Sex and Gender Roles

INDEX

1. Sex 
2. Intersex 
3. Gender 
4. Gender  norms/stereotypes
5. Male
6. Female
7. Common ground 
8. Factors that affect Gender role 
9. LGBTQIA+

1- Sex  

Sex refers to “the different biological and physiological characteristics of male, female or intersex, such as reproductive organs, chromosomes, hormones, etc.” This assigned sex is called a person’s “natal sex.”
Sex assignment typically happens at birth based on anatomical and physiological markers.
Male and female genitalia, both internal and external, are different, and male and female bodies have distinct hormonal and chromosomal makeups. Doctors use these factors to assign natal sex.
At birth, female-assigned people have higher levels of estrogen and progesterone, while assigned males have higher levels of testosterone. Assigned females typically have two copies of the X chromosome, and assigned males to have one X and one Y chromosome.

2 - Intersex 

An intersex is a group of conditions in which there is a discrepancy between the external genitals and the internal genitals (the testes and ovaries). The older term for this condition is hermaphroditism.
Society often sees maleness and femaleness as biological binary. However, there are issues with this distinction. 

• For instance, the chromosomal markers are not always clear-cut. Some male babies are born with two or three X chromosomes, just as some female babies are born with a Y chromosome.

• Also, some babies are born with atypical genitalia due to a difference in sex development.

• This type of difference was once called a “disorder of sex development,” but this term is problematic. In a 2015 surveyTrusted Source, most respondents perceived the term negatively. A further review found that many people do not use it at all, and instead use “intersex.”

• Being intersex can mean different things. For example, a person might have genitals or internal sex organs that fall outside of typical binary categories. Or, a person might have a different combination of chromosomes. Some people do not know that they are intersex until they reach puberty.

Biologists have started to discuss Trusted Sources and the idea that sex may be a spectrum. This is not a new concept but one that has taken time to come into the public consciousness. For example, the idea of sex as a spectrum was discussed in a 1993 article published by the New York Academy of Sciences.

3- Gender  

 Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, expressions, and identities of girls, women, boys, men, and gender-diverse people.

• Someone who identifies with the gender that they were assigned at birth is called “cisgender.”
  

• Someone who is not cisgender and does not identify within the gender binary — of man or woman, boy or girl — may identify as nonbinary, genderfluid, or genderqueer, among other identities.

• A person whose gender identity is different from their natal sex might identify as transgender.

4 - Gender  norms/stereotypes/roles

A gender stereotype is a generalized view or preconception about attributes or characteristics that are or ought to be possessed by women and men or the roles that are or should be performed by men and women. Gender stereotypes can be both positive and negative for example, “women are nurturing” or “women are weak”.
Gender roles in society mean how we're expected to act, speak, dress, groom, and conduct ourselves based on our assigned sex. For example, girls and women are generally expected to dress in typically feminine ways and be polite, accommodating, and nurturing.
Gender norms are social principles that govern the behavior of girls, boys, women, and men in society and restrict their gender identity into what is considered to be appropriate.

5 - Male

Traditionally, for men to be masculine, they are expected to display attributes such as strength, power, and competitiveness, and less openly display emotion and affection (especially toward other men) to be masculine
Hypermasculine folks exaggerate the qualities they believe to be masculine. They believe they’re supposed to compete with other men and dominate feminine folks by being aggressive, worldly sexually experienced, insensitive, physically imposing, ambitious, and demanding.

6 - Female

girls and women are generally expected to dress in typically feminine ways and be polite, accommodating, and nurturing. 
Hyperfemininity is the exaggeration of stereotyped behavior that’s believed to be feminine. Hyperfeminine folks exaggerate the qualities they believe to be feminine. This may include being passive, naive, sexually inexperienced, soft, flirtatious, graceful, nurturing, and accepting.

7 - Common ground

A stereotype is a widely accepted judgment or bias about a person or group — even though it’s overly simplified and not always accurate. Stereotypes about gender can cause unequal and unfair treatment because of a person’s gender. This is called sexism.
There are four basic kinds of gender stereotypes:

• Personality traits — For example, women are often expected to be accommodating and emotional, while men are usually expected to be self-confident and aggressive.

• Domestic behaviors — For example, some people expect that women will take care of the children, cook, and clean the home, while men take care of finances, work on the car, and do the home repairs.

• Occupations — Some people are quick to assume that teachers and nurses are women, and that pilots, doctors, and engineers are men.

• Physical appearance — For example, women are expected to be thin and graceful, while men are expected to be tall and muscular. Men and women are also expected to dress and groom in ways that are stereotypical to their gender (men wearing pants and short hairstyles, women wearing dresses and make-up.

How can I fight gender stereotypes?
You probably see gender stereotypes all around you. You might also have seen or experienced sexism, or discrimination based on gender. There are ways to challenge these stereotypes to help everyone — no matter their gender or gender identity — feel equal and valued as people.

• Point it out — Magazines, TV, film, and the Internet are full of negative gender stereotypes. Sometimes these stereotypes are hard for people to see unless they’re pointed out. Be that person! Talk with friends and family members about the stereotypes you see and help others understand how sexism and gender stereotypes can be hurtful.

• Be a living example — Be a role model for your friends and family. Respect people regardless of their gender identity. Create a safe space for people to express themselves and their true qualities regardless of what society’s gender stereotypes and expectations are.

• Speak up — If someone is making sexist jokes and comments, whether online or in person, challenge them.

• Give it a try — If you want to do something that’s not normally associated with your gender, think about whether you’ll be safe doing it. If you think you will, give it a try. People will learn from your example.

If you’ve been struggling with gender or gender identity and expectations, you’re not alone. It may help you to talk to a trusted parent, friend, family member, teacher, or counselor.

8 - Factors that affect Gender role 

1 Parental influences
Parents are the first source of exposure of societal stereotypes that kids receive, starting from color of their room to toys they play with, what to do and what not to do. 

2 Patterns of play

One of the earliest signs of gender differences in play patterns is the appearance of gender-segregated play groups and toy preferences. Boys tend to be more "rough and tumble" in their play while girls shy away from this aggressive behavior, leading to the formation of separate play groups. In addition, boys tend to gravitate more towards toys such as trucks while girls tend to gravitate towards dolls, but these preferences are not absolutes.

3 Friendships

Gender roles can also be seen in friendships and peer interactions at a young age. Studies have found that boys and girls interact with same-sex peers more frequently than with opposite-sex peers. One study found that during early childhood (3- to 5-year-olds) boys affiliate more than girls with a familiar same-sex peer and that boys visited the peer more often than girls did and more boys than girls spent a significant amount of time with the peer.

4 School

As children grow and develop over the years, their gender identity and development can be influenced by gender bias in books. Such biases and stereotypes limit the development of a child. Positive behavior, gender roles, and better self-concept, in children, are influenced by books that are not gender-biased.

5 Stereotypes in the media
Young children aged around four to five years old have been shown to possess very strong gender stereotypes. In addition to parents' and teachers' intentional efforts to shape gender roles, children also learn through mass media (television, books, radio, magazines, and newspaper), to which children are exposed to every day. For preschool-aged children, an important source of such information is the picture books written specifically for their age group, which are often read and reread to them in their impressionable years. In a study done by Oskamp, Kaufman, and Wolterbeek, it was found that in picture books for the preschool audience, the male characters played the more active and explorative role and the female characters played the more passive and social role.

6 Environmental factors and parental influences

The first major exposure to gender roles typically comes from a child's parents. Children are often dressed in gender specific clothing and given gender specific toys from birth. Parents may encourage children to participate in gender stereotypical play, such as girls playing with dolls and boys playing with trucks. Parents may also model gender normative behavior, both unintentionally and intentionally. Parental disapproval for failing to comply with gender norms and parental approval for successful compliance with these norms can serve to solidify children's understanding of gender roles.

7 Gender identity
Testing infants is complex and challenging and determining the right age that a child develops their sense of sex or other’s sex. Girls begin gender labeling earlier than boys. Sex differences as children play start at 17 months. Children start understanding gender differences at that age influences gender stereotypes in play, where boys play with certain toys and girls with others.
Children between 3 to 6 months can form distinctions between males and female faces. By ten months, infants can associate certain things with females and males, like a hammer with a man or scarf with a woman.

9 - LGBTQIA+

“L” stands for lesbian
The term “lesbian” describes a woman who is physically, emotionally, or romantically attracted to other women.

“G” stands for gay
The term “gay” describes a person who is physically, emotionally, or romantically attracted to people within the same gender.

“B” stands for bisexual
The term “bisexual” describes a person who is physically, emotionally, or romantically attracted to people within more than one sex, gender, or gender identity.

“T” stands for transgender
The term “transgender” describes a person whose gender identity or expression is different than their sex assigned at birth. Transgender should be used as an adjective — not as a noun or a verb. 

"Q" stands for Queer
An adjective used by some people whose sexual orientation is not exclusively heterosexual or straight. This umbrella term includes people who have nonbinary, gender-fluid, or gender-nonconforming identities.

“I” stands for intersex

A term used to describe a person who is born with differences in their sex traits or reproductive anatomy that don’t fit typical definitions of female or male. There may be differences in regards to genitalia, chromosomes, hormones, internal sex organs, and/or secondary sex characteristics (e.g., pubic hair, breasts, facial hair, etc.).

“A” stands for asexual
A term used to describe a person who lacks sexual attraction or desire for other people. It’s different from celibacy, in which people make a choice to abstain from sexual activity.

“+” stands for plus
 The “+” sign is a symbol that represents members of the community who identify with a sexual orientation or gender identity that isn’t included within the LGBTQIA acronym. It’s an inclusive way of representing gender and sexual identities that letters and words cannot yet fully describe.