Sex and gender

• sex

  refers to a persons biological status as either male or female

  determined by different chromosomes in first instance

  sex is innate and genetic

  person may become more masculine or feminine depending on social context, norms and expectations
• gender

  refers to persons psychological status

  includes attitudes, roles and behaviours associated with being male or female

  heavily influenced by social norms and cultural expectations

  gender at least partly environmentally determined
• gender dysphoria

  biologically prescribed sex doesn't reflect they way they feel inside and gender they identify themselves as being

  some who experience this may have gender reassignment
• sex role stereotypes

  set of shared expectations that people within a society or culture hold about what is acceptable/ unusual behaviour for males and females

  expectations communicated throughout society

  reinforced by parents, peers, media and schools

  may lead to sexist assumptions being formed e.g women are too emotional
• strengths

  Urberg 1982 told aged 3-7 years stores that stressed sex role stereotypes, responses found increase tendency to describe the characteristics as male brave, female kind etc
• weakness

  culturally transmitted

  implies environmental learning experiences

  media subject to criticism of their stereotypical presentation of sex-roles so portrays have become less stereotyped