Does gender really make a difference?
A difference in what exactly? Gender IS a difference.
And I think the more fitting term you're looking for is "physical sex", specifically in an anatomical sense.
Sex != gender.
Chromosomal sex: (genetic) [not actually sure if i should call it "genetic", anyone got any ideas?]
At the lowest level, a distinction of chromosomal phenotypes (XX - female) and (XY - male). However, this isn't truely a binary property as there exist atypical chromosomal arrangements.
Physical sex: (anatomical)
More like what you seem to be talking about. Differentiation at this level is that of Primary and Secondary Sex Characteristics. The Primary being the presence of organs belonging to the sexual reproductive system. Female - ovaries, vagina, labia, clitoris, etc. Male - prostate, penis, scrotum, testicles, etc. As for the Secondary you have any physical trait not directly involved in reproduction. Female - breasts, wide hips, fuller lips, body hair patterns (any list of changes that taking female hormones would cause, basically). Male - again, basically any change that occurs during puberty (deep voice, body hair patterns, bone structure (jaw shape and brow density), facilitation of muscle development, etc.
gender roles: (societal)
These are fun. Roles are the cultural distinctions between the sexes as they pertain to functioning in society. For instance, "Men hunt and women tend the campsite and rear the children.". I'm sure that early on these roles were determined by unquestioningly recognizing and continuing down a path that evolution had begun to pave.
misc gender expectations: (cultural)
Social constructs that usually arise on a cultural scale. They include differences in spoken language (male tongue vs female speech), clothing, social interactions (bowing vs curtsying), occasionally writing scripts, etc.
gender identity: (personal)
This is essentially how one views oneself using any combination of the previous terms. Reasons vary from genetic to rejection of societal norms.
Gender is a very ambiguous term. It's often used to mean any element or subset of the definitions listed and sometimes others.
Personally I try not to get too wrapped up in the definitions but attempt to wrestle enough of a comprehension of them as to not step on the toes of those who choose to get picky.
George and I seem to see eye-to-eye on gender. Check out his $0.02 - Postgenderism.
I love this approach, as it keeps me hopeful and safe from personal gender dysphoria. ;)
But my own thoughts...
While there are certainly exceptions to the norm, gender roles have evolved like most else from a mixture of chance and circumstantial favor. Outside of the human species we see many accounts of role reversal - male seahorses giving birth, female lions undertaking hunting responsibility, etc. But in the case of humans, gender role assignment needn't be irrevocably chained to biological circumstance.
However, since they once were, those ways of life have followed us through our development as a species, societies, and nations. Those roles have been perpetuated by oral traditions, religious indoctrination, royal decree, and legal rulings. We've carried these antiquated ideas along with us in forms that are unquestionable. Read-only.
So it makes sense that in a time of (supposed) representative democracy (still, debatable), we've finally taken a step back to question these ideas and the roles associated with gender. Even moreso in a time when we've taken many technosocial paradigm shifts away from the era when these roles were more noticeably confirmed by biological differences. We've moved from hunter/gatherers, to a technosocial environment of gizmos and end-users, built on the back of an infrastructure of industrial manufacturing and mass-production using finely tuned machines which are themselves mass-produced. The age of hand-crafted artifacts requiring hours of detail (done by stay at home women in the villages) or untold sweat and muscle (iron age artifacts like swords made by burly men) has passed long ago. Physical qualities that once seemed to validate gender roles are no longer an adequate measure for a productive individual in today's technosocial paradigm.
Of course there are always those who will continue to push the requirements into new domains to hold onto a distinction that they feel has some merit probably due to their own insecurities.
"Women are made different! They aren't strong like us!"
"Well... women THINK different! They aren't logical like us!"
Those searching for an argument will find and cling to them indefinitely, regardless of their relevance in the face of social change. The ignorant will continue clinging to delusions.
Differences only become limitations when one isn't flexible.
/$0.02
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