GENDER STUDIES

Gender Studies

Gender Studies

Introduction

Sexual characteristics refers to biological differences, chromosomes, hormonal profiles, internal and external genitalia. Gender describes the characteristics of that society or culture delineates as masculine or feminine. (Jansson 2003)

Therefore, although your sex as male or female is a biological fact that the same thing in every culture, what sex means in terms of your gender role as "man" or "woman" in society may be very different cross culturally.

In sociological terms "gender roles" refers to the characteristics and behaviors that different cultures ascribe to the sexes. What does it mean to be "real man" (Sullivan & Thompson ...