Final answer:
Gender varies and changes through time, reflecting its nature as a social construct that is learned through cultural knowledge and socialization. Gender roles and identities are informed by societal beliefs, and the cultural interpretation of biological differences contributes to a continuum of gender expressions. Studies by scholars like Judith Butler and Serena Nanda indicate that gender is not fixed but is performed and interpreted differently across cultures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understandings of gender vary between cultures and change through time, making gender an example of a component of cultural knowledge which is known as social construction. Cultural roles of gender assign behaviors, relationships, responsibilities, and rights differently to people of different genders. These roles are learned and are subject to societal values, beliefs, and attitudes—also known as socialization. This process highlights the distinction between sex, which is biologically determined, and gender, which is established by the cultural environment and can vary widely across different societies.
Several studies and theories, such as those by Judith Butler, have shown that gender can be understood as a performance, informed by societal norms that dictate how individuals should conform to their assigned gender roles. Butler describes gender as "an impersonation," suggesting that individuals enact cultural ideals of masculinity and femininity which are inherently performative and not necessarily in alignment with one's biological sex.
Furthermore, cross-cultural studies indicate the presence of multiple gender identities across a continuum, rather than a binary system. Cultural anthropologist Serena Nanda studied variant-gender categories in many societies and found that numerous cultures accommodate more complex and varied expressions of gender and sexuality, which contrasts with the more rigid binary gender system of European and Euro-American societies. These insights collectively contribute to the understanding that gender is indeed a dynamic and culturally specific construction, subject to change and reinterpretation over time and across different cultural contexts.