simple definition of sex and gender. or ?

[seabeyond]

What is the difference between sex and gender?
Sex = male and female

Gender = masculine and feminine

So in essence:

Sex refers to biological differences; chromosomes, hormonal profiles, internal and external sex organs.

Gender describes the characteristics that a society or culture delineates as masculine or feminine.

So while your sex as male or female is a biological fact that is the same in any culture, what that sex means in terms of your gender role as a 'man' or a 'woman' in society can be quite different cross culturally. These 'gender roles' have an impact on the health of the individual.

In sociological terms 'gender role' refers to the characteristics and behaviours that different cultures attribute to the sexes. What it means to be a 'real man' in any culture requires male sex plus what our various cultures define as masculine characteristics and behaviours, likewise a 'real woman' needs female sex and feminine characteristics. To summarise:

'man' = male sex+ masculine social role

(a 'real man', 'masculine' or 'manly')

'woman' = female sex + feminine social role

(a 'real woman', 'feminine' or 'womanly')

[F4lconF16]

1. I like this.

'man' = male sex+ masculine social role

(a 'real man', 'masculine' or 'manly')

'woman' = female sex + feminine social role

(a 'real woman', 'feminine' or 'womanly')

Because the societal concept of man or woman has two parts--you are not a "man" if you are "feminine", or vice versa. I think it's a good way to understand the two socially acceptable categories and how our definition of man and woman leaves a huge chunk of the population disenfranchised. If you don't fall into those categories, you are the "other", characterized as an angry lesbian, a weak gay, or, in the case of other gender identities, a "thing".

[jakeXT]

2. Looks like facebook has like 56 gender identity options

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genderqueer

[ismnotwasm]

3. I think that's why it's important to define the difference

Biological differences are at the chromosomal level, with modifications available with, say sex reassignment, or a natural outcome in conditions such as AIS. Gender is far more fluid and dynamic.

[el_bryanto]

4. That's a very clear explanation. Thank you for posting. nt

[Spider Jerusalem]

5. It is not that simple

sex is biological (but not necessarily binary; see here).

Gender identity is the personal and subjective sense of "maleness" or "femaleness". This personal and subjective sense of gender identity is not related to gender roles or to gender performance, both of which are social constructions. Most research indicates that gender identity is formed by age three or so; some relatively small number of people (anywhere from a fraction of a percent to 1%, apparently) experience a subjective disconnect between their socially assigned gender role and their internal gender identity, which frequently results in their engaging in the performative aspects of that gender identity specific to their culture. This is not a new thing; transgender people (as we now call them) have probably existed for as long as humans have existed (see historical examples like the Chevalier d'Eon, and non-Western examples like Indian hijras and Native American "two-spirit" people). And there's a growing body of research that indicates that gender dysphoria may have a biological/neurological basis.

[nomorenomore08]

7. Excellent post. Adds a great deal to the discussion.

[KitSileya]

6. No, I think it's more complicated than that.

You have quite a number of intersex persons, as well as persons who are agender, and asexual. Some is neither, or both, or a mixture - it's a continuum, just like sexuality. And sexuality isn't as much a two-dimensional graph as it is three-dimensional, I think. But since I am a straight ciswoman, I would dearly like to hear what others think!

[nomorenomore08]

8. I'm a cisgender male - for anyone who doesn't know - but I think I have a pretty good idea

of the difference between "sex" and "gender." In my case, I'm perfectly comfortable and content with my physical "maleness" - and happen to be quite masculine in appearance - but not so comfortable with some aspects of male gender roles. For instance, my lack of relationships with women can probably be tied in part to my difficulty with "initiating" - I'm naturally shy and non-assertive.