Revising Meanings: Insight on Gender

Throughout the records of human history, societal paradigms perpetuated ingrained

preconceived notions that contrast against the prevailing ideas of their epochs. Those who wield

opinions contrasting conventional standards often precipitate social ostracization, discriminatory

practices, and even the potential for persecution. Those audacious enough to challenge such

dogmas were branded as rebels, heretics, and even outcasts, sometimes experiencing ridicule

and violence. Renowned figures like Galileo and Martin Luther King Jr., for their works on

heliocentrism and advocacy for racial equality, respectively, served as examples of the

consequences of challenging the status quo. The proverb, the nail sticking out gets hammered

down, exemplifies the consequences of individual expression against conformity and societal

preference. For centuries, most societies have often illustrated the notion which states that the

individual is either a man or a woman based on biological characteristics, conflating the idea

between sex and gender (Newman, 2023). Despite endless efforts by social advocates,

objections regarding the distinction between sex and gender are in place. Objections and

contradictions thwart the cause for distinction, resulting in a tumultuous clash of ideas. Amidst the

maelstrom, the distinction between sex and gender garners acceptance and is even further

elaborated by scholars like Stoller and Oakley, who had similar ideas and even wrote and

popularized the distinction between the two concepts of sex and gender, which holds the idea that

sex is a biological composition, an anatomical concept, whilst gender is more of a psychological

concept. Such definitions stood the test of time as the modern definition of sex is the set of

biological attributes while gender is socially constructed (Government of Canada, Canadian

Institutes of Health Research, Institutes, Institute of Gender and Health, 2023). The definition calls

for my first significant learning; despite being an obvious definition in today’s contemporary period,

I have failed to link the bits and pieces together to even come off as a thought when it would

simply require a brief thought to process. However, the issue lies in the fact of its application of
definitions, leading to false polarities, hierarchies, and misguided assumptions that confuse and

confound the populace. Such notions could proliferate, fostering the notion of gender inequality

as my second significant learning. The way gender is interpreted needs to be careful to avoid

exacerbating such problems that further divide humans and society from one another, away from

the biological constraints towards a more accepting society. Another significant leaning embedded

within the article itself is the author stating that we need to recognize the complexity and diversity

of gender and sexuality. This might seem obvious, but tolerance is only observed, not active efforts

from many individuals in society to combat gender inequality and oppression toward diversity and

empowerment. As such, recognizing the problem is important in order to address the issue.

Despite the best efforts of advocates, the distinction of sex and gender treads on quite a

narrow cliff. Ideas, assumptions, and social constructs pose to be dynamic – which presuppose

the possibility of creating changes to society, for better or for worse. As stated by Gahagan (2021),

we often use the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ interchangeably, treating the different concepts as one

and the same, stating that we should be able to get it right after years of advocating. The idea

that men hold feminine values (Anima) and women hold masculine attributes (Animus)

(Eternalised, 2023) speaks that gender holds more of a psychological concept rather than the

traditional gender-attributed social construct, which can explain the intricate web of gender and

its socio-environmental influences to the individual. Plumwood recognizes and argues that it is

vital to distinguish sex from gender to validate the recognition of the gender identity of the

individual, which is shaped by social and cultural factors and not simply biology. Such distinction

leads to the recognition that gender is not a fixed criterion, but a dynamic one that may help

propagate change to a more inclusive society. This entails that distinctions entirely separating

gender and sex should be included in the foreseeable future, but the problem still persists. In this

contemporary world, words can easily spread, whether they hold objective truth or subjective

ideas, further leading to the confusion of sex and gender. A study by three MIT scholars indicates
that false or misleading news spreads more rapidly on social media than real news does (Dizikes,

2018), implicating the dangers of technology despite its practicality. Such false assumptions born

from the internet, combined with the notions resisting such change, lead to false polarities,

hierarchies, and misguided assumptions. Such consequences of resistance bring forth potential,

which further aggravates the underlying issue. In essence, the problem lies in the applications,

leading to the perpetuation of harmful assumptions and inequalities in society. My first area of

confusion within the article is the concept of degendering. Despite reading the article, I still find it

confusing, that a society without any gender is crafted to reduce inequality or oppression. I firmly

believe that society is not equal by any means, and would never be such. Even in the lack of

gender in a degenderized society, other problems and issues in place of gender issues would

arise to create a divide, and oppression, and inequality would persist in some other form. Another

area of confusion within my understanding lies within the concept of regendering. I simply cannot

comprehend its purpose to remove gender distinction between sexes to achieve gender equality

by eliminating social and cultural significance. Such a notion entails challenging stereotypes in

place, yet processing the concept is still confusing for me due to my lack of insight regarding the

topic. Moving further towards my confusion, I failed to completely understand the dynamics of

false polarities, hierarchies, and assumptions from the improper utilization of sex-gender

distinction as it does not elaborate further by providing concrete examples of the manifestations

of such problems within society, leaving me in the dark towards complete understanding in that

regard with only mere speculation as my basis.

The way gender ought to be defined based on today’s understanding should be based on

the underlying framework of the agreed-upon definition of gender, which deviates from the

traditional binary definition, differentiating anatomy and physiology from gender identity. As to

everyone’s knowledge, gender is a multi-faceted social system that is largely based on society,

culture, and how one chooses to identify oneself, separate from the predetermined characteristics
of sex (WebMD Editorial Contributor, 2021). Such a concept is formulated based on social

construction, free from binary inputs that transcend standard traditional views on sex and gender

being one and the same. The best method for which to input such understanding on individuals

is through education, primarily in grade school. Imparting such knowledge at an early age would

generate a much more tolerant and accepting generation of individuals towards gender identity,

possibly decreasing the possibility of gender-based bullying among teens. Before reading the

article, along with other relevant info, I had preconceived notions about sex/gender distinction.

The first of which is the concept of degendering and regendering. I always thought that the path

to inclusivity was a slow change where society slowly accepts and integrates inclusivity, but the

frameworks of degendering and regendering make me question my beliefs and test my critical

thinking, as well as research skills, to the test by questioning such concepts further. Another idea

I used to consider before was that there was no need for distinction in today’s society, only

acceptance. Little did I know that erroneous conceptions regarding sex and gender still exist, with

both terminologies interchangeably being utilized on top of having society accept the notion of

inclusivity as a longstanding battle for advocacy and acceptance. Furthermore, within the article

was the notion that it was the women’s movement’s goal to escape biological determinism. I used

to think that the ones who propagated the charge for liberating gender identity, differentiating it

from sex, is a combination of the work of both men and women. In the past, coming out of the

closet was difficult as it was scrutinized by the majority of society, labeling those who did as sick

using the term ‘Gender dysphoria.’ The term refers to the incongruence between one’s sex and

gender identity (Turban, 2022). Therefore, I mistakenly assumed that it was a case of both sexes

contributing to creating the distinction between sex and gender.

Based on my understanding of the subject, gender is a nuanced concept. To assume that

gender is biological without claims to back it up would simply be misleading. I consider gender

more as of a learned behavior rather than a biological predisposition. Despite obvious differences
between males and females, in terms of the physical body, I believe gender is a learned behavior

where imprinting happens based on the culture the individual grows in, where the individual

imitates the behavior observed by the model. This is a form of learning known as observational

learning, a process that occurs through observation and imitation (Cherry, 2023). As such, gender

is one of the many examples of observational learning, a learned behavior that is under the scope

of environmental psychology, which aims to unravel the interplay between people and their

environment, studying how it can impact individuals (Ackerman, 2023). As such, to reinforce and

help the world understand and accept gender, the best way is to include such notions at an early

age, primarily in elementary. It is vital for gender studies to push through with children as early

exposure to gender holds immediate effects on children’s attitudes and behavior towards

members of their own and other-gendered groups (Martin, 2014). Without gender-integrated

behavior, children could possibly grow up to develop gender-discriminatory behaviors, which can

lead to bullying. Hence, early learning is essentially vital to children. In line with learning and with

the article by Plumwood, I have devised three questions that can further improve my overall

understanding of sex/gender distinction. The first of which is how environmental factors like

cultural context shape the perception of people about gender and sexuality and how it

perpetuates. Learning the cause would help address the issue and take a step further into

providing solutions. Another question I have is the scope, limitations, and challenges of sex and

gender distinction. By knowing its limitations, combined efforts can be made to address efforts to

create a more equitable society with education. My final question, in line with my program as a

psychology student, I would like to know how the different theories of gender and sexuality

intersect with the field of psychology, along with its implications for further understanding the self.

Within the article, it was indicated that Plumwood had recommended regendering instead

of degendering, which aims to reform gender differences within society, moving away from

traditional gender norms about the dualistic system. Since the goal of regendering is to craft a
new system of understanding and acceptance of gender roles, from a logical standpoint,

regendering instead of degendering is a much more viable point, yet it could still hold weak points

and possibly unintended consequences. Treading the path of regendering could work if only it

had been crafted with careful consideration and planning. However, overall, I somewhat disagree

with Plumwood’s recommendation despite apparent signs of regendering in some form occurring

in today’s society. In a sense, breaking down gender norms and restructuring them would entail

a newer form of labeling genders, which could stimulate discrimination in another state. It can

also lead to masking still-gendered practices. Still, it could be vital to degendering on a symbolic

level to remove notions of gender practices once interpreted as an expression of differences

among individuals (Nielsen, 2017). Degendering gendered activities and practices would be more

viable in that regard. However, the point of regendering, which aims to reform a more nuanced

understanding of gender within society, points to the right direction to live within a community free

from gender roles, and gender expression is respected and recognized as an effort to remove

gendered notions from practice must align with the initiatives of promoting equal opportunities to

mitigate biases and cultivating an environment of diversity of gender.

Ackerman, C. E. (2023, October 13). What is Environmental Psychology?

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psychology/#what-is-the-definition-of-environmental-psychology

Cherry, K. C. (2023, March 15). What is the psychology of learning? Verywell Mind.

https://www.verywellmind.com/learning-study-guide-2795698

Dizikes, P. (2018, March 8). Study: On Twitter, false news travels faster than true stories. MIT

News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://news.mit.edu/2018/study-twitter-

false-news-travels-faster-true-stories-0308

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Gahagan, J. (2021, July 13). The difference between sex and gender, and why both matter in

health research. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/the-difference-between-

sex-and-gender-and-why-both-matter-in-health-research-162746

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irsc.gc.ca/e/48642.html

Martin, C. (2014, August 1). Gender: early socialization | Encyclopedia on Early Childhood

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encyclopedia.com/gender-early-

socialization#:~:text=This%20gender%20awareness%2C%20in%20combination,own%2

0and%20other%2Dgender%20group.

Newman, T. (2023, March 31). Sex and gender: What is the difference?

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232363#identity-and-expression

Nielsen, H. B. (2017). Gendering, degendering, regendering. In Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks.

https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95082-9_10
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families/gender-dysphoria/what-is-gender-dysphoria

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