Sex Versus Gender Categorization

Social Constructionist Perspective

Most contemporary social scientists understand gender as a social phenomenon. This means that the differences between males and females are created through social interactions and experiences rather than being determined by one's hormones, chromosomes, or sex organs. Social constructionists note that experiences, [Page 786]opportunities, and burdens are differentially available to men and women because of social views about what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman. Because social constructionists view gender as culturally conceived, they understand gender and gender differences as neither innate nor stable. For example, although social norms of previous generations may have dictated that masculine fathers were those who served as breadwinners for their families, new norms are being created today that allow fathers to stay at home to care for their children rather than taking on the breadwinner role and still be perceived as masculine. The socially constructed nature of gender can also be seen in the ways that parents raise their children. For example, research shows that even though boys and girls under the age of 2 show little difference in their toy preferences, parents nevertheless decorate their young children's rooms in ways that teach them how to “be” their gender. Girls' rooms are more likely to be decorated in pink and stocked with dolls whereas boys' rooms are more likely to be decorated in blue or red and stocked with toy vehicles, tools, and sports gear. This means that even from a young age, individuals learn cultural gender norms and differences. Because individuals learn their culture's gender norms from such an early age, socially constructed gender differences are sometimes mistaken for natural differences.

Essentialist Perspective

Although scholars have increasingly come to understand the strong role that culture and socialization play in shaping gender, most do not overlook biological factors entirely. Someone coming from an essentialist perspective is likely to be interested in examining how hormonal patterns vary in women and men or the extent to which people of different sexes behave differently. An essentialist interested in gender (as opposed to sex) might consider how an individual's social and cultural surroundings draw out particular behaviors that have in the past been linked exclusively to sex. In general, though, essentialists are likely to be most interested in the concept of sex, but social constructionists more likely examine the concept of gender.

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