Sociology

Difference Between Gender and Sex

Nowadays it is common to see that the terms “gender” and “sex” are used interchangeably, however, what many people do not know is that these two concepts refer to different things. Difference Between Gender and Sex

If what you have just read has surprised you, continue reading; Because this time we focus on establishing the difference between sex and gender, something that is very important for you to know.

SEX  Difference Between Gender and Sex

This term is used to refer to what a person is anatomically and biologically. How this person was born (with what sexual characteristics, both internal and external).

Sex has to do with the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women.

With current technology , the sex of a child can be determined when it is conceived. The terms “male” and “female” are sometimes used to distinguish the sex of children. But there is also another category and it is intersex ; which is nothing more than a person born with a sexual or reproductive anatomy that does not seem to fit into the two particular categories previously mentioned.

The term ‘sex’ is made up of all the factors that scientifically differentiate men and women, such as; being able to get pregnant, having breasts, a uterus, XX or XY chromosomes, having bigger bones (as in the case of men). All these factors are taken into account to differentiate a man from a woman or, in other words, another way, to determine the sex of a person.

GENDER

Gender is the role, role or differentiation created by society. Roles are social constructions that establish the behaviors, activities and attributes that each society considers that a person should have depending on their sex.

The gender varies depending on the country, region, culture and religion. It is classified into two types: male and female . Sometimes it is believed that transgender people make up another category within the concept of gender.

The term ‘gender’ refers to those customs learned culturally by people of each sex and that are not something they are born with. It includes all the norms that a society establishes in order to separate what is male from what is female. For example, women are expected to learn to cook and raise children, while men are expected to work.

There are certain things that women cannot do socially, such as drinking, swearing, spitting in the street… In the same way, there are things that are socially frowned upon in a man; such as: dressing in pink, crossing your legs, wearing makeup, decorating certain things.

While sex is something that a person cannot change (although externally they do, internally not), gender and gender roles change in each society.

In the old days, a woman was not allowed to go out to work and it was very frowned upon for a man to wear earrings or piercings; but these roles are currently changing in many countries.

Religion plays an important role when it comes to dictating gender roles. 

Key differences between gender and sex
  • Sex has to do with the biological characteristics that distinguish males from females, while gender has to do with the roles and behaviors that each society instills in people depending on their sex.
  • Sex cannot be completely changed, while social roles can.
  • Gender is a social construction, while sex is given by nature.

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Mohammad Asif Goraya

M A Goraya has qualification of M.phil in Agricultural Sciences. He has almost 15 years of teaching Experience at college and university level. He likes to share his research based knowledge with his students and audience.

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