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Sexual orientation stands for a person’s habitual sexual preference or attraction.  There are four types of sexual orientation, and all four all found all over the world in all cultures and societies.  Heterosexuality is the sexual preference towards the opposite sex.  Homosexuality is the sexual preference towards the same sex.  Bisexuality is the sexual preference towards both sexes. And asexuality is the lack of sexual preference altogether.

Each type of desire or sexual orientation holds different meanings for individuals and groups.  For example, one type of sexual preference may be acceptable in one place, but forbidden in another.  However, in any culture, individuals will differ in the nature, range, and intensity of their sexual interests and urges.

Gender refers to the cultural construction of sexual difference.  Gender encompasses all the traits that a culture assigns and inculcates in males and females.  Gender roles vary with environment, economy, adaptive strategy, and type of political system.Sex is biological and is either male or female depending on the X and Y-chromosomes.  Culture takes that biological difference and associates it with varied activities and ideas.     Gender roles are the tasks and activities that a culture assigns to each sex.  Related to gender roles are gender stereotypes – oversimplified but strongly held ideas about the characteristics of males and females.  Gender stratification describes an unequal distribution of rewards such as power, prestige and freedom between men and women, reflecting their different positions in the social hierarchy.

This section will cover:

- Homosexuality - Roles of Males - Roles of Females - Stratification