SOCIOLOGY
CHAPTER 2 (18-51)
Wharton, A. S. 2005. The Gendered Person. In A. S. Wharton, The Sociology of Gender: An Introduction to
Theory and Research. Blackwell Publishing: USA.
SEX AND SEX CATEGORY
The idea of “opposite sex” (PAGE 18)
• It implies that men and women belong to completely separate categories.
• Are they truly opposites?
o Both normally have 23 pairs of chromosomes and are warm-blooded.
o But, they have different chromosomes, external and internal structures,
hormonal production, other physiological differences which signify sex.
Sexual dimorphism: (Page 18)
• The claim that sex marks a distinction between two physically and genetically
discrete categories of people.
• Often viewed as biological fact.
Sex Assignment: (Page 18)
• The process (occurring at birth or prenatally) where people are identified as male or
female (their sex category).
• Sex assignment is guided by socially agreed upon criteria for identifying sex –
external genitalia.
• Not always straight forward – 2% are intersexuals.
Intersexuality: (Page 19)
• Medics define it as a “Correctable birth defect”.
• Doctors preform complicated surgeries to provide infants with ‘normal’ genitals
(ones which match a specific sex category).
• Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) 1992: aimed to eliminate genital surgery on
infants. Believed the surgery should be a choice when the child is old enough to give
consent. Also believe people have the right to remain intersexed.
The “Natural Attitude”: (Page 19)
• The taken-for-granted attitude.
• Comprises of a set belief that appear “obvious” and not open to examining.
• Among these unquestionable axioms (set of unquestionable rules):
o Belief that there are only two genders.
o Gender is invariant (never changing).
o Genitals are the essential signs of gender.
o The male/female dichotomy (contrast between two things) is natural.
o Being masculine or feminine is not a choice.
,SOCIOLOGY
SEX OR GENDER?
VIEW 1: (Page 20)
• Gender is not constructed in any biological or genetic reality (Lorber 1994)
• The idea is that the body is neutral and social symbolism is imprinted.
• From this perspective, sexual dimorphism is more socially constructed than fact.
• Biological, psychological, and social differences do not lead to seeing two genders. It
was instead the discovery of these differences that lead to our idea of two genders.
• In other words, first we have social understandings of what men and women are, or
should be, and then we perceive sex differences.
MARKERS OF SEX CATEGORIES: (Page 21)
• People (who aren’t doctors) don’t have the information to assign categories at birth,
and our genital are covered (clothes).
• We rely on markers: hair, body type, voice, dress, mannerisms, behaviour.
• These markers are governed by social norm. (Social constructions).
• Markers rely on: culture, time, place, social group.
o E.g., 1960: Long hair common for men in American colleges.
o This attribute not a reliable marker like it was in 1950’s.
• No attributes are always true of only one gender.
o Behavioural (crying, aggression).
o Physical (Beards, genitals)
• Rather than sex being the basis for gender distinctions, as some claim, this view
argues that gender is the basis for distinctions based on sex.
VIEW 2: (Page 22)
• Referred to as the biosocial perspectives.
• Treat sex as the objectively ‘real’ distinctions
between men and women.
• The genetics and anatomy are the raw material
from which gender is constructed.
• These sociologists draw a clear distinction
between sex and gender, arguing that sex limits
the construction of gender.
AUTHOR VIEW (Page 23)
• The term gender refers to a system of social
practices that constitute women and men as
different and unequal.
• The biological and the social worlds are
interdependent and mutually influential.
, SOCIOLOGY
THE GENDERED PERSON
INDIVIDUALISTIC VIEW: (Page 23)
• Gender is an attribute (characteristic) of people.
• We need to focus on people – not social situations or institutions.
• Differences between men and women are greater than differences within.
• Claim: sex imposes constraints on gender.
• Two perspectives:
1. Views gender as a set of individual traits, abilities, or behavioural dispositions.
2. Explores how women and men become gendered, focusing on the social (and for
some, biosocial) processes that produce gender.
1. GENDER AS TRAITS, ABILITIES, OR BEHAVIORAL DISPOSITIONS
SEX DIFFERENCE RESEARCH (Page 24, 25)
• Conclusion from psychologists: differences between women and men were fewer
and of less magnitude than many had assumed.
• Examine two related issues:
a) The magnitude / size of the sex differences
b) The consistency of these differences across samples (age, race ect.), time
periods, situations.
• There are no traits that reliably distinguish ALL men from women.
• Whenever sex differences are found, they represent average differences between the
sexes, not categorical distinctions.
a) SIZE OF SEX DIFFERENCES (Page 25)
• Need to think about the degree of overlap in the scores of the two sexes to
determine the size of the sex difference.
▪ 85% = small difference
▪ 65% = medium difference
▪ 53% = large difference
• Note: even when large difference, more than 50% still overlaps. (More similar than
different).
• If you do not address size, you perpetuate biases.
• Alpha bias: The tendency to exaggerate sex differences. Creates impression that men
and women are opposites.
• Beta bias: minimize sex differences. Researchers treat all sex differences as if they are
trivial (lack importance).
