Gender and sexuality: Differences in sexual behavior based on gender typology according to S. Bem

Our concern in this work was a shared field of study between gender and sexuality in the search of underlying variables of sexual behavior. Basically our scope was to gather data to empirically support one of the theoretical approaches of sex differences in sexual behavior - essentialism, explaining behavior on the basis of biological sex or evolution; or social constructionism applying variables like gender or masculinity and feminity. For this purpose, 602 participants (166 men, 436 women), aged 18-45 yr., filled out the Bem Sex Role Inventory, and the Inventory of Sexual Behavior. Results in general support the social constructionism approaches, as in the most types of sexual behavior we found differences between gender groups, but not between the sexes. However, explanations provided by theories of essentialism should not be discarded, as there were also differences between sexes in few specific areas of human sexuality, namely masturbation, and overall sexual activity. Key words: gender, sexuality, masculinity, feminity, sexual behavior, sex difference