The Concept of Gender, Sex, and Gender Roles. Social sciences

The Concept of Gender, Sex, and Gender Roles
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The Concept of Gender, Sex, and Gender Roles
Gender and sex are often regarded as being similar since on most occasions when giving out details; a person is asked to provide their gender or sex. Sex is the physiological or physical distinction between females and males (Torgrimson, & Minson, 2005). Sex is closely linked to the biological characteristics, which comprise external and internal sex organs, chromosomes, and hormonal activities (Wizemann, 2001). Sex is much difficult to change because it is based on genetics. Gender, on the other hand, refers to the cultural or social differences that come with being female or male (Zosuls, Miller, Ruble, Martin & Fabes, 2011). Unlike sex, gender does not rely on genetics, but rather, on the belief system and social constructs put in place by the society regarding femininity and masculinity. This would mean that the gender we identify ourselves with is only something that we adhere to because we have been raised up believing it is right.
Normally, gender roles are forced upon children at an early age (Leaper, 2014). Personally, as a male, I have several examples of how gender roles relate to my life. Since childhood, I have always looked up to my parents for guidance, even though both my parents worked to provide for our family, my father took care of the responsibilities that had much more priority such as the mortgage and school fees. His authoritative nature was also portrayed in the way he spoke to us and how he carried out his activities. When my sister and I started school, my dad always told me to take care of my sister and make sure she is safe even though she was two years older than I was. The fact that I was male meant that I should be her protector regardless of my age since girls are less aggressive.
Additionally, in our community, during winter, when snow fills up on the driveways, our neighbor normally comes over to ask for my help specifically even though my sister is ar...