Sociology 101 (Gender vs Sex) at 1:11 PM

A couple of my friends really liked my last sociology post so I decided to do another real quick one. Most people don't really think about gender and sex very much in their day to day lives, but the two concepts might be some of the most important traits you carry in life. Everything you do, say, and think tends to be colored by your concept of self and the gender you have. In sociology however the two words have very different meanings and implications.

Sex is largely a biological characteristic. When you think sex, think xx or xy. For all intents and purposes you can think of this as dichotomous grouping of male and female, although a reasonable argument can be made against this bipolar treatment of sex.

Gender is the socially constructed groups or spectrum of man and woman, feminine and masculine. They have no meaning outside of social constructs and science has trouble finding biological backing for these groups. In sociology it is often refereed to as "doing gender". What you wear, how you walk, the manner in which you speak, and your thinking all have a part in constructing your gender.

Some of the most frustrating conversations I've had with people revolve around these two ideas. A large portion of my studies and research have to do with gender as a social construct. People ask me what I do, I start of explaining the "safe" topic of sociology, then they ask more questions and I say the three words that always are returned with a weird half interested half perplexed look; gender and sexuality. The idea of gender is one so familiar to everyone that they vary rarely take time to think about it. And they certainly don't think of it as a by product of society. Most people have a hard time letting go of the concept that men and women are genetically different (beyond very real physical differences) and they often get rather agitated when faced with the alternative view. They have been taught since birth, "your a boy, you act this way" and "girls play with dolls, boys play with action figures." Women aren't better at art, they aren't more caring, and they aren't more cautious than men because of some gene they have. Men don't excel in engineering and math, aren't naturally daring, and don't posses some innate rejection of the color pink. (I highlight with a pink highlighter for exactly that reason, boys aren't supposed to use pink highlighters :-p) All these things are part of a gender role. The gender gap in earnings, education, and power have nothing to do with your chromosomes.

In Houston I was waiting on one of my friends in a nail salon. I was sitting in the waiting area (I have a thing about people I don't know touching my feet) and a extended African American family walked in. Two kids, their parents, and an aunt and uncle all came in to get their nails done. The two kids, a boy and girl, were probably six or seven. Everyone was going to get a mani/pedi, a family event. The little boy was having none of it however. "I don't want to be here. It's for girls." The mom and dad explained to him that boys and girls can get their nails done. "See Uncle Steven is doing it too." I couldn't help but smile. These parents were with the times. They were trying their best to counter the education their son was receiving from the rest of the world. I wanted to tell them "Damn right it's for boys and girls! You go with your awesome parenting skills!"