Gender and Sexuality

Exploring Gender Differences

The biological definition of sex deems male and female different in terms of their physical genitalia, but gender is a more complex idea. Gender relates to psychological experience of being either male or female, and doesn’t necessarily have to agree with sex. A common citizen would most likely tell you that the difference in gender has something to do with superior physical strength and power in men and more sensitivity and care in women. These are oversimplified stereotypes that are applied by society to genders, and although they are typically true, they represent but the tip of the iceberg. Through influence of sex and societal ideas of gender, individuals develop a gender identity which is the view one has of themselves as male or female. From this identity people generally fall into some sort of gender role, defined as typical behavior for a man or woman in a certain society. (Lahey 2002, chap. 10) 

Gender Identity and Role

In the categories of cognitive ability and academic study men and women are far more similar than different, but there are some areas of study where women seem to outperform men and vice versa. Based completely on averages, women outscore men in academic areas of language, reading, spelling, and verbal memory. On the contrary men outperform women in academic subjects of mechanical reasoning, math, science, and shop skills. One of the most fascinating aspects of these differences is that this data does not translate into better grades in school. Women score better average grades in mathematics, yet they are outscored by men on tests that measure ability in math. This fact can help us better understand the difference between men and women. (Lahey 2002, chap. 10)