People may identify with genders that are different from their natal sex or with none at all. These identities may include transgender , nonbinary, or gender-neutral.
There are many other ways in which a person may define their own gender. Male and female genitalia, both internal and external, are different, and male and female bodies have distinct hormonal and chromosomal makeups. Doctors use these factors to assign natal sex. At birth, female-assigned people have higher levels of estrogen and progesterone , and while assigned males have higher levels of testosterone. Assigned females typically have two copies of the X chromosome, and assigned males have one X and one Y chromosome.
Society often sees maleness and femaleness as a biological binary. However, there are issues with this distinction.
For instance, the chromosomal markers are not always clear-cut. Some male babies are born with two or three X chromosomes, just as some female babies are born with a Y chromosome. Also, some babies are born with atypical genitalia due to a difference in sex development. In a survey , most respondents perceived the term negatively.
Being intersex can mean different things. For example, a person might have genitals or internal sex organs that fall outside of typical binary categories. Or, a person might have a different combination of chromosomes. Some people do not know that they are intersex until they reach puberty. Biologists have started to discuss the idea that sex may be a spectrum.
This is not a new concept but one that has taken time to come into the public consciousness. For example, the idea of sex as a spectrum was discussed in a article published by the New York Academy of Sciences.
In the United States, gender has historically been defined as a binary. Many other cultures have long recognized third genders or do not recognize a binary that matches the American understanding. A review confirms that gender exists on a broad spectrum — in contrast to the genetic definitions of sex.
A person may fully or partially identify with existing gender roles. They may not identify with any gender roles at all. People who do not identify with existing gender binaries may identify as nonbinary. This umbrella term covers a range of identities, including genderfluid, bigender, and gender-neutral. Gender is also a social construct. It varies from society to society and can be changed. Gender roles in some societies are more rigid than in others.
However, these are not always set in stone, and roles and stereotypes can shift over time. A meta-analysis of public opinion polls about gender stereotypes in the U. There are complex relationship between gender and both physical and mental health. Gender stereotypes can affect health coverage, pathways of care, and accountability and inclusivity within health systems throughout the world. A review of first-hand case studies shows that by failing to address gender-based inequalities, health systems can reinforce prescriptive and exclusive gender binaries.
The words male and female are used as classifications such as in anthropology, or medicine , and they can be used as adjectives as readily as nouns. The words man and woman are more personal descriptors of individuals.
When using these words to describe the subjects of a scientific study, we might find either of these:. You are right about how your second example sentence sounds "off", but that's because you've mixed the two words:.
However, context could very well override that general guidance. Some of the sentences I've labeled as awkward may sound funny on their own, but they could be just fine in the middle of a lengthy testimony during a courtroom trial, where a long series of questions has set up a scene - i. I think that last sentence reads just fine in that context, because the preceding dialog has made it rather easy to follow along. You will sometimes find them used in, for example, police reports.
When it comes to describing professions, questions of equality influence the language we use. It is advisable to refer to a doctor simply as a doctor. You can always say whether the doctor is a man or a woman later in the conversation if the need arises. Female is a word only defining the gender.
On the other hand, woman means a female who is also an adult. Female is rarely used, and usually used only in formal written English. Woman is used quite commonly, as illustrated by your example.
If the person concerned is not an adult but a female, people usually use girl or young woman. A very similar thing happens in Japanese. But if you simply call someone onna for instance ano onna People do not say this.
However, in news reports, the word onna will often be used by itself to refer to a criminal suspect. It is not rude in that situation, but rather it is analogous to when English-speaking police or reporters say female suspect.
The male was armed with a semi-automatic weapon The following are inappropriate and weird. My boss is a nice female. There is a female at the front desk, asking for Mr. So that is the essence of female versus woman , when female is used to refer to a woman: the speaker is placing some kind of mental distance between him or herself and the subject, and not identifying with the woman as a fellow person. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top.
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