Meanings and Definition of Sex and Gender - Essay Example

Sex vs. Gender People have different perspectives on the meanings and definition of sex and gender. Some argue that sex and gender are two different things; while others argue that sex and gender are one and the same thing. It is not clear which of the perspectives is right. For example, according to the Feminists, gender and sex mean two different things. According to Feminists, sex means human females and males in reference to biological features, for example, chromosomes, and sex organs. Gender, on the other hand, means being a man or woman in reference to the social responsibilities assigned to each, for example, how one should behave, the roles one is to perform, and the identity placed upon one. The feminists came up with this distinction so as to counter the assumption that biology is destiny since this made women inferior to men in many ways (Brym 1). Traditionally, a person’s gender determined the roles or the respect one received in the society. For instance, the female genders were considered inferior to the male gender. Women respected their husbands and did whatever they were told to do. Roles, for instance, looking after the children and taking care of the home, was women’s role, while the men worked and provided for their family (Brym 1). In the African traditional society, roles and responsibilities played a crucial part in the distinction of male and female. Women were seen to be in the same level as children. A woman was not supposed to talk when her husband was talking, or to give a comment on any issue. Whatever decision the man made was considered final. A man had the freedom to do whatever pleased him and no matter what mistakes he made the woman was not supposed to question his action. Today, however, this is not the case, men and women perform the same roles. Women go out to work and fend for their families. Men nowadays do jobs, like cooking, that were ones considered being a woman’s work. In some families, women are the breadwinners while the man remains home and takes care of the family. In this case, gender is no longer defined on the basis of the roles or the responsibilities assigned to being male or female (Brym 1). Sex, on the other hand, has been defined on the biological basis. Ones sex is identified through different physical features, where ones reproductive mechanism being the most salient one. Sex is differentiates through the reproductive organs, for instance, a male is one who has testes, which are the male gametes, female is one with the ovaries. According to biologists, there is no difference between sex and gender (Brym 1). However, according to sociologists, sex and gender are two different things, where sex is the biological difference between male and female, while gender refers to the cultural or social differences of male and female. Biology argues that sex and gender are one and the same thing. One can change his appearance through operations, but one can never change their gender or sex. For example, the behavior of the individual will still remain the same despite the change in appearances (Brym 1). In Winnipeg, Canada in 1966, two 8 year old boys were taken for circumcision. However, one of the baby’s penises burned out due to errors of the machine and the doctor’s carelessness. This event troubled the boy’s parents. They worried that their son would not be able to live a normal, life as expected. Thus, they decided to look for a solution to the problem. They went to visit a doctor, John Money, known for his abilities to fix male or female identity. The operation was successful, and the child got a new identity as a female called Brenda. The child was able to live well, but later came to learn of the events that had transpired, this changed everything. The child decided to attain his initial identity of being male by removing all organs that identified him as female. Years later, he got married and adopted some children. This, however, did not solve the problem of the events that happened earlier in his life, and it later led to the boy committing suicide. This story is a proof that even though one may change their identity or appearance, the real identity of a person still remains. The behavior and feelings still remain. The issue of sex and gender has led to a number of debates and questions. This research paper attempts to find answers on some of the questions. The first question that could be asked form this topic is, what difference exists between sex and gender? It is clear that not everyone is for the idea that sex and gender are two different things; however, the idea is to find out how many people believe that sex and gender are two different things and the reason why they believe so (Brym 1). In social sciences, sex is differentiated by the physical appearances or biological appearances, while gender is differentiated by the responsibilities assigned to male and female. However, one would wonder, if a man and a woman perform equal responsibilities and roles, does that categorize them in the same gender? Another question that would come to mind is what defines a male and female. Is it the biological make up, which includes the reproductive makeup, or is it the behavior or the roles one plays? From the twin’s story, it appears that one’s biological makeup is what determines whether a person is a male or female. The boy had grown up with no problems before he knew that initially he was a boy before he was changed into a girl. However, even, though, his appearance was that of a girl, he still yearned for his original identity of being male, and eve after changing back to male, it did not seem to change the weird feeling he felt. Thus, what defines a person as being male or female? Is it biology, or people’s own perceptions and beliefs? For example, when it comes to academic subjects, there are those subjects assumed to be male subject, and those considered female subject, for example, males are considered to be proficient in sciences while females are skilled in Humanities (Brym 1). That does not imply that a female who is good in sciences is a male. A question is; thus, raised, what defines a female and what defines a male. Is it their sex, according to biology, or their gender according to sociologist? In reference to the social concept, which explains gender and sex as being two different things, female and male can be differentiated by the roles they play, but at the same time by their appearances. However, today, male or female perform all roles. No role is considered as that of male or female. Women go to work and make their own income. Men cook for their families and take care of their children; thus, it is not logical that one differentiates male or fame on the basis of the roles they play. This leaves us with one way by which male and female can be differentiated, Biological make up or physical appearances (Brym 1). However, this could also raise eyebrows since; a male could possibly change his sex through an operation and his appearance would be that of a female. Culture and religion play vital role in the perspective that different people hold on the definition of male and female. Some people have adap0ted to the new definitions of gender and sex while some till stick to the traditional ways of defining gender and sex. The social understanding of one’s identity is influenced by behavior and the expectations of the society. The society has given people idea expectations of them as females and males. The ideas people hold about the different genders and sex, rely fully on the social group one keeps. The way a person expresses his gender or sexuality depends on the social group one keeps or the peers one interact with every day. One is molded to behave or carry themselves in accordance with their social group (Brym 1). Methodology This research is extremely wide, and; thus, would require information from a large sample or population. Thus, the methods used should be one that will be able to cover a large population and at the same time give valid and reliable information. For this research, I intend to use questionnaires and Research from secondary sources Questionnaires are the most appropriate methods of collecting data in this research since distribution and collection of the questionnaires after they have been filled is not cumbersome and takes little time (Brym 1). The other advantage of using the questionnaires is that the subjects would remain anonymous, and thus, this will encourage people to give clear and true answers since there will not be any influence from the researcher. Research from secondary sources will help in getting information on the previous studies done and the results that were found. It will also help in coming up with better ways of handling the research, through learning from the mistakes the other researchers made. The secondary researches will also help in providing theories that have already been proven, and applying them to this research paper. This research will be beneficial in answering the questions that have been around for a long time on sex and gender. It will be more valuable since it will involve people from all cultures and religions; thus, the outcome will not be biased in any way. This research, will, however, raise more questions from the different perspectives that will be provided on the answers in the questionnaire, thus create a new research that would answer the questions that will arise from this research. However, at the conclusion of this research, people will have a clear and well supported understanding of what sex and gender is. Works Cited Brym, Robert. & Lie, John. “Sociology: your compass for a new world”. Quebecor world Dubuque. Thomson Higher education 2007. Read More