Biology versus culture in assuming the "right" body.

The issue of sex, gender and their relationship with the human body, a complex aspect of human health, has caused, throughout history, controversies and debates, with far-reaching consequences for the life of both the individual and society as a whole. The most well-known theories about this interdisciplinary subject have been: the patriarchal theory, the feminist one, the poststructuralist, and the postmodern ones. From considering them as fixed, immutable features, to a clear biological/social distinction, the debates regarding the cultural or strictly biological determinism of sex and gender develop by including gender identity in this debate, which influences the role of gender, a historical conditioning element of family, social, cultural and political life of the individual. Whether belonging to psychiatry or just culture, the topics in discussion and the specifics of the people involved have undergone changes over time, with very concrete consequences on their personal lives. The present paper brings some observations on this subject, up to the present moment, when the changes taking place are trying to avoid the stigmatization and marginalization of people with nontraditional gender identities. In conclusion, the "sex/gender/identity/gender roles" spectrum is in a continuous interdisciplinary analysis and undergoes adaptations that reflect the individual and social evolution. It remains for the future to reveal the sustainability and adequacy in time of the current concepts and to what extent they improve the individual's quality of life and protect the social balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]