sex & gender

• Sex - a biological status determined by their genetic makeup (it is innate).
• Gender - a person is described as masculine or feminine which reflects the attitudes, behaviours and roles we associate with being either being male or female.
• Gender is more fluid and an individual can become more masculine or more feminine.
• Gender dysphoria - when a person’s biological sex does not reflect the way they feel inside and the gender they identify as being.
• Sex-role stereotypes - are social expectations about how a male or female should behave, transmitted through society e.g media and reinforced by parents and peers.
• Furnham and Farragher (2000) found adverts in the media supported stereotypical sex roles. These can be damaging on women’s careers and can lead to incorrect assumptions about a person.