gender vs sex

[Midwest88]

Okay, the more I read upon articles discussing these two terms - granted they’re secular articles - the more I am confused.

I get the feeling that gender and sex are used interchangeably in the secular world, and that my understanding of each is rather different from that of the secularists. Sex to me is biological - female or male. XX vs XY. Vagina vs penis. Breasts vs no breasts (at least in terms of milk glands).

Gender, to me, is more so about characteristics that are assigned to the male and female, say for example playing football can be seen as masculine while cheerleading can be seen as feminine. This “gender” can then be expanded into “gender roles”, as in firefighters are mainly men while nurses are mainly women. Men chop down trees while women make hot cocoa.

Is my understanding outdated and/or incomplete? I’m trying to fully understand, every time, when people use “gender” instead of “sex.” I’m rather use to understand that “sex” mean’s you’re either a female or male and gender really was more so of an pseudo-abstact term when it comes to feminity/masculinity and what societal roles each sex are expected to do.

Also please note the examples for each term were just that, examples, not that I think men should do such things or women should be regulated to do such activities.

 

[on_the_hill]

To me they’re interchangeable

 

[Loly_Maria]

Sex is determined by a person’s body.

Gender is part of a person’s identity.

 

[Thorolfr]

Okay, the more I read upon articles discussing these two terms - granted they’re secular articles - the more I am confused.

I get the feeling that gender and sex are used interchangeably in the secular world, and that my understanding of each is rather different from that of the secularists. Sex to me is biological - female or male. XX vs XY. Vagina vs penis. Breasts vs no breasts (at least in terms of milk glands).

Gender, to me, is more so about characteristics that are assigned to the male and female, say for example playing football can be seen as masculine while cheerleading can be seen as feminine. This “gender” can then be expanded into “gender roles”, as in firefighters are mainly men while nurses are mainly women. Men chop down trees while women make hot cocoa.

Is my understanding outdated and/or incomplete? I’m trying to fully understand, every time, when people use “gender” instead of “sex.” I’m rather use to understand that “sex” mean’s you’re either a female or male and gender really was more so of an pseudo-abstact term when it comes to feminity/masculinity and what societal roles each sex are expected to do.

Also please note the examples for each term were just that, examples, not that I think men should do such things or women should be regulated to do such activities.

In my understanding, “sex” is “male”, “female”, XX or XY, etc. “Gender” is “masculine”, “feminine”. That’s why someone could be biologically “male” (XY) but also be “feminine” with respect to gender presentation or gender expression.

 

[Crown_of_Stars]

I had always thought it was the same thing. Sex is the bodily difference, gender are the traits, right?

 

[Thorolfr]

I had always thought it was the same thing. Sex is the bodily difference, gender are the traits, right?

That’s the way I see it. And this is also completely separate from sexual orientation. So a person could be biologically “male” and have a penis (this is sex), act very feminine, wear a dress and want to be addressed as “she” (this is gender), but also be sexually attracted to the opposite sex, i.e. to women and therefore heterosexual (this is sexual orientation).

 

[Crown_of_Stars]

That’s the way I see it. And this is also completely separate from sexual orientation. So a person could be biologically “male” and have a penis (this is sex), act very feminine, wear a dress and want to be addressed as “she” (this is gender), but also be sexually attracted to the opposite sex, i.e. to women and therefore heterosexual (this is sexual orientation).

It sounds a little like shades of the current popular cultural belief. I don’t know, really. It’s hard to tell anymore.

 

[Thorolfr]

This all allows for all sorts of combinations. A person could be biologically male (sex), act very masculine (gender) but still be gay (sexual orientation). Or a person could be biologically male (sex), act feminine and dress in what are considered feminine clothing (gender) but be heterosexual (sexual orientation). Or a woman could be biologically female (sex), act and dress very masculine (gender) but still be heterosexual (sexual orientation). Or someone could be either male or female but have a gender presentation that is neither very masculine nor very feminine and is kind of androgynous.

 

[Vico]

Okay, the more I read upon articles discussing these two terms - granted they’re secular articles - the more I am confused.

I get the feeling that gender and sex are used interchangeably in the secular world, and that my understanding of each is rather different from that of the secularists. Sex to me is biological - female or male. XX vs XY. Vagina vs penis. Breasts vs no breasts (at least in terms of milk glands).

Gender, to me, is more so about characteristics that are assigned to the male and female, say for example playing football can be seen as masculine while cheerleading can be seen as feminine. This “gender” can then be expanded into “gender roles”, as in firefighters are mainly men while nurses are mainly women. Men chop down trees while women make hot cocoa.

Is my understanding outdated and/or incomplete? I’m trying to fully understand, every time, when people use “gender” instead of “sex.” I’m rather use to understand that “sex” mean’s you’re either a female or male and gender really was more so of an pseudo-abstact term when it comes to feminity/masculinity and what societal roles each sex are expected to do.

Also please note the examples for each term were just that, examples, not that I think men should do such things or women should be regulated to do such activities.

sex - Sexology Personal and reproductive status as ♂, ♀, etc, generally based on external genitalia Vox populi Sexual activity, genital interaction.

**gender **- Sex; one’s personal, social, and legal status as ♂ or ♀, based on body and behavior, not on genital and/or erotic criteria.

gender identity - Core gender identity ‘The inner conviction that one is male, female, ambivalent, or neutral.’ GI is a major personality trait, that develops in the first 2 yrs of life, and is ‘fixed’ by the 3rd yr.

medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/gender

 

[HungerNThirst4R]

Sex is real. Gender is a fabrication.

Gender is a man-made social concept, it’s not real and highly detrimental to many people.
Sex is according to a person’s biological make-up.

 

[ctb95]

Sex is real. Gender is a fabrication.

Gender is a man-made social concept, it’s not real and highly detrimental to many people.
Sex is according to a person’s biological make-up.

Exactly, but that’s not the way they put it in sociology class.

 

[Blue_Horizon]

Sex is real. Gender is a fabrication.

Gender is a man-made social concept, it’s not real and highly detrimental to many people.
Sex is according to a person’s biological make-up.

What is your basis for this view?

 

[schaeffer]

I also think that sex is what you are biologically/chromasomally and gender are the particular traits…some of which are determined by society.

Go to a toy store…the “girls” aisles are pink and purple, the boy aisles black and blue…but kids of either sex will be happy playing with toys from either aisle. Gender is the general expectation, and sometimes stereotype.

People often step out of the expected gender roles for a wide variety of reasons, but their sex remains the same.

 

[Midwest88]

Sex is determined by a person’s body.

Gender is part of a person’s identity.

Can you please expand on the bold?

 

[Midwest88]

This all allows for all sorts of combinations. A person could be biologically male (sex), act very masculine (gender) but still be gay (sexual orientation). Or a person could be biologically male (sex), act feminine and dress in what are considered feminine clothing (gender) but be heterosexual (sexual orientation). Or a woman could be biologically female (sex), act and dress very masculine (gender) but still be heterosexual (sexual orientation). Or someone could be either male or female but have a gender presentation that is neither very masculine nor very feminine and is kind of androgynous.

Yea, I understand all of this already, thanks.

My confusion lies of secular usage of the terms sex and gender - it seems they are used interchangeably.

 

[Adora]

Okay, the more I read upon articles discussing these two terms - granted they’re secular articles - the more I am confused.

I get the feeling that gender and sex are used interchangeably in the secular world, and that my understanding of each is rather different from that of the secularists. Sex to me is biological - female or male. XX vs XY. Vagina vs penis. Breasts vs no breasts (at least in terms of milk glands).

Gender, to me, is more so about characteristics that are assigned to the male and female, say for example playing football can be seen as masculine while cheerleading can be seen as feminine. This “gender” can then be expanded into “gender roles”, as in firefighters are mainly men while nurses are mainly women. Men chop down trees while women make hot cocoa.

Is my understanding outdated and/or incomplete? I’m trying to fully understand, every time, when people use “gender” instead of “sex.” I’m rather use to understand that “sex” mean’s you’re either a female or male and gender really was more so of an pseudo-abstact term when it comes to feminity/masculinity and what societal roles each sex are expected to do.

Also please note the examples for each term were just that, examples, not that I think men should do such things or women should be regulated to do such activities.

I once took a woman’s studies class where they defined gender and sex like what you said. Sex is based on biology, gender on characteristics assigned by society.