Assess the claim that both sex and gender are systems of social Essay

Assess the claim that both sex and gender are systems of social classification - Essay Example This essay will involve the analysis of whether sex and gender are part of the social classification systems. Just like races and ethnic categorization in the society, gender and sex are socio-historical determined. Gender develops as people grow in the society, and it depends on the societal beliefs and cultural practices. It does not fall into the group of things people are born with but rather something that people do. Sex refers to the biological differences in the hormonal profile and the external sex organs while gender refers to the characteristics of the society or culture, and they categorize the people in the community as either masculine or feminine. For instance, societies have responsibilities and identities associated with either the masculine or feminine in the society. The acquisition of gender characteristics come through the socialization process and the interaction of people in the society (Strathern 1995). Socialization involves the acquisition of the values and traditions in the society and it takes place in a gradual form as one grows. A child born in a given setting will grow up holding on the values applicable in that community. This indicates that the society plays an i mportant role in defining the gender roles according to the sex of an individual. The common sense in the current society differentiates culture into two different aspects of human beings. The biological sense of womanhood lies in the womb, however, culture and societal values have transformed the definition of a woman (Stolcke, p.18). The analytical concept of gender challenges the universal biological concept because of the variations in the societal values. Martin egg outlines that the society believes in the cultural values to define biological concepts regarding human beings. The scientific books define male and female as egg and sperm. The society believes that the biological