A medical anthropological viewpoint introducing a novel 3D model bringing together sex, gender, and hormonal effects of an individual's chronological pathway

Abstract

Background This article looks at gender differences, whether they can be created or performed and the relationship between ‘sex’, ‘gender’ and the ‘body’. Methods I reviewed definitions and how they related to male/female, man/woman, boy/girl, XX/XY chromosomes and masculinity/femininity. The importance of biomedical advances, especially hormonal and genetic, and their interaction with anthropological writings was addressed. From the review of the literature, I wove my own clinical experience and seminal cross-cultural ethnographies. I looked at long-term gender change, compared to short-term gender reversal and legal involvement. Results I devised a novel concept of classifying an individual body through a chronological pathway across three axes. There should be a spectrum along each of the three axes and not just two dichotomous poles. The three axes comprise: (1) Hormone effect: Masculinity(testerogenic)/Femininity(oestrogenic/progesterogenic); (2)Chromosome: Boy (XY)/Girl (XX); (3) Gender: Male/Female. Conclusions The anthropological discourse concerning sex, gender and the body was a process of continual evolution. There were strong links to cultural beliefs of the person and different social models such as family, religion and the workplace. The continued discussions between medical anthropologists, bio-medics, politicians and geneticists were of paramount importance. The three axial chronological pathway produced allows each individual to be charted throughout life.