Sex and gender are often separated because they refer to distinct aspects of a person’s identity. gender is a social construct that can vary across cultures and can change over time. By separating the two concepts, it is possible to understand and address the ways in which gender and sex intersect and how they impact an individual’s experiences and opportunities. As we discussed in class today, gender is the question that is constantly asked when we need to fill out forms or join up for something. This reminds me of all the data analysis we did at City Tech for student enrollment, graduation, and retention, or surveys we hand out to gather data. We always included the variable of gender in our analyses. I thought it was interesting that the most recent Enrollment Dashboard, which we just updated for Spring 2022, had five demographic factors under the gender category: Men, Women, Non-binary Persons, Gender Nonconforming Persons, and Unspecified. We only have the gender categories of Men and Women when we get the data from the CUNY IRDB database prior to Spring 2022. This shift towards a more inclusive understanding of gender has led to an increase in the number of variables for gender in data analysis, allowing for a more nuanced and accurate representation of gender identities. And I believe it’s important for ensuring that data analysis is inclusive and respectful of all gender identities, and for providing a more complete picture of the experiences and perspectives of individuals who identify outside of the male/female binary.

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