Gender and Sex Worksheet Essay

What is gender? What is sex in biological terms? Are gender and sex the same thing? Explain why or why not? Gender is a subclass within a grammatical class (as noun, pronoun, adjective, or verb) of a language that is partly arbitrary but also partly based on distinguishable characteristics (as shape, social rank, manner of existence, or sex) and that determines agreement with and selection of other words or grammatical forms (â€Å"Merriam-Webster†). Biological term for sex is one’s biological classification as male or female which is set into motion at the moment the sperm ertilizes the egg (â€Å"Intro To Sociology†, 2009). Gender and Sex in my opinion are not the same. Sex refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women, gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women. How do gender and sex contribute to the concepts and constructions of masculinity and femininity? According to Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc (2013), â€Å"Culture determines gender roles and what is masculine and feminine. What does it mean to be a woman or man? Whether we are women or men is not determined just by our sex organs. Our gender includes a complex mix of beliefs, behaviors, and characteristics. How do you act, talk, and behave like a woman or man? Are you feminine or masculine, both, or neither? These are questions that help us get to the core of our gender and gender identity. † Do our concepts of gender and sex contribute to the ways we embrace gender and sex in diversity? Yes, I do feel that our concepts of gender and sex contribute to the ways we embrace gender and sex in diversity. I feel that we look at males as the ones who are supposed to be the readwinner, the rough and tough kind of person and we look at females as the ones who are supposed to be the sweet and kind caregiver at home taking care of the house and kids and being the emotional one, when it can be the other way around. Do our concepts of gender and sex contribute to our understanding of sexual orientation? Explain. Yes, I feel that our concepts of gender and sex contribute to our understanding of sexual orientation in many ways. We have a understanding of what each gender is and what they provide, causing us to make a decision on who we want to be with in life.