Gender Roles: Sexual Orientation and Gender
Identity
What Is GENDER and SEX? (Source:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232363 and https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/48642.html )
What are the differences between the terms “gender” and “sex”? Historically both terms have
been used interchangeably, but over time they have become distinct from one another and now
have different meanings. It is important to know their differences,
What is “Sex”? Sex is the biological differences or attributes of humans and animals. It is
primarily associated with the physical and physiological features, which includes the
chromosomes, genitalia, facial features, body differences, reproductive/anatomy and hormones.
There are two main categories: female and male, in which humans and animals are divided
because of their attributes, despite this though there is a variation of biological attributes that
comprise sex, and how these varying attributes are expressed.
Meanwhile, in Gender it is more on the social and cultural role of each sex in society. (Another
definition) It refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, expressions and identities of
men, women and gender diverse people.
There is considerable diversity in how individuals and groups understand, experience and
express gender through the roles they take on, the expectations placed on them, relations with
others and the complex ways that gender is institutionalized in society.
Now we know the general meanings of the terms above, let's head on to the topic at hand,
Gender Roles: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
GENDER ROLES
(Definition) The World Health Organization (WHO) defines gender roles as socially constructed
behaviors, attributes and roles. It usually surrounds the idea of masculinity and femininity,
although there are exceptions and variations like LGBT community. Male and female are usually
the terms used to describe an individual’s gender, although it is not restricted to only these “two
gender”, there are more different genders.
According to a theory called evolutionary psychology, most children learn to categorize
themselves by gender by the age of three. Children tend to learn gender stereotypes and roles
from their parents or in the environment that surrounds them. Usually, boys learn to manipulate
their physical and social environment through physical strength or dexterity, while girls learn to
present themselves as objects to be viewed. Social constructionists consider gender roles to be
hierarchical and patriarchal.
The term patriarchy, according to researcher Andrew Cherlin, defines "a social order based on
the domination of women by men, especially in agricultural societies".
Talcott Parsons, an American sociologist developed a model of the “nuclear family”
which means the basic meaning of family structure. The Parsons model shows the differences of
a total segregation of male and female roles (Model A) and the total integration of both roles
(Model B).
Gender Roles of Men and Women
Model A – Total role segregation Model B – Total integration of roles
Gender-specific education; high professional Co-educative schools, same content of classes for girls and
Education
qualification is important only for the man boys, same qualification for men and women.
The workplace is not the primary area of women; career For women, career is just as important as for men; equal
Profession and professional advancement is deemed unimportant professional opportunities for men and women are
for women necessary.
Housekeeping and child care are the primary
functions of the woman; participation of the All housework is done by both parties to the
Housework
man in these functions is only partially marriage in equal.
wanted.
Neither partner dominates; solutions do not
In case of conflict, man has the last say, for
Decision always follow the principle of finding a
example in choosing the place to live, choice
making concerted decision; status quo is maintained if
of school for children, buying decisions
disagreement occurs.
Woman takes care of the largest part of these
Child care
functions; she educates children and cares for
and Men and women share these functions equally.
them in every way
education
The model is consciously a simplification; individuals' actual behavior usually lies somewhere
between these poles.
Many leadership roles in the organized church are restricted to only males. Only men
may serve as priests, patriarch, bishop and pope in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox.
Women may serve as abbesses (singular: abbey) and as nuns.
One entity of the Trinity, the Son is believed to have been incarnate as a human male.
The God the Father has been traditionally believed to have masculine gender rather than male
sex because He has no physical form and is eternal which even time doesn’t exist in his
dimension. Genesis 1 “And God created the man in his image, in the image of God, he created
both male and female.”
In Islam, women are often expected to be obedient wives and mothers staying within the
family environment and men are being viewed as stronger and serves as the protectors and
caretaker of the family. A part of the Old Testament inscribed in the Quran narrates the story of
the people of Lot (a prophet) destroyed by the wrath of God because men condemned themselves
as homosexual and transgender.
(Struggles) Researches with the WHO and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health collaborated on the Global Early Adolescent Study to identify universal themes in gender
identity development across countries and income levels. "Adolescent health risks are shaped by
behaviors rooted in gender roles that can be well-established in kids by the time they are 10 or 11
years old," said Kristin Mmari, associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Public Health and lead researcher for qualitative research on the Global Early Adolescent Study.
"Yet we see billions of dollars around the world invested in adolescent health programs
that don't kick in until they are 15, and by then, it's probably too late to make a big difference."
For girls, those risks can include child marriage, pregnancy, leaving school early, sexually
transmitted infections and exposure to violence. Boys suffer, too, from increased risk of
substance abuse, suicide and shorter life expectancy than women -- especially if they try to
challenge masculine norms.
(Struggles) How is Gender Stereotyping Harmful? Harmful gender stereotypes and
wrongful gender stereotyping are one of the root causes for discrimination, abuse and violence in
manifold areas and can lead to violations of a wide array of human rights. Examples of the
following, is the access to quality education in which women are often segregated and men are
often seen as more accessible to this type of education. This is also affected in the workplace
where women receive lesser pay due to their gender only, and they often get harassed more than
men, and violence towards women. Women are more likely to get discriminated, harassed or
attacked through violence than men.
Extreme gender stereotypes are harmful because they don’t allow people to fully express
themselves and their emotions. For example, it’s harmful to masculine folks to feel that they’re
not allowed to cry or express sensitive emotions. And it’s harmful to feminine folks to feel that
they’re not allowed to be independent, smart or assertive. Breaking down gender stereotypes
allows everyone to be their best selves.
Gender Identity:
(sources: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/917990-overview and https://young.scot/get-
informed/national/gender-identity-terms,
https://www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/List-of-Gender-Identities-
1.pdf , https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/gender-identity )
What is Gender Identity exactly? Gender identity is the person’s inner concept of
themselves as males or females or both or neither. Gender identity is self - identified it is the
combination of inherent and environmental factors.
(another definition) Gender identity is defined as a personal conception of oneself as
male or female (or rarely, both or neither). This concept is intimately related to the concept of
gender role, which is defined as the outward manifestations of personality that reflect gender
identity. Gender identity, in nearly all instances, is self-identified, as a result of a combination of
inherent and extrinsic or environmental factors; gender role, on the other hand, is manifested
within society by observable factors such as behavior and appearance.
For example, if a person considers him-self a male and is most comfortable referring to
his personal gender in masculine terms, then his gender identity is male
Gender expression is how a person publicly expresses or presents their gender. This can
include behavior and outward appearance such as dress, hair, make-up, body language and voice.
A person’s chosen name and pronoun are also common ways of expressing gender.
Others perceive a person’s gender through these attributes. A person’s gender identity is
fundamentally different from and not related to their sexual orientation.
(Short History) The term gender identity was first used with their current meaning—
one's personal experience of one's own gender—sometime in the 1960s. To this day they are
usually used in that sense, though a few scholars additionally use the term to refer to the sexual
orientation and sexual identity categories gay, lesbian and bisexual.
^^(from the WIKIPEDIA PAGE)
The different terms: (Will only cite major terms but will source it above)
Transgender is an umbrella term for those whose assigned gender at birth doesn't match
the gender identity.
Transsexual is a term that became outdated and not everyone likes but has come back
into use for people who want to specify that that undergoing a medical transition.
Trans-man or female to male, is someone who's assigned female at birth but identifies
exclusively as male.
Trans-woman or male to female, is someone who's assigned male at birth but identifies
as exclusively female.
Cisgender, male or female, is someone who's assigned gender at birth matches their
gender identity.
Multigender is an umbrella term for people with more than one gender.
Bi-gender is identifying with two genders which could be male and female or could be
something else.
Genderfluid is an agenda that fluctuates between two or more genders.
Genderqueer is not subscribing to conventional gender distinctions but can identify with
a combination of predefined genders.
Androgyne is an androgynous experience of both male and female gender.
Non-binary can be a number umbrella term to mean not identifying as exclusively male
or exclusively female.
Pangender is someone who experiences many genders that can extend infinitely.
Polygender is having many genders and is commonly used by people with more than
four genders.
(Extra Information) Gender identity, or the sense of self as male or female, differs by sex.
The vast majority of XY individuals think of themselves as boys or men, and the vast majority of
XX individuals think of themselves as girls or women. However, even this basic aspect of
gendered psychology is not always consistent with genetic sex or with a person's bodily
appearance as male or female. In adults, the incidence of identifying with the gender other than
that usually associated with one's genetic sex (currently called gender dysphoria, and previously
called gender-identity disorder or transsexualism) is not known with certainty.
Gender dysphoria is the feeling of discomfort or distress that might occur in people
whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical
characteristics.
Transgender and gender-nonconforming people might experience gender dysphoria at
some point in their lives. But not everyone is affected. Some transgender and gender-
nonconforming people feel at ease with their bodies, either with or without medical intervention.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION:
(sources: https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/guide/sexual-orientation#2-5
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/sexual-orientation.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1158136014000668
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2378023118769550#articleCitationDownloadContainer )
Definition, History, Categories, How to determine, Struggles & Change ….Society
(Definition) Sexual orientation refers to when one gets attracted to a person, either
emotionally, romantically, or sexually. Research indicates that sexual orientation plays a crucial
role in either in public, individual health and social exclusion, based on a review of current
practices from a socio-historical point of view.
(History) In the earlier nineteenth century, the religion-legal discourse placed two
discourses that replaced a forbidding sexual focus on the behavioral aspect of sexual orientation.
The two addressed support identity-based and categorical conceptualization: the emerging
medical discourse and the discourse of first gay-rights movements. In the second half of the
twentieth century, there was a call into question on the research's categorical conceptualization
and the rise of the queer discourse. The percentage of sexual minorities (i.e., groups of sexual
identity that differ from the majority, refer to LGBTQ and homosexual individuals) differs in
some specific components. These measurements were suggested to target particular groups. In
comparison, the current consent implies the three main parts: attractions, behaviors, and self-
identification, in defining and measuring sexual orientation (e.g., National Research Council
2011). The importance of frequently checking the component of sexual orientation is measured
in a study. It avoids generalizing conclusions from an element that may apply false knowledge to
a group of individuals. Using multiple measurements in capturing both heterogeneity and also
sexual minorities become an important matter.
(Categories) There are five categories in sexual orientation, heterosexual is when one is
attracted to his or her opposite sex.; homosexual is when one is tempted to his or her sex.;
bisexual is when one is attracted to either sex (female or male).; pansexual is attracted to any
gender identity (women, men, or LGBTQ).; asexual, when one is not sexually attracted to any
people.
(more sexualities) https://www.healthline.com/health/different-types-of-
sexuality#why-it-matters
(How to determine) Sexual orientation is caused by various factors, whether emotional,
hormonal, biological, environmental, etc. The majority of scientists agree that sexual orientation
is not the result of child-rearing and childhood experience. Perhaps it's the curiosity, thought,
activities, and more. It is said that adolescence is the start of sexual orientation, where people
start to feel attracted to one another. And it is often discovered by oneself during their teens or
young adult age. Sexual orientation also makes one realize his or her own sexual orientation and
even his or her gender identity.
The Attitude towards sexual orientation, especially sexual minorities, caught the public's
attention during the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States in June 2015. Even
when people start recognizing other sexual minorities, there will still be prejudiced perspectives
and negative voices towards sexual minorities from the society that still has the past civilization's
mindset. There may be times when the child's parents would feel glad that their child chooses to
open up with them and respect them. Still, some parents will feel disappointed, angry, and unable
to believe it. The parents have their reasons, maybe protective, worried, or due to personal
beliefs. However, it gives a negative sign to the child as he/she gets upset, embarrassed, and
reduces confidence. Having a different sexual orientation is nothing to be ashamed of, but there
are still people who struggle with it. It may be the prejudiced voices of people that left a burden
buried deep inside them-selves. Being afraid of embarrassment, so they choose to hide how they
truly feel. Numerous people tried to change their sexual orientation by consulting a psychologist;
however, this will cause more harm than good. Sexual orientation cannot be changed easily;
brainwashing oneself won't change because, deep down, only them-selves knew how they truly
feel.
People say that if society accepts your sexual orientation, you will be happier and live a
comfortable life. You will finally be living a life of how you truly feel and act. But people
shouldn't be the ones feeling upset if they are part of the sexual minority. Having different sexual
orientation means that humans differ from one another; it shouldn't have another meaning that
discriminates against others. It is normal to have a sexual orientation that differs from most
people; an individual doesn't have to hide or change their gender orientation. This society may
still include people who couldn't accept things that differ from them and the majority, but there
will always be people who will understand and help make a change. Perhaps sexual orientation
defines one person's sexual attraction, but it secretly shows a person's gender identity. Everyone
has the right to feel love and be loved regardless of gender. Expressing love is not a political
statement full of discrimination; every human being has the same freedoms and liberates.
