Transcript Gender In Today’s Society

Chapter 4:
Gender In Today’s Society
The Biological Foundation of Gender
• Sex – refers to biological traits that
distinguish males and females
– Internal and external reproductive
anatomy
– Chromosomes
– Hormones
• Gender – refers to the social traits that
distinguish males and females
Aspects of Gender
• Gender role – behaviors, attitudes, beliefs and
values appropriate for males and females
• Gender Identity – how an individual adapts to
expected gender roles
• Gender presentation – how an individual
presents his or her gender identity
• Gender stereotypes – cultural beliefs about
gender roles and how they should be enacted
Primary Sex Characteristics
• An individual’s sex is determined when the
sperm and egg unite
– XX sex chromosome – female
– XY sex chromosome – male
• Cell duplication and cell division – occur
within a few hours of the formation of the
zygote
Primary Sex Characteristics
• Cell differentiation
– Zygote is divided into 8 cells
– genetically determined traits and forms
begin to develop
Figure 4.1: Sex
Differentiation
of Males and
Females
The Reproductive System
• Male
– when a Y chromosome is present, gonadal
tissue begins to form the testes
– Testes begin to produce androgens, the
masculinizing sex hormones
– Reproductive organs begin to develop
• Seminal vesicles, vas deferens, testes
• Penis and scrotum
The Reproductive System
• Female
– Y chromosome is not present, no
testosterone is produced
– Absence of testosterone produces a
female
– Female genitalia begin to appear by third
month of pregnancy
When Nature Goes Amiss
• Inter-sexed person
– Someone who is somewhere between
male and female
– Basis for this is always genetic
– May have both male and female genitalia
– Genitalia is ambiguous
When Nature Goes Amiss
• True Hermaphrodite
– Extremely rare occurrence
– May be born with both ovarian and
testicular tissue or a combination
– Female pseudo-hermaphrodite
• XX chromosomal structure
• Female internal reproductive organs
• External genitalia is masculinized
When Nature Goes Amiss
• Male pseudo-hermaphrodites
– XY chromosomal structure
– Have testes but they are not descended
– Has the appearance of being female
• Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome
– Abnormal X chromosome
– No androgens present
– Sexual anatomy is female
– When person reaches puberty, does not
menstruate
When Nature Goes Amiss
• Turner’s Syndrome
– One X chromosome is absent
– Affects female only
– Short in stature
– Estrogen replacement helps promote
development of secondary sex
characteristics
When Nature Goes Amiss
• Klinefelter’s Syndrome
– XXY chromosomal arrangement
– Reproductive organs and genitalia develop
normally
– Testes do not produce sperm
– Round body type, taller than relatives,
little or no facial hair
Gender Socialization
• Gender
– the social differences between males and
females
– Culturally determined
– Informs us of appropriate and
inappropriate behavior for males and
females
Figure
4.2: YinYang of
relations
hips
Gender Socialization
• Gender roles
– Behaviors, feelings, attributes and traits
that society expects of males and females
• Gender stereotypes
– Societal assumptions about male and
female roles, capabilities and limitations
Gender schemas
• Schema
– A mental representation or set of symbols
we hold about something
• Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BMSI)
• Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ)
– measure instrumental and expressive
schemas
– useful in examining the differences in
behaviors of men and women
Instrumental Schema
• Traits associated with masculinity
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Acting as a leader
Aggression
Ambition
Assertiveness
Competitiveness
Dominance
Possesses leadership abilities
Independence
Self-reliance
Willingness to take risks
Expressive Schema
• Tasks associated with femininity
– Affection
– Compassion
– Gentle
– Loyal
– Understanding
– Sensitive
– Sympathetic
Table 4.2: Instrumental
and expressive Schemas
Androgyny
• Something that has neither gender value
• A person that possesses traits, behaviors, or
characteristics that are associated with the
opposite gender
Types of Androgyny
• Physiological Androgyny
– Deals with physical or biological traits
• Behavioral Androgyny
– Involves the blending of masculine and
feminine traits at the same time
• Psychological Androgyny
– Involves the individual’s gender identity
Gender Identity
• Our intuitive sense of our maleness or
femaleness
• Does not refer to sexual orientation
• Focus of a person’s erotic desires or fantasies
Sexual Preference
• Heterosexual
– Erotic and amorous desires for members of
the opposite gender
• Homosexual
– Erotic and amorous desire for members of the
same gender
• Bisexual
– Attraction to both or either genders
• Asexual
– No sexual attraction to either gender
Characteristics of Gender Identity
• Membership knowledge
– Understanding that their gender belongs to one group or
another
• Gender typicality
– Degree to which people feel their gender experiences are
typical
• Gender contentedness
– Degree of contentedness with biological gender assignment
• Gender conformity
– Pressure people feel from their environment to conform
• Intergroup Bias
– The degree to which people believe their sex is superior to
another sex
Transgender
• Refers to those who feel that their assigned
biological identity is false or incomplete
• FTM – female to male – born female but see
themselves as partly to fully masculine
• MTF – male to female – born male but see
themselves as partly to fully female
• Intersexuals – may accept as natural their
mixed gender
Transgender and Transsexual
• Transgenderist – a person who lives as a
gender opposite to their biological sex
• Transsexual – a person whose sexual identity
is opposite their assignment at birth
• Gender reassignment – involves
psychological counseling, hormonal
supplements and sex reassignment surgery
The Paradigms of Socialization
• Learning Theory – traits and behaviors are
learned
• Social Learning Theory – adds the role of
observation to the learning process
• Cognitive Development Theory – gender
identity, gender stability, and gender
constancy
Figure 4.4:
Social
Cognitive
Filter
Equality Under The Law
• Sexual harassment is prohibited by the Civil
Rights Acts of 1964
• Violence against Women and Men
– Domestic violence affects both men and
women
• Women are 5 times more likely to
experience violence than men
Gender and The Media
• Children’s concepts of gender are based on
what they see and hear
• Media watch – works to change the portrayal
of women and treatment of women in
primetime television
• Gender in Advertising – messages are clearly
that women are weak and men are strong