Sociological Differences Between Gender And Gender

Although the words sex and gender are often used interchangeably, they have two different meanings from a sociological perspective. Sex is a biological characteristic that determines whether someone is a male or a female (Carter 2011). Gender, however, is socially constructed based on definitions as to what is “masculine” or “feminine” (Carter 2011). This paper delves into the social forces that can influence gender in any culture. Social forces include anything that is a part of the social environment such as organizations, group memberships, family, and the media.
INTRODUCTION
The difference between gender and sex has become a debate in society as to what exactly the difference is between the two words. Through using the theory of symbolic interactionism and Charles Cooley’s related concept of the looking-glass self, I will explore and analyze the topic of gender versus sex from a deeper sociological stand point. I will then offer a solution as to how the gender versus sex debate can be settled to potentially create more …show more content…
In one study done on gender socialization, authors Marcela Raffaelli and Lenna L. Oratai look into ideas of gender in Latino/a culture. They found that parents play a significant role in gender socialization. For example, boys were given much more freedom and different household responsibilities (Raffaelli and Lenna).Girls were supposed to do the housework and take care of the younger kids in the family (Raffaelli and Lenna). One woman from the study, Estrella, states “we were never allowed to have guns, play guns or stuff like that. We never got a ken doll…Girls were supposed to have dresses…” (qtd. in Raffaelli and Lenna). This shows that family defines a set of roles for each sex. Females are supposed to be submissive and weak, while males are supposed to be the dominant/strong ones. If these roles are performed, each sex will be accepted into