Gender: Difference between revisions
imported>Christine Bush (Further refined first paragraph to clarify general distinction between designations of "gender" vs. those of ''sex.'') |
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{{dambigbox|the overall concept|Gender}} | {{dambigbox|the overall concept|Gender}} | ||
'''Gender''' is most often attributed to human beings or mammals as a dynamic, complex aggregate of learned behaviors and social or cultural constructs. Gender is distinguished from physiological and reproductive sexual traits, i.e. that individuals are ''male'' or ''female''. While sexual designations are widely used in the Animal, Plant and even Fungal Kingdoms, it is less common to find descriptions outside the Animal Kingdom invoking [[femininity]] and [[masculinity]]. Non-animals have simply not been shown to have sufficient cognitive or behavioral complexity to exhibit gender, per se. Gendered descriptions are more commonly applied by humans to other humans and to other animals, especially to the more intelligent, social [[mammals]] which form communities such as packs or [[wolves]].<ref>It should also be | '''Gender''' is most often attributed to human beings or mammals as a dynamic, complex aggregate of learned behaviors and social or cultural constructs. Gender is distinguished from physiological and reproductive sexual traits, i.e. that individuals are ''male'' or ''female''. While sexual designations are widely used in the Animal, Plant and even Fungal Kingdoms, it is less common to find descriptions outside the Animal Kingdom invoking [[femininity]] and [[masculinity]]. Non-animals have simply not been shown to have sufficient cognitive or behavioral complexity to exhibit gender, per se. Gendered descriptions are more commonly applied by humans to other humans and to other animals, especially to the more intelligent, social [[mammals]] which form communities such as packs or [[wolves]].<ref>It should also be noted that ''intersexual'' and ''asexual'' traits can be found in animals, plants, and fungi making distinctions of an organism as either male or female, masculine or feminine, not always meaningful or accurate. See [[Androgyny]].</ref> | ||
Among humans, the concept of gender is complex and more recently the study of [[gender expression]] has shown that gender identification is multivariate and, in the case of [[transgender]] or [[transsexual]] persons, may not be aligned with anatomical determinants. [[Sexual orientation]] is a distinct characteristic from gender identification. Cultural and political affiliations between minority groups, as found in the lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender (LGBT) designation, may inadvertently conflate gender with sexual orientation. Conceptualizing gender as a spectrum rather than as a dichotomy gained increased acceptance in the late twentieth century. | Among humans, the concept of gender is complex and more recently the study of [[gender expression]] has shown that gender identification is multivariate and, in the case of [[transgender]] or [[transsexual]] persons, may not be aligned with anatomical determinants. [[Sexual orientation]] is a distinct characteristic from gender identification. Cultural and political affiliations between minority groups, as found in the lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender (LGBT) designation, may inadvertently conflate gender with sexual orientation. Conceptualizing gender as a spectrum rather than as a dichotomy gained increased acceptance in the late twentieth century. | ||
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Revision as of 13:29, 21 July 2014
Gender is most often attributed to human beings or mammals as a dynamic, complex aggregate of learned behaviors and social or cultural constructs. Gender is distinguished from physiological and reproductive sexual traits, i.e. that individuals are male or female. While sexual designations are widely used in the Animal, Plant and even Fungal Kingdoms, it is less common to find descriptions outside the Animal Kingdom invoking femininity and masculinity. Non-animals have simply not been shown to have sufficient cognitive or behavioral complexity to exhibit gender, per se. Gendered descriptions are more commonly applied by humans to other humans and to other animals, especially to the more intelligent, social mammals which form communities such as packs or wolves.[1]
Among humans, the concept of gender is complex and more recently the study of gender expression has shown that gender identification is multivariate and, in the case of transgender or transsexual persons, may not be aligned with anatomical determinants. Sexual orientation is a distinct characteristic from gender identification. Cultural and political affiliations between minority groups, as found in the lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender (LGBT) designation, may inadvertently conflate gender with sexual orientation. Conceptualizing gender as a spectrum rather than as a dichotomy gained increased acceptance in the late twentieth century.