Sex & Gender

• Sex refers to a person's biological status as either male or female, while gender relates to their social and psychological characteristics of masculinity or femininity.
• Sex refers to a person's biological status as either male or female. This is determined by their sex chromosomes, where XX is female and XY is male.
• Sex chromosomes influence hormonal differences as well as anatomical differences such as reproductive organs, body shape or hair growth.
• Sex is innate and the result of nature, whilst gender can be in some ways influenced by nurture.
• Sex is assigned at birth and cannot be changed, whereas gender is assigned because it is a social construct rather than a biological fact.
• Sex is a biological term whereas gender is a psychological term.
• Gender refers to a person’s psychosocial status as either masculine or feminine. This includes attitudes, roles and behaviour associated with being male or female.
• Ideas of gender are heavily influenced by social norms and cultural expectations.
• Gender identity is the classification of oneself as male or female.
• Assumptions about characteristics and traits of males and females can lead to sex-role stereotypes.
• Sex-role stereotypes are shared beliefs regarding what is or is not appropriate behaviour for males and females.
• When sex-role stereotypes are accepted by the majority of people they can become norms in society which can lead to pressure to conform to these expectations.
• Sex-role stereotypes are usually developed through socialisation and are passed down through generations.
• A typical male sex-role stereotype is to see them as more independent, physically strong and aggressive.
• Typical female attributes associated with sex-role stereotypes are to see them as more gentle and emotional types.
• Once gender stereotypes have been accepted into the norms of society, each generation will be expected to live up to these stereotypes.
• Any behaviour not consistent with sex-role stereotypes is said to be deviant and is frowned upon in society.
• Sex-role stereotypes are a set of shared expectations that people within a society or culture hold about what is acceptable behaviour for men and women.
• The expectations in sex-role stereotypes are communicated through society and may be reinforced by parents, peers and the media.
• Seavey et al (1975) conducted a study where adults were introduced to a baby dressed in yellow, who were told it was either a boy or a girl. When told the baby was a girl the adults gave her the doll to play with, which suggests there are sex-role stereotypes in toy preference.
• Smith & Lloyd (1978) conducted a study in which babies aged 4-6 months would be dressed half the time in boys clothing and half the time in girls’ clothing. This was regardless of their actual sex. They found that gender appropriate behaviour explained their observations and findings.
• Smith & Lloyd (1978) found that adults interacting with babies assuming to be boys were more likely to be encouraged to be adventurous and active and given gender specific toys such as a hammer. This was the opposite for babies assumed to be girls.
• Eccles et al (1990) found that parents often influenced their children's activity choices on the basis of gender stereotypical ideas.
• Sex-role stereotypes are likely to differ by culture, which supports the idea that gender roles are influenced more by external factors than biological factors.
• One limitation of sex-role stereotyping in society is that it may place invisible barriers on the expectations of what children can and cannot do. For example if a boy wants to become a nurse, he may worry about how society views this, as boys are not always expected to be caring.
• Imperato-McGinley et al (1974) studied the Batista family from the Dominican Republic. Four of the children within the family were identified as female at birth and raised as such until puberty, when they “changed” into males. Their bodies physically developed along the male pathway.
• In Imperato-McGinley et al (1974) hormonal changes at puberty which were absent in the womb, were believed to be responsible for the changes in gender seen in the boys.
• Imperato-McGinley et al (1974) illustrated gender identity maybe flexible, as the Batista boys abandoned their female identity at puberty with very few problems of adjustment. They adapted to their new roles as males.