1. The Concepts

2. What do these mean? Sex of a person Gender of a person Sexual identity
Gender identity
*Give examples/ characteristics of each

3. Sex What is sex of a person?
Biological and physiological characteristics that define a human being
Male, female, intersex (hermaphrodite, androgynous)
About 1/10,000 born intersex
Sex characteristics
Women menstruate, men do not
Men have testicles, women do not
Women have developed breasts that are usually capable of lactating, men have not
Men generally have more massive bones than women

4. Intersex Adrenogenital syndrome (AGS)
What does ‘syndrome’ indicate?
Binary categories; abnormal to have both M/F organs
If someone is born intersex, what issue does this present?
Social norms pressure parents
More difficult to develop male organs
Have surgery?
Delaying surgery
What do you tell people?

5. Intersex What happens if someone’s ‘assigned’ the wrong sex?
Intersex support groups, organizations
Some places starting to recognize this status issue
Court in New South Wales, Australia recent ruling
‘Sex doesn’t bear a binary meaning of ‘male’ or ‘female’’
Birth, death, or marriage forms- sex identification not mandatory
Benefits people who are intersex, with gender reassignment surgery, gender neutral

6. Gender What is gender of a person?
Socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, attributes for males and females
Masculine, feminine
Binary construct of biological sex
‘Male’ and ‘female’ are sex categories; ‘masculine and ‘feminine’ are gender categories
Aspects of sex don’t vary a lot bt. societies
Aspects of gender may vary greatly
What about transgendered, androgynous?
Don’t fit? = Deviant

7. Gender (cont.) Socioculturally determined characteristics:
Baby boys = blue; baby girls = pink
Boys wear pants; girls wear skirts
Boys play with guns; girls play with dolls
Boys become doctors; girls become nurses
What is gender identity?
How a person defines their perception of being masculine, feminine, androgynous
Can challenge society’s construction of gender norms

8. Gender (cont.)
Socialization into these roles
Embedded in public and private institutions
Economic, political, educational, religious, etc.
Familial, domestic realm
Boys hang out with dads; girls with moms
Society dictates appropriate roles of men/women  what is masculine/feminine
Society dictates acceptable relationships between men/women
Heterosexual is the norm = what is ‘right’

9. Gender (cont.) Gender characteristics:
In most countries, women earn significantly less money than men for similar work
In many Asian and African societies, women smoking is taboo
In most societies, men are expected to be ‘manly’
In most of the world, women do more housework than men

10. Sexual Identity What is sexual identity?
How a person defines their sexual orientation/ partner preference
Heterosexual, homosexual (gay, lesbian), bisexual, transsexual (FTM, MTF), transgender, androgynous
Transsexual- identifies with opposite biological sex, may want to change physical attributes
Transgender- personal characteristics that transcend traditional gender boundaries, corresponding sexual norms
Androgynous- both biological and identity meanings

11. Labels Why do we use labels? Easier to communicate
Easier to process information
Create the ‘other’
Evolve out of social norms

12. Recap Sex v. gender Sexual identity v. gender identity Gender identity
Purpose of labels