Difference Between Sex And Gender Essay

Social construction relies on symbolic communication between individuals—we interact with others to develop and internalize a set of shared morals, customs, and habits. Sociology, the systematic study of human society, helps us understand these developments. In particular, applying the sociological imagination to the social construct of gender yields insight into its fallacy and utility. In this essay, I examine the difference between sex and gender, the pervasiveness of gender, and its societal implications in the United States. I also make connections to sociologists Judith Lorber, C. J. Pascoe, Kristen Schilt, Candace West, and Don H. Zimmerman. In a larger context, the social construct of gender is a system of schematism; societies prescribe certain gender roles to organize individuals into social orders. However, the concept of gender is detrimental to the self-image of many individuals. There is much confusion surrounding the concepts of sex and gender. Today, the American Psychological Association delineates separate definitions for sex and gender; sex "refers to a person 's biological status" while gender "refers to the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person 's biological sex." That is, sex refers to the physiological distinctions between males and females (with regard to gametes, genitalia, or other traits associated with sexual dimorphism), while gender refers to the socially ordained roles given to people (masculinity…