Gender Differences Sex and Gender

Gender Differences

Sex and Gender are synonymous words. In the context of studying and further understanding gender differences, it is necessary to differentiate sex from gender. Gender is a classification system that shapes the relations among men and women. Sex on the other hand, categorizes species, such as male or female, in which most organisms were divided.

Sex is the biological identification of male or female, whereas gender is a social construct which relies on stereotypes to reinforce socially-proscribed roles. Gender study is a term used to refer to theoretical work in the social sciences or humanities that focuses on issues of sex and gender in language and society. With these mentioned, let us further detailed two of numerous theories about gender differences and classification, Cognitive Theory and Sociological Theory.

Cognitive Theory discusses that gender identity is postulated as the basic organizer and regulator of children's gender learning. Children develop the stereotypic concept of gender from what they see and hear around them. Once they achieve gender constancy, their belief that their own gender is fixed and irreversible, they positively value their own gender and seek to behave only in ways that are in accordance to his perception.

In Sociological Theory, gender is a social construction rather than a biological given. The sources of gender differentiation lie more in social and institutional practices than the fixed properties of individual such as being a male or female. Many gender differences in social behavior are viewed as products of division of labor between the sexes that get replicated through socio-cultural practices governed by disparate gender status and power.

Jean Piaget, in relation to Cognitive Theory, hypothesized that infants are born with schemes operating at birth that he called "reflexes." These infants use their reflexes to adapt to the environment and these reflexes are quickly replaced with constructed schemes. Children learn to classify themselves and others as "male" or "female," identify with their gender "in-group" and their thought processes help determine what is "rewarding" and "punishing" for them. Piaget described two processes used by the individual in its attempt to adapt: assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation is the process of using or transforming the environment so that it can be placed in preexisting cognitive structures. Accommodation is the process of changing cognitive structures in order to accept something from the environment. Both of these processes are used throughout life as the person increasingly adapts to the environment in a more complex manner.

Alice Eagle, in relation to Sociological Theory, converses it as society's assignment of different roles to men and women such as sex roles and gender roles. Three important points she discusses were the following: (1) Men are generally more engaged into work outside of home while women are into domestic tasks, (2) they often have different occupational roles and (3) women often have lower status than men do. The differing social roles of men and women are presumed to generate common gender stereotypes and to generate differences in the behavior of men and women. Gender stereotyping occurs when certain perceived behavioral responses and actions are expected from an individual because of their particular sex.

Based on the studies made by theorists, we can say that sociological theories are focused on socio-cultural determinants of gender role development and functioning while cognitive theories departs from classic social learning theories and are more focused on thought processes and self-concepts.

Both of these theoretical points have a strong basis and strengthened by what we see in the personality of people around us. However, I believe these theories are not absolute. Each of us are equipped with freedom of choice of who we want to be.

In a cognitive aspect, a person's development may not absolutely go as smooth-sailing as what his initial perception is based on his gender. A child may find the way his environment deals in certain issues repressing that when he grew up, he may decide to wander on different directions.

In a sociological aspect, men are perceived as the provider and women as part of the domestic world. Through the decades, however, we see the evolution of men and women's function in the society. There is a bridge closing the gap between women and men's role in different fields. Women are seen sharing seats in the government, excelling in corporate world and succeeding in different areas.

Aside from freedom of choice, we are also restrained by inherent factors of being a man or a woman, thus limiting us with physiological and psychological capacity.

Physically, men are generally taller, has more body hair, with thicker and oilier skin than women. On the other hand, women have smaller waist than their hips and on average their skin is 3-4% lighter than men. Scientists believe this is an adaptation required for increased production of Vitamin D during pregnancy. Vitamin D is necessary to help the body absorb calcium and deposit it in the bones of fast growing embryos. By having lighter skin more of the sun's UV radiation can penetrate the skin to and increase their ability to produce vitamin D

Health wise, girls begin puberty approximately two years before boys. Women have lower blood pressure than men and their heart beats faster even when they are asleep. On the average, men possess 50% more power or brute strength than women because 40% of men's body weight is muscle while only 23% is for women.

In addition, female fertility declines after mid thirties and ends with menopause while men are capable of fathering children into old age. Men typically produce billions of sperm each month, many of which are capable of fertilization while women typically produce one egg a month that can be fertilized into an embryo. Thus during a lifetime men are able to father a significantly greater number of children than women can give birth to.