ABSTRACT
The chapter explores the social construct, associated meanings, identities, and assumptions about gender and gender categories. The chapter begins by offering basic definitions of sex, gender, and sexism. In exploring sex and gender as social constructs, the chapter differentiates sex from gender, describes why a binary construction of both sex and gender is socially constructed rather than inherently biological, and challenges the ways that characteristics and abilities are essentialized into specific binary categories of gender (i.e., girls/women and boys/men) assumed to be biological. In exploring gender identity, the chapter presents identity as distinct from sex assigned at birth, from ascribed identity, and from gender presentation, and describes cisgender and transgender experiences and identity. In exploring sexism, the chapter considers traditional sexism (misogyny), hostile and benevolent sexism, and cissexism, and engages related complexities of gender privilege. The chapter includes reflection exercises for readers to examine their assumptions and stereotypes, personal experiences and identity, experiences of gender privilege and/or oppression, and invites them to consider the experiences of those who are different from themselves.
