Social Construction of Gender
Sex
Sex refers to biological
binary between men and
women.
• Sexual differences do not
vary with race, caste, class,
ethnicity and religion.
• Sexual differences do not
vary with time.
• Some of the key sexual
differences are women’s
ability to give birth, breast
feed, menstruate, produce
eggs, and men’s ability to
produce sperms.
Biological Sex:
Male Intersex Female Female
Biological sex is not always obvious and
people can be born with physical
characteristics of both sexes.
These people are considered intersex.
Intersex conditions are not always
visible at birth and may not be noticed
until puberty (when hormones produce
unexpected changes) or during
unrelated medical procedures.
Defining Gender
Refers to the socially
learned behaviors and
expectations that are
associated with the two
sexes.
This is set by culture
and society
Changes through time
and history
Attributes and
designations may
change depending on
the place and the
culture
Gender
• Gender refers to social differences
between men and women
• Gender differences are manifested in
different roles, qualities and behaviours
of women and men in society.
• Gender differences vary with race, caste,
class, ethnicity, religion, relation
position, and age.
• Gender differences vary with time.
• Gender differences vary across
situations. That is, the same person may
behave differently in different contexts
(for example, in family and work place).
Defining Terms
• Transgender is an “umbrella” term
used to describe a wide range of
identities and experiences, and is used
to refer to many types of people,
including transsexual people;
crossdressers; androgynous people;
genderqueers; and other gender non-
conforming people whose appearance or
characteristics are perceived to be
gender atypical.
• In its broadest sense, “transgender”
encompasses anyone whose identity or
behavior falls outside stereotypical
gender expectations.
In a Nut
shell. . .
• Sex is what is
between your legs.
Characteristics of
Gender
• Relational – socially constructed
• Hierarchical – gender relations as
power relations
• Changes over time
• Context specific – varies with ethnicity,
class, culture, religion, etc.
• Institutional - Systemic
LGBT, LGBTQ,
LGBTTQQI2SA. . .
L= Lesbian
G= Gay
B= Bisexual
T= Transgendered or
T= Transsexual
Q= Queer or
Q= Questioning
I= Intersex
2S= Two Spirited
A= Allies
Gender Terms
• LGBPTTQQIIAA+any combination of letters
attempting to represent all the identities in the
queer community, this near-exhaustive one (but
not exhaustive) represents Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Pansexual, Transgender, Transsexual,
Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Intergender,
Asexual, Ally
• Androgyny: (1) a gender expression that has
elements of both masculinity and femininity; (2)
occasionally used in place of “intersex” to
describe a person with both female and male
anatomy f
• Asexual: a person who generally does not experience
sexual attraction (or very little) to any group of people
• Bigender: a person who fluctuates between traditionally
“woman” and “man” gender-based behavior and
identities, identifying with both genders (and sometimes
a third gender)
• Cisgender: a description for a person
whose gender identity, gender
expression, and biological sex all align
(e.g., man, masculine, and male)
• Cis-man: a person who identifies as a
man, presents himself masculinely, and
has male biological sex, often referred to
as simply “man”
• Cis-woman: a person who identifies as a
woman, presents herself femininely, and
has female biological sex, often referred
to as simply “woman”
• Fluid(ity): generally with another term
attached, like gender-fluid or fluid-sexuality,
fluid(ity) describes an identity that is a
fluctuating mix of the options available
(e.g., man and woman, gay and straight);
not to be confused with “transitioning”
• FTM/MTF: a person who has undergone
medical treatments to change their
biological sex (Female To Male, or Male To
Female), often times to align it with their
gender identity; often confused with “trans-
man”/”trans-woman”
• -
• Gender Identity: the internal perception of an
individual’s gender, and how they label
themselves
• Genderless: a person who does not identify with
any gender
• Pansexual: a person who experiences sexual,
romantic, physical, and/or spiritual attraction for
members of all gender identities/expressions
• Queer: (1) historically, this was a derogatory
slang term used to identify LGBTQ+ people; (2)
a term that has been embraced and reclaimed
by the LGBTQ+ community as a symbol of
pride, representing all individuals who fall out of
the gender and sexuality “norms”
• Questioning: the process of exploring one’s own
sexual orientation, investigating influences that
may come from their family, religious
upbringing, and internal motivations
• Sexual Orientation: the type of sexual, romantic,
physical, and/or spiritual attraction one feels for
others, often labeled based on the gender
relationship between the person and the people
they are attracted to; often mistakenly referred
to as “sexual preference”
• Sexual Preference: (1) generally when this term
is used, it is being mistakenly interchanged with
“sexual orientation,” creating an illusion that one
has a choice (or “preference”) in who they are
attracted to; (2) the types of sexual intercourse,
stimulation, and gratification one likes to receive
and participate in
• Skoliosexual: attracted to genderqueer and
transsexual people and expressions (people who
aren’t identified as cisgender)
• -
• Third Gender: (1) a person who does not identify with
the traditional genders of “man” or “woman,” but
identifies with another gender; (2) the gender
category available in societies that recognize three
or more genders
• Transsexual: a person whose gender identity is the
binary opposite of their biological sex, who may
undergo medical treatments to change their
biological sex, often times to align it with their
gender identity, or they may live their lives as the
opposite sex; often confused with “trans-
man”/”trans-woman”
• Transvestite: a person who dresses as the binary
opposite gender expression (“cross-dresses”) for any
one of many reasons, including relaxation, fun, and
sexual gratification; often called a “cross-dresser,”
and often confused with “transsexual”
• Trans-man: a person who was assigned a female
sex at birth, but identifies as a man; often
confused with “transsexual man” or “FTM”
• Trans-woman: a person who was assigned a male
sex at birth, but identifies as a woman; often
confused with “transsexual woman” or “MTF”
• Two-Spirit: a term traditionally used by Native
American people to recognize individuals who
possess qualities or fulfill roles of both genders
•
GENDER ROLE:
The roles that men and women adopt.
It is a collection of attitudes and behaviours
that are considered normal and appropriate
in a specific culture for a particular sex.
It can also be defined as how we
communicate our gender to others.
Gender Identity and Gender
Expression:
One’s internal and psychological sense of oneself as
male or female, or both or neither, regardless of
sexual orientation. There are some people who
question their gender identity and may feel unsure
of their gender or believe they are not of the same
gender as their biological sex or physical body.
Gender Expression:
The external display of gender, through a
combination of dress, demeanor, social behavior,
and other factors, generally measured on a scale of
masculinity and femininity
TYPES OF GENDER
IDENTITY:
Maleness/Masculine
Femaleness/Feminine
Two-Spirited- an Aboriginal term for an individual who
possesses both male and female spirits, and is thus neither
male nor female
Transgendered- a person who challenges strict gender
norms (may be transsexual, biologically Intersexed, etc.)
Third Gender- individuals who are categorized as neither
male nor female (by their own will or social consensus);
term also used in societies who recognize more than two
genders
Androgyny- a term that refers to a combination of masculine
and feminine characteristics
• Manifestation of gender
differences can be
found in Construction
of Roles-What women
and Men do
• Relations- How women
and men relate to each
other
• Identity-how women
and men perceive
themselves
Patriarchy-------
• a system in which men dominate
women.
• Promotes patri-locality and
patrilineage
• Controls sexuality, fertility and
labour of women
• Promotes double standard of
sexual morality
Ideology of Gender
• Contains norms and rules
regarding appropriate behavior
• Determines attributes
• Reproduces range of beliefs
and customs to support these
norms and social rules
• Norms and rules determine
material reality of relative
access of men and women to
and claims over different
resources. E.g. food,
health,education, property, job,
opportunities & entitlements,
so on & so forth
Gender at
Work
The family picture is on HIS desk.
Ah, a solid, responsible family man.
The family picture is on HER desk.
Umm, her family will come before her career.
HIS desk is cluttered.
He's obviously a hard worker
and a busy man.
HER desk is cluttered.
She's obviously
a disorganized scatterbrain.
HE is talking with his co-workers.
He must be discussing the latest deal.
SHE is talking with her co-workers.
She must be gossiping.
HE's not at his desk.
He must be at a meeting.
SHE's not at her desk.
She must be in the ladies' room.
HE's having lunch with the boss.
He's on his way up.
SHE's having lunch with the boss.
They must be having an affair.
The boss criticized HIM.
He'll improve his performance.
The boss criticized HER.
She'll be very upset.
HE got an unfair deal.
Did he get angry?
SHE got an unfair deal.
Did she cry?
HE's getting married.
He'll get more settled.
SHE's getting married.
She'll get pregnant and leave.
HE's having a baby.
He'll need a raise.
SHE's having a baby.
She'll cost the company money in
maternity benefits.
HE's going on a business trip.
It's good for his career.
SHE's going on a business trip.
What does her husband say?
HE's leaving for a better job.
He knows how to recognize
a good opportunity.
SHE's leaving for a better job.
Women are not dependable.
Challenging Roles ?
• A person's gender role is composed of
several elements and can be expressed
through clothing, behaviour, choice of
work, personal relationships and other
factors.
• These elements are not concrete and
have evolved through time.
Masculnity Vs Feminity
• Girls are enculturated to
be 'feminine. boys are
enculturated to be
'masculine'.
• Instead of just two
possible gender-patterns,
there are actually
thousands of possible
gender-personalities
Gender - Personality
• the internal personality traits considered
either 'masculine' or 'feminine' within a
given culture or sub-culture”.
Changing Gender Personalities
• Changing gender personalities=
relationship changes
• Moving beyond'masculine'/'feminine'
games of love.
Human Sexuality
• Sexuality is more than sexual acts
• Behaviour, feelings, expression,
thoughts…..
• Sexual expression encompasses a
broad spectrum
• Choice!!!
Alternative Sexuality
• Orientation
• Expression
A matter of choice…?!
Questioning Normalcy ?
• Hegemony - the processes which keeps dominant
groups in power by ensuring that subordinate groups
support or at least accept "the way things are".
• Femininity is constructed around adaptation to male
power. Its central feature is attractiveness to men,
ex- physical appearance, suppression of "power"
emotions such as anger, nurturance of children, sexual
availability without sexual assertiveness, and sociability
("Men like women who smile.")
Gendered Citizenship
• Gendered citizenship involves an
assessment of the binaries of the private-
public and questions the way public is
associated with material and private with
• cultural. It is concerned with the gendered
access to infrastructure, housing and
livelihoods.
• Women are brought into the public domain
as mothers, sisters, and daughters. Their
entitlements are subject to community and
ethnic norms, and are arbitrated by family,
kinship and custom.
• Framing development interventions in the
language and practice of gendered
citizenship can point to and argue for
particular forms of gender work, new areas
of intervention, good practice and ways of
working,and can illuminate end goals. In
short it can set a new agenda for gender
and development. It has even been argued
that ‘Citizenship must be the premise … for
any concrete action supposed to be taken in
women’s favour’ Citizenship enables both
the “why?” – why gender equality should be
addressed; and the “how?” – through
engaged and active citizenship.
• Gendered citizenship in practice can suggest
solutions through a wide range of measures
from legal reform of women’s rights to gender
mainstreaming in policy; from better, gendered
needs assessments to education and
awareness-raising amongst the general public.
Above all, such measures must be geared
towards combating the social and political
exclusion of women and others marginalised on
the basis of gender.
