What is gender?

We explain what gender is and what this concept refers to in different disciplines. Also, what are the literary genres.

1. What is gender?

Gender refers to a classification of individuals or things in which they can be ordered according to their particular features or characteristics that characterize them.

The concept of gender is used in various disciplines , thus acquiring a definition that best suits each situation.

2. Literary genre

Literary genres refer to the categories in which works belonging to the literary world can be included . This organization fulfills both a function for the reader and for the writer. In the first case it relates to the expectations of the subject that begins a reading and in the second as a framework to follow for the artist.

There are three large groups in which literary works are classified:

• Drama. First of all the dramatic genre, also known as theatrical genre. In this case the actions are developed in a certain time and space by the characters, but the peculiarity of this genre is that it is written to be performed in front of an audience. That is why the writing is based on dialogues and its structure is divided into scenes and acts.
• Narrative genre. Secondly, the narrative genre can be mentioned, this is also a development of actions in a space and time , by certain characters , only that the story is given through a narrator. That is why although there are dialogues, they are not predominant as in the previous case.
• Lyric.  The last literary genre is the lyric. In this case the writing is in verse and is usually characterized by its content since feelings, thoughts , ideological postures, mood etc. are usually expressed . Nowadays it is considered that literary genres are not closed structures, but that a work can have characteristics belonging to different literary groups.

3. Other types of genres

In the case of biology , gender is understood as a classification that is hierarchically found between the species and the family . That is to say that a genus can contain several species. There is talk of gender when different species have some kind of relationship with each other. Given the difficulty that arises when organizing species, other concepts called subgenus and supergender have also been developed.

On the other hand in the social sciences the term gender acquires another type of definition. In this case, gender is understood as the set of elements determined by societies with respect to the sexuality of individuals, that is to say, people are classified as male or female.

Throughout history this concept has undergone major changes and has been interpreted in various ways. Nowadays, gender is conceived as a way in which each person is defined, regardless of whether their genitality refers to female or male sex.

At present, in the field of social sciences, gender is talked about as a construction of societies, without any genetic or biological basis , where many of the roles that will be fulfilled in a society are determined . That is why many people claim recognition, since they do not feel their gender is identified with their genitality.

In this case it is understood that the sexual gender is something that conforms throughout life and personal experiences , but also has cultural and sociological characteristics that make it up. Social sciences are also responsible for conducting the so-called gender study, where issues such as sexual diversity , gender inequality, among other topics are analyzed.