Biological Sex, Gender, And Gender Roles - 901 Words

From the moment that the parent learns the biological sex of the baby, even as early as the ultrasound, they begin the first step of making many steps towards the long journey of the child’s socialization. Even as they consider what the child should be named, they decide whether it is a boy or a girl name and then they proceed with decisions such as what color the room should be painted in association with the biological sex of the child. Will the child be dressed in frilly pink dresses or in blue jeans with plaid shirts? Will the child gain more time with the father fishing or with the mother shopping? From the time the sex is determined, the journey is only just beginning on how the child will be associated with it’s biological sex. As time goes on, a person’s biological sex is typically further upheld by traditions, rituals and compliances to meet the social norms of sex, gender, and gender roles. The biological differences between male and female begin with the differences based on the chromosomes. A male has the chromosomes of XY and female and the girl is XX chromosomes. These differences in chromosomes set off a chain of directives that will affect how the physical makeup of the child will be carried out in terms of reproductive characteristics, hormone levels, and growth in the child. It does not however, determine intelligence levels, temperament, agility, or personality traits. Even though the biological, physical differences are clearly different, there areShow MoreRelatedBiological Sex And Gender Roles1073 Words   |  5 Pages Biological sex refers to both genetic and anatomic. It is different from gender because there is assigned gender which is given to a child at birth and gender identity which is â€Å"a person’s internal sense of being male or female† (127). Additionally, there are gender roles which differ by culture and it presents how a person should behavior, the responsibilities a person should have, and their rights based on their sex. Cultural differences can be seen when comparing Arapesh of New Guinea and theRead MoreSex, Gender, And Gender1468 Words   |  6 PagesPopular understanding reflects the view that sex refers to ones biological functions in comparison to gender, which is solely explained as a cultural impact in depicting ones identity. The conveying of these two concepts create implications in demonstrating the understanding of ones sex or gender as distinct elements, of personal characteristics and human traits. Sex and gender are two contrasting features constantly interrelating, in day-to-day lives. A concise narrowing will be drawn from thisRead MoreGender and Sex Essay963 Words   |  4 PagesWhen considering gender and sex, a layman’s idea of these terms might be very different than a sociologist’s. There is an important distinction: sex, in terms of being â€Å"male† or â⠂¬Å"female,† is purely the physical biological characteristic differences – primarily anatomical differences. (There are also rare cases of â€Å"intersexual† individuals as outlined in the Navarro article, â€Å"When Gender Isn’t a Given†.) Gender, on the other hand, is an often misconstrued concept that is commonly mistaken as synonymousRead MoreThe Topic Of Sexuality1144 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduce the topic of sexuality (para)- Horrocks (1997) points out in his book that sexuality encircles multiple aspects of human existence. Sexuality is then, not a uniform or simple phenomenon and is influenced by the interaction of psychological, biological, social, cultural factors and many more. Horrocks (1997), suggests that to try and understand or explain a definitive conclusion about sexuality seems impossible as sexuality has different meanings to so many groups of people. 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In the following paragraphs I will be discussing the interaction between hormones and behavior, and how these interactions affect the determination of gender identity, the roles of biological factors nature and environmentalRead MoreGender Development: Social or Biological1658 Words   |  7 PagesIn a variety of contexts, the word gender is used to describe the masculinity or femininity of words, persons, characteristics, or non-human organisms (Wikipedia, 2006). More specific to psychology, gender role is a term used to describe the normal behavior associated with a given gender status. Those that do not follow this customary role given to their particular gender are said to have an atypical gender role. A person who has normal male genitalia and identifies himself as a man will usuallyRead MoreEssay about Women and Men Are Made, Not Born987 Words   |  4 Pagesof complex social processes. 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In this essay I will be discussing how biological determinism assisted in the development of the term gender, and the distinctionRead MoreThe Current Day And Age Essay1266 Words   |  6 PagesIn the current day and age, gender can be a very controversial topic. Back in the early 1950’s, there were very clearly defined gender roles for males and females. It is no longer as simple as it once was to define gender. Factors such as sociocultural influence, the scientific difference between â€Å"gender† and â€Å"sex†, and politics all play into gender roles and gender identity. America’s cultural idea of masculinity and femininity can also differ from other cultures making it a unique definition