Nature vs Nurture: Above is a teacher, representing nurture, and Mother Nature, representing nature, fighting to see who has more influence over individuals. In sociology, Nature vs Nurture is the scientific discussion of the respective roles of genetics and socialization. In truth, both biology and society play an important role in determining individual behaviors and traits.
Sex: One's sex is entirely dependent upon their physical characteristics, i.e. their genitalia. It is strictly biological. Typically, sex only allows for two categories: male and female. However, not all babies born are clearly one or the other. This third sex, called interest, is often overlooked and the individuals who fall into this category are often forced into one of the two "natural" sexes.
Intersex: Intersex regards a person's chromosomes and genitalia, however I decided to represent it using an individual with the upper body of a female and the lower body of a male. Intersex individuals' sex characteristics are not exclusively male or female. It is often the case that an intersex individual appears to have exclusively male or female genitalia, but testing shows an extra or missing chromosome, such as XXY, XYY, or XO. Despite 1 in 1,000 births being intersex, most societies only officially recognize male and female as proper sexes.
Social Emergency: A social emergency is the most common response to the birth of an intersex child. That is, if the newborn's genitalia does not meet the socially acceptable standard—a clitoris larger than 0.9 cm or a penis smaller than 2.5 cm—they are operated on. Turning the infant's "unnatural" genitals into one of society's two accepted versions.
Gender: Gender is the actions and characteristics associated with femininity and masculinity as defined by the society and/or culture one lives in. Despite their feminine clothing, the children above are expressing their genders as they see fit: feminine (blue), masculine (black & pink), or undefined (blue & red). Gender is not biological. Rather it is learned through observation and mimicry and being rewarded or punished through gender role socialization. Some argue that there are as many genders in the world as there are people—meaning that each individual's gender is uniquely their own.
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