Balinese vs. Lahu: A Comparative Ethnology of Gender

Defining Sex and Gender

The definition of sex is generally treated as a category by both biologists and cultural anthropologists, a category with mainly two choices: male or female (Worthman 597–598). From a biologist's perspective, sex refers to the exchange of genetic material and the biological functions required for successful procreation. For example, sperm and ovum are supplied by males and females, respectively, and women are the only ones capable of gestation and lactation. Primates, including humans, are generally required to make significant investments in child-rearing activities, so parental investment — in addition to mating investment — is thought to be required of both sexes (McIntyre and Edwards 84). The form that parental investment takes can in turn be heavily influenced by social norms, and accordingly sex helps to define what gender roles are assigned by society.

Cultural anthropologists, on the other hand, grapple with the relative genetic and cultural contributions to an individual's sexual identity. Rather than viewing sex as strictly a biological phenotype, they treat it as the product of both biological contributions and an individual's self-conception. Although an individual may be anatomically male, for example, the child-rearing environment — both familial and cultural — could shift that individual's sexual identity away from the more traditional male/female dichotomy. Although cultural anthropologists may view sex as a continuum between male and female identities, the definition of sex is still primarily treated as biological and thus as a category.

In contrast to sex, an individual's gender is viewed by cultural anthropologists as a continuum between traditional male and female social roles (Worthman 599). Gender roles are shaped by the sex of the individual, family environment, schools, social media exposure, peer groups, and governments; therefore, a traditional male role in one culture could very well be seen as feminine in another. Although individuals are not normally viewed as able to "choose" a gender role when immersed in their culture from cradle to grave, the social forces that determine gender roles are considered to be a collective choice society has made on behalf of its members. Gender therefore differs from sex in that it is, in part, the result of a history of cultural decisions.

Works Cited

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