Final answer:
The statement that gender is the social and cultural significance attached to biological differences between men and women is true. Gender roles and expressions are culturally constructed and vary across different societies, unlike biological sex, which is determined by physical and physiological features.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term gender is defined as the social and cultural significance we attach to the biological differences between men and women. This is a true statement. Gender encompasses behaviors, personal traits, and social positions that society attributes to being biological sex. While sex is based on biological factors, including chromosomes, reproductive systems, and secondary sexual characteristics, gender is much more complex and varies across cultures and societies. It involves the roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.
Anthropologists and social scientists study gender to understand the origins of our notions of gender and document the diversity of gender expressions and sexuality across different cultures and historical periods. Gender is a cultural construct that assigns various forms of behavior and activity to different categories in society. Importantly, these gender categories are learned and not inborn, highlighting the influence of socialization and culture on gender roles and expectations.
Overall, while the biological aspects of sex are generally consistent, the characteristics of gender can greatly differ among societies. For example, wearing a dress may be considered feminine in the U.S., but in other cultures, similar garments might be seen as masculine. This distinction is key in understanding that gender roles and identities are not universally fixed but are shaped by cultural and societal norms.