1977/12/01 by Michael G. Shively, John P. De Cecco · 4 citations
Social Sciences · Psychology · #Gender Roles and Identity Studies #LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy #Gender, Feminism, and Media
paper · doi:10.1300/j082v03n01_04
openalex publication_date 1977/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
This paper examines the four components of sexual identity: biological sex, gender identity, social sex-role, and sexual orientation. Theories about the development of each component and how they combine and conflict to form the individual's sexual identity are discussed. As defined here, social sex-role includes the individual's femininity and masculinity. Sexual orientation includes the individual's physical and affectional sexual preferences for relationships with members of the same and/or opposite biological sex. This paper may help to clarify meanings of the following terms used in research on sexual identity; sex, gender, femininity, masculinity, heterosexuality, and homosexuality.