Understanding Gender Identity and Sexuality - 1083 Words

While the terms â€Å"gender† and â€Å"sex† are often used interchangeably, the two words have significantly different definitions. One could argue that sex refers to biological essentialism and the idea that we are who we are because of our genetic material. On the other hand, gender is associated with the social constructionist theory, which argues that the way we are is dependent on our race, class, and sexuality. Because each person is different in their race, class, and sexuality, their gender becomes socially constructed. To argue that gender is not socially constructed would be to say that all people, for example, that are biologically female have the same goals. However, this cannot be true because within the sphere of being female, that†¦show more content†¦From this, we can see that the Western idea of African women was that they deviated from the sexual norm. However, again, this â€Å"norm† varies throughout cultures. What seems, to colonial America, as sexually deviant is very much a â€Å"norm† in other nations, and vice versa. Furthermore, race and class impact the linguistic aspects that are both normative and deviant. For example, in the United States, the term â€Å"bitch† has a negative connotation and is used to refer to women in a derogative manner. However, African American women, when called a â€Å"Bitch†, take this term in a complimenting fashion, as in their culture it represents â€Å"†¦super-tough, super-strong women who are often celebrated† (Collins, 2004, p. 124). Again in this instance we see the differing perspectives and values that are altered by the race and class of a person. A white American women may perceive being called a â€Å"bitch† as being offensive to her femininity, while an African American woman will likely recognize it as compliment. The word â€Å"bitch† proposes a very interesting difference between the reactions of white American wo men and African American women that proves this influence of race and class on gender identity. Gender roles are often established by the ideas of masculinity and femininity. However, these socially constructed concepts vary from one culture to another. For instance, Han explains â€Å"The West thinks of itself as masculine - big guns, big industry, big money - so the East is feminine - weak,Show MoreRelatedThe Topic Of Sexuality1144 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduce the topic of sexuality (para)- Horrocks (1997) points out in his book that sexuality encircles multiple aspects of human existence. Sexuality is then, not a uniform or simple phenomenon and is influenced by the interaction of psychological, biological, social, cultural factors and many more. 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