation). So, sex is not so obvious term as it seems.
For the sustenance of a society, members have to perform several functions. However, when the jobs are assigned based on reproductive functions, it becomes discrimination. There is near unanimity among experts that except child bearing and breast-feeding, all other roles thrust upon women are socially determined. For example, the functions such as rearing children, earning for the family, cleaning, household maintenance, and decision-making can be done by members of either sex. Despite this fact, the society extends women’s biological role in child bearing and nurturing to not only child rearing but also caring for other members of the family, food preparation, and house hold maintenance. Thus, household maintenance becomes a major women’s gender role in most societies.
In most cases the words sex and gender are used interchangeably. While we talk about biological sex gender may be interpreted in relation to society. The two terms are viewed differently by different languages.
People are often misuse sex to gender and vice versa. Sex pertains to the biological anatomy of an individual basically either male sex or female sex. Gender on the other hand is the role a particular individual being portrayed as to feminine or masculine.
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