WOMEN STUDIES

Submitted by
Prabha.A

Reg No: 3252001

Department: Msc. HRD Psychology

1. SEX VS GENDER :

SEX

Sex refers to physical or physiological differences between males and females, including both
primary sex characteristics (the reproductive system) and secondary characteristics such as
height and muscularity.The term sex is a physical differentiation between the biological male
and the biological female. Thus, when an infant is born, the infant comes to be labeled “boy”
or “girl” depending on their sex. The genital differences between male and female is the basis
of such characterization. There is a biological difference between the sexes and most people
are born as one sex or another. The term sex is a physical differentiation between the
biological male and the biological female. Thus, when an infant is born, the infant comes to
be labeled “boy” or “girl” depending on their sex. The genital differences between male and
female is the basis of such characterization. There is a biological difference between the
sexes and most people are born as one sex or another. However, it has been argued that
having been born into one sex or another, individuals are then socialized according to specific
gender expectations and roles. Biological males learn to take on masculine roles. They are
socialized to think and act in masculine ways. Biological females learn to take on feminine
roles.However, it has been argued that having been born into one sex or another, individuals
are then socialized according to specific gender expectations and roles. Biological males
learn to take on masculine roles. They are socialized to think and act in masculine ways.
Biological females learn to take on feminine roles.

Example: Sex identifies biological differences between men and women. E.g. Women can
give birth and men provide sperm. Sex is universal (every nation, throughout history)

GENDER

It refers to the social attributes, roles and responsibilities, associated with being male &
female and the relationships between women & men (girls & boys).the gender question is not
just about women but about both women and men and how they interact”. In simple terms,
Gender tends to denote the social and cultural role of each sex within a given society. Rather
than being purely assigned by genetics, as sex differences generally are, people often develop
their gender roles in response to their environment, including family interactions, the media,
peers, and education. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines gender as:
“Gender refers to the socially constructed characteristics of women and men, such as norms,
roles, and relationships of and between groups of women and men. It varies from society to
society and can be changed.”The term gender is also used to describe the differences in
behaviour between men and women which are described as „masculine‟ and „feminine‟.
Feminist writings focus on this aspect and claim that these differences are not biological but
are social constructions of patriarchal society. Gender is much bigger and more complicated
than assigned sex. Gender includes gender roles, which are expectations society and people
have about behaviors, thoughts, and characteristics that go along with a person’s assigned
sex. Transgender: An adjective that is a umbrella term used to describe the full range of
people whose gender identity and/or gender role do not conform to what is typically
associated with their sex assigned at birth. The Union Cabinet approved the Transgender
Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016 in Parliament. This Bill is expected to bring social,
educational and economic empowerment to the transgender community. To a community that
has been ostracised and discriminated against for so long, this Bill could mean a chance to
live a life of dignity and equality.

Example: Gender is referring to someone who wears a dress as a female. Ideas about how
men and women are expected to behave, dress, and communicate all contribute to gender.
Gender is also a social and legal status as girls and boys, men, and women.It’s easy to
confuse sex and gender. Just remember that biological or assigned sex is about biology,
anatomy, and chromosomes. Gender is society’s set of expectations, standards, and
characteristics about how men and women are supposed to act. Gender identity refers to
“one’s sense of oneself as male, female, or transgender” (American Psychological
Association, 2006). When one’s gender identity and biological sex are not congruent, the
individual may identify as transsexual or as another transgender category.

2. GENDER ROLE EXPECTATIONS IN FAMILY

Gender roles in a society are defined by the virtue of being female or male. (The role of a
mother and father). This takes us to the issue of what society expects women to do, and what
they expect men to do. All productive work is of value, because it yields money; and work
which does not yield money, is of lesser or no value. A role includes specific rights and
obligations. It has a certain social status and power associated with it and a particular social
situation. A person's role can change from time to time, depending on social, economic and
cultural changes in the community. The roles men and women play in a society are
influenced by the cultural norms of that particular society, their social status in that society,
by other people's expectations and the image an individual wishes to develop for her/himself.

Roles in the society are gendered in nature. Patriarchy determines the role of men and
women. It is the mode of patriarchal ideology which prescribes specific role to men and
women and they have to confirm those roles. Violation of gender roles become a taboo in the
society. Gender role is a set of social norms dictating the types of behavior which are
generally acceptable ,appropriate or desirable for people based on their sex

Example : Incorporates the right and the obligation to care for the children and to provide a
living for the family. Gender roles adopted during childhood normally continue into
adulthood. At home, people have certain presumptions about decision‐making, child‐rearing
practices, financial responsibilities, and so forth. At work, people also have presumptions
about power, the division of labor, and organizational structures. None of this is meant to
imply that gender roles, in and of themselves, are good or bad; they merely exist. Gender
roles are realities in almost everyone's life.

Activities carried out by men and women in order to produce goods and services, for sale,
exchange, or to meet the subsistence needs of the family. Reproductive roles: Activities
needed to ensure the reproduction of society's labor force. This includes child bearing,
rearing, and care for family members such as children, elderly and workers. These tasks are
done mostly by women. Activities undertaken primarily by women at the community level, to
ensure the provision and maintenance of scarce resources of collective consumption such as
water, health care and education. This is voluntary unpaid work undertaken in ‘free’ time.
Community politics role Activities undertaken primarily by men at the community level,
organizing at the formal political level, often within the framework of national politics. This
work is usually undertaken by men and may be paid directly or result in increased power and
status. The term refers to the fact that women tend to work longer and more than men as they
are usually involved in three different gender roles — reproductive, productive and
community work.

3. CISGENDER

It is defined as the term used for people whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at
birth. The term cisgender is the opposite of the word Transgender. A gender description for
when someone’s sex assigned at birth and gender identity correspond in the expected way.
The word cisgender can also be shortened to “cis.” Its important to remember that cisgender
applies solely to gender, as opposed to sexuality, and that both heterosexual and homosexual
people can be cisgender. The prefix “Cis” means “on the same side as”. So while people who
are transgender move “across” genders, people who are cisgender remain on the same side of
the gender they were initially identified as at birth. Mostly this term is not an famous or
frequently used word by our society as because we mainly focused on “Transgender”. This is
called Cisgender.

Example: Someone who identifies as a woman and was assigned female at the birth is a
cisgender woman. Someone who was assigned male at birth, and identifies as a man).Almost
everyone is example for cisgender those whose identity match with their sex assigned at
birth. A cisgender woman, for example, might have a masculine gender presentation (i.e.
butch) but still identify herself as a woman. Likewise, AMABs who are gay, queer, bisexual,
pansexual, effeminate, sissy, or atypically masculine are still cisgender men so long as they
identify themselves as men.

4. HETEROSEXUALITY

It is defined as the quality or characteristics of being sexually attracted solely to people of the
opposite sex. Hetero- comes from the Greek word [héteros], meaning "other party" or

characteristic sex or sexual differentiation). Heterosexuality is both pervasive and normative

in the current sociocultural milieu. Due to its privileged societal status, heterosexuality is also
quite elusive. Along with bisexually and homosexuality, heterosexuality is one of the three
main categories of sexual orientation within the heterosexual-homosexual continuum. There
was no need to coin the term heterosexual until there was something else to contrast and
compare it with. It also refers to "an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based
on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, and membership in a community of others
who share them“ . A heterosexual couple, a man and woman in an intimate relationship, form

take place before the couple settle down, but enforcement of this rule or compliance with it
has varied considerably. In some jurisdictions, when an unmarried man and women live
together long enough, there are deemed to have established a common-law marriage.
Example: Receiving public recognition and support for an intimate relationship (e.g.,
congratulations for an engagement). Expressing affection in most social situations and not
expecting hostile or violent reactions from others. Living with your partner openly.
Expressing pain when a relationship ends from death or separation and receiving support
from others. Receiving social acceptance from neighbors, colleagues, and good friends.
Learning about romance and relationships from fictional movies and television shows.
Having role models of your gender and sexual orientation.

5. GENDER SPECTRUM

Gender spectrum refers to the idea that there are many gender identities like female, male,
transgender etc. The term gender spectrum is a way of describing gender without conforming
to the gender binary. It denotes gender as a continuum that includes male and female, but
without establishing them as absolutes or polar opposites. The view of gender as a spectrum
allows for the inclusion of identities besides male and female-- specifically, it allows for the
inclusion of intersex people, nonbinary gender identities, and nonbinary gender expressions.
The term gender spectrum has been used to some degree since at least the second-wave
feminist movement of the 1970s, but has gained popularity as a component of the acceptance
movement beginning in the 1990s and continuing through today. The gender spectrum is an
understanding that gender is not binary (female/male), but rather a spectrum of biological,
mental and emotional traits that exist along a continuum. The gender spectrum visualizes
gender as a continuum stretching from men to women and masculine to feminine. Gender
identities other than man or woman are considered to be non-binary.

Example: A heterosexual, cisgender woman might have a butch, tomboy, or androgynous

gender expression. This does not mean that she does not identify herself as heterosexual or a
woman, but it does subvert stereotypical ideas of womanhood based in gender binarism and
gender essentialism. The gender spectrum visualizes gender as a continuum stretching from
men to women and masculine to feminine. Gender identities other than man or woman are
considered to be non-binary. The gender spectrum visualizes gender as a continuum
stretching from men to women and masculine to feminine. Gender identities other than man
or woman are considered to be non-binary.This is called gender spectrum.