Gender and Society

Chapter 1 – Sex versus Gender

Lesson 1 - Defining Sex and Gender
Lesson Objectives
• Know the difference between sex and gender based on their distinct
definitions
• Used the terms properly in discussions.
Sex
• Refers to categories that people are assigned to at birth based on the
reproductive characteristics.
• Intersex – is a physiological condition where an organism has different
variations of the physical characteristics compared to a true male or a true
female of its kind. This condition is usually due to some chromosomes of a
hormonal anomaly during its embryonic stage.
Gender
• Is a socially constructed characteristics of a male person and a female
person.
• Latin word “ genus” meaning kind, type or sort.
• It is the legal status differentiated through social roles, behaviors, capabilities
emotional, intellectual and social characteristics attributed to a given culture to
women and men
Differences between Sex and Gender
Sex
Primarily refers to physical attributes- body
characteristics notably sex organ which are distinct in
majority of individuals
Is biologically determined by genes and hormones
Is relatively fixed, constant through time and across
culture
Gender
Is the composite of attitude and behavior of men and
women(masculinity and feminity)
Is learned and perpetuated primarily through: the
family, religion and is an acquired identity
Because it is socialized, it may be variable through
time and across cultures
Theoretical Perspectives on Gender and
Family
• Family – an essential, natural and fundamental unit of society
• Functionalist
• Marxist
• Marxist Feminist