Sex Gender

Sex and Gender Roles Sex Role Stereotypes

SEX

Sex, is a biological term referring to people, animals,etc., being either female or male depending on their sex organs or genes. Sex also refers to the differences between individuals that make them male or female.

GENDER

Contrary to sex, gender has social, cultural, and psychological rather than biological connotations.

It is defined in terms of femininity and masculinity. The proper terms for describing sex, for example, are male and female while the corresponding terms for gender are masculine and feminine.

Gender refers to the socially determined ideas and practices of what it is to be female or male, how a persons biology is culturally valued and interpreted into locally accepted ideas of what it is to be a woman or man, whereas Sex refers to the biological characteristics that categorize someone as having either a female or male body

Key message: Gender and sex are two different concepts with different meanings Sex refers to biological characteristics that categorize someone as having either a female or male Gender is the result of a social construction

SEX AND GENDER ROLES

Sex Role A sex role is a function or role which a male or female assumes because of the basic physiological or anatomical differences between the sexes.

It is a biologically determined role which can be performed by only one of the sexes, e.g., women give birth to children while men make women pregnant.

These roles are not exchangeable because they are biologically determined.

Gender Role

A gender role, refers to society's evaluation of behavior as masculine or feminine, e.g., cooking is feminine, while fishing is a masculine role in most societies.

SEX ROLES
1.Same in all societies: they are universal, e.g., it is only women who give birth to children all over the world. 2.Never change with history 3.Can be performed by only one the sexes. 4.They are biologically determined.

GENDER ROLES
1.May differ from society to society. 2.Can change with history. 3.Can be performed by both sexes. 4. They are socially, culturally determined.

Gender role is the behaviors, attitudes values, beliefs and so on that a particular cultural group considers appropriate for males and females on the basis of their biological sex. Gender roles and expectations are learned

SEX-ROLE STEREOTYPES

Stereotype is a person or thing seeming to conform to a heavily accepted type. A gender stereotype is a product of a subjective perception built with an aim of confirming a society in which women have a lower status than men. The consequences of these gender stereotypes are gender inequality, the continuous reproduction of gender inequalities and gender based violence.

Sex-role stereotypes have also been defined as the rigidly held and oversimplified beliefs that MALES & FEMALES possess distinct (and similar) psychological traits and characteristics.

These beliefs tend to be very widely held in society.

Do Sex-Role Stereotypes Reflect the True Situation?

Stereotypes may reflect the generally observable characteristics of a particular sex group. However, stereotypes can be unfair because they tend to GENERALIZE.

They are unfair to those people who do not possess those traits or characteristics.

Effects of Sex-Role Stereotypes on Individuals Sex-role stereotypes can have both positive and negative effects on females and males in society.

If the stereotype describing a sex group is negative, it could have negative effects on some members of that group and vice-versa.

The following are the main effects of sex-role stereotypes on individuals: 1. Conformity Many people tend to conform to the stereotypes in two main ways:

a) Impression management b) Self-fulfilling prophecy

2. Self-Image Sex-role stereotypes can also affect a person's self-image.

Self-image refers to the way in which individuals view themselves.

Concepts: (Aspects of Self-image) a) Self-esteem - how one thinks of oneself; b) Self-confidence - an estimate of one's abilities; and c) Locus of control - a sense of control over one's life.

The Transmittal of Sex-Role Stereotypes

The main way in which sex-role stereotypes are transmitted from one generation to another is through the socialization process.

1. Socialization agents
a) Parents b) Teachers c) Peers

2. Socialization forces
a) School b) The media c) Language d) Play e) Art and music f ) Religion, etc.

Social construction of gender (case study)

Key message: Gender inequalities are learned through education various levels including the family, school, religions, society and the wider community level

CHRISTIANITY REQUIRES GENDER EQUALITY AND RESPECT FOR LIFE

In the beginning.. Women and men were created equal.

Early Christianity Jesus was an advocate for women's freedom and equality.