Confusing sex and gender can be harmful

Clara Barros/ Contributing Writer

Filling out forms is always an obnoxious task for everyone, but for people who study humanities or social sciences, it is particularly annoying whenever we run into that part that says “Gender” and then asks you to check “Female” or “Male.”

The confusion between sex and gender is a very common phenomena. Sadly, the problem with it is not just annoying forms — this kind of confusion has serious detrimental impacts in society at large.

First of all, let’s clarify these terms. Sex is a biological classification. It refers to the set of genetic, hormonal, reproductive, and genital characteristics one is born with — this is what is meant when we say “male” and “female.”

Most people do fall under one of those two categories, but some individuals, referred to as intersex, are born with mixed sexual traits. In the United States, about one percent of the babies are intersex, according to Planned Parenthood.

On the other hand, gender is a social phenomenon — or more specifically, a social construct.

Anthropologist Carla Cristina Garcia puts it this way: gender is a system of beliefs that specify what is appropriate for each sex, assigning different norms, obligations, behaviors, dress codes, capacities, rights, spaces and activities to males and females. This is what turns us into “men” and “women.”

The process of learning gender is called socialization. In Western society, socialization starts even before we are born, when the doctor tells our parents what our sex is.

From that point on, girls are usually socialized into pink clothes, dolls and makeup, while boys are socialized into blue clothes, little trucks and short hair. This is done not just by our families, but also by the media, schools, friends, religions, and more.

Two things need to be highlighted. The first is that socialization is not a smooth process for anyone, and is often especially harmful to girls.

They usually have their capacities and wishes limited by, for example, not being given toys that stimulate spatial intelligence and logical reasoning, like cars and building blocks — those often reserved for boys. They are usually less encouraged to take risks, have stricter dress codes and are led to participate in housework more than boys.

The second thing is that almost everyone challenges the gender system, in varying degrees. Many women reject elements of femininity by opting not to wear heels or makeup, by not shaving or by engaging in extreme physical activities, among others.

Similarly, men sometimes reject elements of masculinity by not being dominant or aggressive and allowing themselves as well as other men to display emotions.

Finally, some individuals renounce their entire socialization and adopt a different identity, like transgender or non-binary.

When we confuse sex and gender, we often end up with a very dangerous assumption: that gender behaviors, practices, femininity and masculinity are natural to the sexes. We end up believing that females are biologically hardwired to be delicate, nurturing or passive, and that males are also naturally predisposed to dominance and logical reasoning.

The fancy word for that assumption is biological essentialism.

Essentialism is dangerous because, on one hand, it helps naturalize gender roles and stereotypes generation after generation, and on the other hand, it punishes deviation from those stereotypes.

Women who don’t look and act frail are discriminated against while boys who cry publicly are bullied, and transgender people are often not accepted by their families for not conforming to what is expected of them.

We need to get past those misunderstandings. The distinction between sex and gender is not just an academic conversation about the meaning of concepts — it has material implications and consequences in people’s lives. People undergo several forms of violence because of this misconception; some are even murdered.

It is in our hands to change this reality. Through education and feminist practice, we can dispense old beliefs, foster understanding, build tolerance and hopefully, fix those terrible forms.

 

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of Panther Press Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

 

Photo by mauro mora on Unsplash.