S/S/17. Discuss the interaction of genetic, environmental, cultural, and material factors in the construction of sex and gender

This essay primarily investigates the different principles used by societies in distinguishing between the genders. The genders will be explored here not only on a biological level but as constructions applied by different societies in different ways, using case studies including hunter-gatherer pygmies, the Chewong, the Sambia as studied by Gilbert Herdt, and the transgendered prostitutes of Brazil. Biological factors that differentiate sex/gender from birth are also investigated, including the hormones involved and vital differences at the chromosomal level.