Exploring Gender, Sex & Sexuality

Abstract

The terms “gender” and “sex” are interchangeably used by many people. However, gender and biological sex are different. Sex is biological, whereas gender is not connected to physical anatomy of a person inherently. Along with physical traits of an individual, it is the complex interrelatedness between those features and one's internal feeling of self as female or male. It is generally assumed by most sociological research that every person has one sex, one sexuality and one gender, congruous with each other and fixed for life. However, many other possible categories may exist. Thus the point can be made that dismantling the man/woman duality has impacts for the reinvention and constitution of the personal identity of individuals, for those whose minds and bodies, within the current categories, fit easily as much as for those whose minds and bodies do not. It is concluded that the restriction on the formation of identity of an individual imposed by sexual binarity adds up to a violation of rights that are recognized internationally and constitutionally. It is suggested that legal and social conditions should be formed so people are able to recognize and build up their sexual status in a continuum of possibilities.

Introduction4

Body: Discussion and Analysis5

Exploring Concept of Sex5

Exploring Gender6

Exploring Sexuality7

Exploring Sexual Orientation8

Conclusion9

References10

Exploring Gender, Sex & Sexuality

Introduction

Sex is often looked upon as two distinctive categories with no fluidity beyond or between male and female. But, gender and sex are not that clear-cut. It has been shown by cross-cultural comparative studies that sexes, genders, and sexualities are not always limited into binary categories for instance female and male, femininity and masculinity, or homosexuality and heterosexuality. Both historically and presently, more than two gender, sex, and sexuality categories are marked and institutionalized in Native American cultures. A number of scholars continue to argue the implications of sex and gender, and the association between them. Gender, sex, and sexuality are politicized concepts that are the rationale behind basic assumptions regarding human nature and how, via sex/gender, society is organized. Sociological, queer and feminist theorists continue to develop new discernments of the relationship of sex/gender/sexuality (Borck, 2011).

According to Vanwesenbeeck (2009), gender is fundamental to sexuality, and vice versa, but there are a number of issues with the gender treatment in sex research. It is apparently difficult to stumble on a balance between two inconsistent needs. Initially, it is essential to make differentiations between men and women, for political, theoretical and research-technical reasons. At odds with the initial one, a second requirement is the inevitability to comprehend gender and its relationship to the body and sexuality as much more complicated than simplistically relating to two sets of individuals. Because of stigmatizing, stereotyping, and expectancy confirmatory processes, this is particularly crucial to realize the possible drawbacks of hyperbolizing the differentiations among the sexes (especially when they are explained biologically). The aim of this paper is to explore gender, sex, and/or sexuality. The assumptions of the binary on gender, sex, and in essence sexuality will also be supported ...