Gender and Sex

-------------------------------------------------
Associate Program Material

Gender and Sex Worksheet

Answer the following questions in 50 to 150 words each. Provide citations for all the sources you use.

What is gender? What is sex in biological terms? Are gender and sex the same thing? Explain why or why not?
  *
  * Gender is the state of being male or female (dictionary.com). Sex in terms of biology refers to the physical characteristics of an individual such as reproductive organs, outward genitalia, and their chromosome make-up. Gender and sex is not exactly the same thing but are commonly used interchangeably. The reason they are not the same is because gender refers to masculinity or femininity both of which can describe either sex. When thinking of sex in terms of biology it can only refer to a male or female regardless of masculine or effeminate characteristics.

How do gender and sex contribute to the concepts and constructions of masculinity and femininity?  
  *
  * Gender and sex contribute to the concepts and constructions of masculinity and femininity in a variety of ways. When thinking of someone’s gender or sex the attribute of masculinity or femininity will typically be associated with them. In the case of the male sex masculine attributes will typically follow.   In the case of the female gender and sex normally feminine traits will be present. An example of such would be a female’s ability to get pregnant as a result of her sex and a man growing facial hair at an accelerated rate as a result of his sex.

Do our concepts of gender and sex contribute to the ways we embrace gender and sex in diversity?

Yes our concepts of gender and sex do contribute to the ways we embrace gender and sex in diversity. The reason for this is because as humans we naturally tend to associate certain attributes with a specific sex or gender. An example of such would be that the male sex is always the primary provider of a household....