Anthropologists typically define gender and sexuality as distinct but interconnected concepts, shaped by cultural, social, and historical factors rather than being strictly biological.
- Gender: In anthropology, gender is seen as a social and cultural construct that varies across different societies. It refers to the roles, behaviors, identities, and expectations that a culture assigns to individuals based on their perceived sex. Gender is not limited to a binary framework (male and female), and anthropologists recognize the existence of diverse gender identities in various cultures. Some cultures, such as those with third-gender categories (like the hijra in South Asia or Two-Spirit individuals in many Indigenous North American cultures), challenge Western binary notions of gender.
- Sexuality: Sexuality refers to how individuals experience and express sexual attraction, desire, and behavior. Like gender, sexuality is also influenced by cultural norms, historical contexts, and social expectations. Anthropologists study how different societies understand and regulate sexuality, acknowledging that sexual identities and practices can vary widely across cultures and time periods. In some cultures, sexual acts or orientations may be classified and understood differently than in others, showing that sexuality is not universal.
Both gender and sexuality are considered fluid concepts in anthropology, meaning they can change over time and across cultures, often being shaped by power dynamics, social structures, and individual agency.