Definition of gender

The word "gender" has its roots in the Latin word "genus," meaning "kind" or "type." This term was used to categorize things based on shared characteristics, such as the genus of a plant or animal. The concept of gender as a social construct, however, didn't emerge until the 1950s. John Money, an American psychologist, coined the term "gender identity" to describe a person's psychological sense of maleness or femaleness. He argued that gender was learned, not innate, and that it developed through socialization. In the 1960s, Simone de Beauvoir popularized the term "gender roles" to describe the societal expectations for men and women based on their assigned sex. The concept of gender as a social construct became a central tenet of second-wave feminism, which sought to challenge traditional gender roles and promote women's rights. Since then, the use of "gender" to describe both the social construction of masculinity and femininity, as well as the biological category of male or female, has become widespread. This broad usage, however, has also led to some confusion and discussion over the meaning of the term. Some argue that "sex" should be used to refer to biological differences, while "gender" should be used exclusively to describe social roles and expectations. Others see these terms as interconnected and interdependent aspects of individual identity.