General Education Curriculum (GEC) Unit

SSP 101 – Gender and Society

Worksheet No. 8

Answer the following:

1. Compare and contrast gender identity from sexual orientation.

Gender identity is an individual's deepest conception of who they are as male, female, a blend of
both, or neither, as well as how they see themselves and what they call themselves. Sexual orientation is
an innate or unchangeable enduring emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to others. The sex that was
assigned to a person at birth may or may not match their gender identification. According to the Human
Rights Campaign, gender identity refers to an individual's "innermost concept of self as male, female, a
blend of both, or neither - how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves." It can be
the same as the gender that person was given at birth, or it can be completely different. People can
identify with many different genders besides just men or women. In contrast, sexual orientation refers to
the "inherent or unchanging enduring emotional, erotic, or sexual attraction to other people," or more
simply, to the people you are interested in getting close to. A person can have one or more of the
following sexual orientations in addition to being transgender: homosexual, straight, bisexual, asexual,
etc.

2. How do sexual practices vary cross-culturally?

Cultural differences can be seen in the social conventions and behaviors around love, sex, and
marriage. The interests of families, clans, and classes are taken into consideration when parents in these
communities, particularly in rural areas, influence or arrange marriages. It has been suggested that this
variance reflects a dimension of independence and interdependence. Cultures that place a strong emphasis
on the individual and his or her aspirations support choosing a spouse based on personal chemistry and
love, whereas those that place a stronger emphasis on a person's reliance on the group or family will
support arranged weddings (Hatfield and Rapson 1996). Societies that are westernizing, like Russia and
China's cities, seem to place more importance on love. It suggests that increased sexual permissiveness
and acceptance of sexual intimacy are connected with the acceptance of romantic love as a basis for mate
selection.

3. How might biological, cultural, and personal factors influence gender identity?

Children's physical development is greatly influenced by biological factors. For example,

secondary sexual features that appear during puberty further distinguish boys and girls from one another.
Boys and girls also have separate sexual organs at birth. Hormones, which are chemical messengers that
are present in the body naturally, control how these physical variations manifest. Genetic make-up and
pre- and postnatal hormone levels are biological aspects that could affect gender identification. The
gender roles that family, authorities, the media, and other significant characters in a child's life convey are
among the social factors.