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Gender and Identity Identity is fashioned by factors such as one’s arrangement in social relationships, structures, and establishments. There are two approaches used to view one’s identity. Structural approaches place prominence on more stable and internal facets of identity. Processual approaches place importance on less stable aspects of identity shaped by society. Another term used is Gender identity. Gender identity is how a person views them self as either male or female. In early childhood this is established. This differs from “sex” because the term “sex” refers to a biological state rather than a culturally produced state of mind, which is gender. Another term, gender role, is defined as the characteristics and behaviors that are suitable for men and women. Sociological perspectives of gender are categorized into four categories. These include essentialism, socialization, social construction, and structuralism. The essentialist perspective is non-sociological and more stable than the other three. From this perspective gender is seen as innate and unchanging. People are born a particular sex, which is predetermined from birth, and that sex determines their gender. The differences between the two sexes also determine a difference in social behavior. The characteristics of an individual are assumed to be biological and not influenced by society. In this perspective the terms sex and gender can be used interchangeably, because they are seen as the same thing.
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