sex and gender

Skip to the content
Monash University
Medicine home | About | Future students | Current students | Research | Alumni | Contact us
Staff (Intranet) | Staff directory | A-Z index | Site map
Search

* Gender and Medicine Home
* Sex and Gender
* When is it a sex difference?
* A Gender Perspective in Medicine
* Gender Mainstreaming
* Common Misunderstandings
* Gender-Blindness
* Gender Competence
* Gender Studies
* Gender Identity
* Gender and Medical Workforce Issues
* Link and Resources


Monash University > Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences > Gender and Medicine >
What is the difference between sex and gender?

Sex = male and female

Gender = masculine and feminine

So in essence:

Sex refers to biological differences; chromosomes, hormonal profiles, internal and external sex organs.

Gender describes the characteristics that a society or culture delineates as masculine or feminine.

So while your sex as male or female is a biological fact that is the same in any culture, what that sex means in terms of your gender role as a 'man' or a 'woman' in society can be quite different cross culturally. These 'gender roles' have an impact on the health of the individual.

In sociological terms 'gender role' refers to the characteristics and behaviours that different cultures attribute to the sexes. What it means to be a 'real man' in any culture requires male sex plus what our various cultures define as masculine characteristics and behaviours, likewise a 'real woman' needs female sex and feminine characteristics. To summarise:

'man' = male sex+ masculine social role

(a 'real man', 'masculine' or 'manly')

'woman' = female sex + feminine social role

(a 'real woman', 'feminine' or 'womanly')

Content by Ann-Maree Nobelius, 23 June 2004

Gender in the Medicine Currculum at Monash

* History
* The New 5 Year Curriculum
* Gender Mainstreaming in the New Curriculum
* Postgraduate Education
* Faculty Training
* Mainstreaming Process Reports
* Special Events
* Publications
* People Involved
* Gendermed Discussion Forum

Copyright © 2011 Monash University ABN 12 377 614 012 - Caution - Privacy - CRICOS Provider Number: 00008C
Last updated: 04 June 2010 - Maintained by webmaster@med.monash.edu.au - Accessibility information