Why do sociologists find it important to differentiate between sex and gender? What importance does the differentiation have in modern society?

In sociology, sex refers to the biological characteristics that a society uses to categorize people as either male or female. For example, each of the sexes has specific genitalia. Other secondary characteristics that are acquired upon adolescence are the development of breasts and broadening of hips among girls and the deepening of voices among boys.

Gender, on the other hand, explains how societies identify and take care of the different sexes. This includes a cultural interpretation...

In sociology, sex refers to the biological characteristics that a society uses to categorize people as either male or female. For example, each of the sexes has specific genitalia. Other secondary characteristics that are acquired upon adolescence are the development of breasts and broadening of hips among girls and the deepening of voices among boys.

Gender, on the other hand, explains how societies identify and take care of the different sexes. This includes a cultural interpretation of the roles played by either sex in the society. It also looks at how the society influences our understanding of the sexes. It addresses what is seen as "male" or "female" behavior—aspects that are not defined by the male or female biology. It addresses questions such as "can a man wear a dress?" or "why do we have distinct names that separate boys from girls?”

The distinction between sex and gender is important, because sometimes a person’s sex may not align with his or her gender. There is pretty clear evidence that gender is socially constructed. Different societies can ascribe different behavior to a gender. For instance, while it is weird for men to wear dresses in certain societies, other societies in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East have a culture that encourages the wearing of dresses or even skirts among men.

In modern society, a distinction between sex and gender is also important because of changing gender roles, for instance in occupations. Women are increasingly taking up jobs that were previously considered "male jobs," (e.g., heavy truck driving, technology jobs or even politics). As such, the term "gender" rather than "sex" is used to remove traditional societal biases between the sexes.