Transcript Topic #2: Gender Development

Unit Four
Gender
Bell Ringer-Missed test questions
Nature vs. Nurture Debate
Are people male/female because they are
born as one or the other OR are people
male/female because of how we are
raised?
 Essentially: can you “make” someone who
is sexually defined as a boy into a genderdefined girl by putting a dress on him,
giving him a doll to play with, and raising
him as a girl?

Sex vs. Gender
Sex-classifying people
as male/female based
on biological
characteristics
 Gender-a sense of
being male/female
based on learned
cultural values

Boys vs. Girls Traditionally

Boys
-less fragile
-treated rougher
-clothing-functional and
practical
-toys-trucks, games,
sports equipment,
soldiers, guns
-chores-outdoor, cars,
trash, mechanical
Girls
-cute, sweet, cuddly
-gently treated
-clothing-feminine and
frilly/dainty
-toys-dolls, makeup,
homemaking items
-chores-cooking, dishes,
babysitting,

Gender Socialization
Parents
-Transfer values and attitudes regarding
how boys and girls should behave
-Begins at birth
-Well established by 2 ½ yrs.
-Learn inappropriate behavior too

Gender Socialization
Schools
-Encourage different behaviors in boys/girls
-Boys taught to be more assertive
-Movement in late 1970’s/early 1980’s to
focus more on girls

Gender Socialization
Peers
-Reinforce what parents/teachers teach
-Teens who closely mirror traditional
gender roles are given greatest respect
(football player/cheerleader)
-More socially acceptable to their peers
when act in “acceptable” ways

Gender Socialization
Media
-Reflects ideas of
society
-Programming is sex
typed and often male
oriented
-Advertising embraces
traditional gender
roles

Theoretical Perspectives

Functionalism – different gender roles and
responsibilities have survived because they
benefit society
Division of labor between men and women was efficient
in early societies
 Men were strong & expendable  dangerous jobs
(hunting, protecting settlements, etc.)
 Women were physically weaker and more valuable for
reproduction  less dangerous jobs (gathering food,
weaving, etc.)

Theoretical Perspectives

Conflict Theory – traditional division of labor
prevents women from gaining political,
economic, and social resources  men maintain
power

Views traditional gender roles as outdated; physical
strength is less important in modern post-industrial
societies

Symbolic Interactionism – focuses on process of
gender socialization
Gender Inequality
Sexism – beliefs, attitudes, norms, and values
used to justify sexual inequality
 Occupational Sex Segregation – concentration
of women in lower-status positions


29% of attorneys are women; 86% of paralegals and
legal assistants are women (USBLS, 2004)

Income Inequality – U.S. women earn $.72 for
every $1 that men earn; only Japan and S.
Korea are lower among industrialized nations
Gender Inequality
Legal Inequality – women are not afforded same
legal protections as men regarding health care
and employment (FMLA)
 Political Inequality – women hold very few
positions of political power


Governors – 9, Lt. Govs. – 11, House of Reps – 61/465,
Senate – 14/100, Supreme Court – 1 (2 all time)
The Gender Puzzle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPY28
QW4T4E
Bell Ringer
Topic #2: Gender Development
From 0-3, children have no significant
concept of gender.
 After that, it becomes a more and more
significant part of the self concept that
significantly shapes behavior.


What is the root of gender – nature or
nurture?
◦ Key study: The David Reimer Case
BORN A BOY, RAISED
AS A GIRL
David Reimer: David
Reimer was born a boy
in 1965. As a result of
his circumcision gone
bad, David’s penis was
burned off. David’s
parents decided to raise
him as a girl.
THE
PREGNANT
“MAN”
Thomas Beatie was born Tracy LaGondino. As an adult, Beatie
underwent testosterone therapy and chest reconstruction surgery,
but kept the female genitalia and reproductive organs. Beatie is
about to give birth to his third child with his wife Nancy.
SHOULD THERE BE
MORE THAN MALE
AND FEMALE—A
THIRD GENDER . . .?
The hijras of South Asia:
neither man nor woman.
Most are born male, some
are born intersex
(unidentifiable genitalia).
Some see themselves as
females. Some see
themselves as feminine
males. Some see
themselves as neither male
nor female. In American
society, we would say they
are transgenders. He, she .
. . It?
Intersex

A person whose biological sex cannot be
determined as male or female by the
appearance of the genitalia
GENDER AS
CONSTRUCTION
OF SOCIETY
Some people say they are
born biologically male or
female, but are “trapped” in
that body and choose to
live as the opposite gender
and present themselves to
the world as the “other.”
Some people do not identify
themselves as either
exclusively male or female =
ambigender or
androgynous
Do we choose the gender
we present to the world?
Could society accept
“genderless” people?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwT1kp0
C3Ss
Mother Raising Genderless Baby

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/genderlessbaby-controversy-mom-defends-choicereveal-sex/story?id=13718047
Gender and Sexuality

How can gender identification disorder
further inform our concept of gender?
◦ Newspaper source: Losing him, Loving her
◦ Podcast: Snap Judgement Episode #109 Plasticity
(start 8:05)
◦ Video source:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utpam0IGYac
&feature=plcp

What do recent studies show about the
roots of sexuality and homosexuality?
◦ Video source: 60 Minutes episode
◦ Complete the film guide as we watch.
The many facets of gender

Gender as a spectrum, not an either/or:

A formula to consider:
◦ “brain”gender + biological gender (genitalia,
chromosomes, genes)+Cultural identity (dress /
appearance) +Sexual preference = Gender
identification

Are 96 possible combinations =
“transgender” term, which is non specific.
Topic #3: Gender and the Brain

How does gender impact cognition and
learning?
◦ Source: How Boys and Girls Learn
◦ Complete application activity
Ideal Body Type
What stereotypes about body image does
the media hold?
 Which of these stereotypes are present
in the pictures of “ideal body type” that
you selected?
 Do these stereotypes place any pressure
on adolescents? If so, why? If not, why
not?

Topic #3: Teen Gender

The Ophelia Effect – Mary Pipher
◦ Read article and answer questions.

Video segment
◦ Takeaway ideas:





The “fake self”
Partly an effect of lookism
Focus on being pleasing to others
Hidden aggression
Require “mind reading”
Parent tips from the book
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Parents can create homes that offer girls affection and structure (284).
Parents can help by listening to their daughters (284).
Parents should ask questions and encourage their daughters to think clearly for
themselves (284).
Parents should watch for trouble and convey to their daughters that, if it
comes, they are strong enough to deal with it. Panicky parents make things
worse (285).
Parents should not take things too personally or be too hurt by rejection from
adolescent daughters (285).
Good parents model the respect and equality that they want their daughters to
experience in the outside world (286).
Parents can help daughters be whole by modeling wholeness (286).
Parents can educate themselves about the complicated world of junior high
(287).
Parents can encourage their daughters to have friends of both sexes and to
resist sexualizing relationships in junior high (287).
Parents can downplay appearance (288).
Parents can encourage positive peer relations. One of the best things that can
happen to a girl is that she have well-adjusted friends (288).
Parents can remind girls that junior high is not all of life. They should be
involved in extracurricular activities, such as volunteerism, music, dance, art,
family, hobbies, exercise, vacations, etc. (288).
Three Women Lesson
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/less
onplans/pdf/cultureandobesity/cultureand
obesity.pdf
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2gD8
0jv5ZQ (Evolution of a model)


Did you know?
◦ Women are often known to overestimate their weight and body size?
When asked to select the image that best corresponds to their own
body type, most choose an image that is 1-2 sizes higher than their
actual body type. What does this mean? Most women perceive their
body shape to be larger than they actually are.

Another interesting fact!
◦ What women consider to be beautiful or the ideal shape is significantly
smaller than what men consider to be the ideal shape. An experiment
was done with the Body Type Scale. The result was that men leaned
towards women being in the 5-7 range, whereas the women said that
the 2-3 area is the ideal shape for a woman.
What about boys?

Around 2006, books like “Raising Cain”
identified a “boy problem”
◦ Symptoms –
 underperformance in school
 Less recess, more emphasis on sitting, reading, writing
 Associate help with weakness
 Brains are slower to mature and slower in
processing until 18
 40% are not raised with a dad
 Colleges are 60% women
Boys Continued

Recent research says this panic is
overstated
◦ Mainly Hispanic and black males
◦ More a function of race and class, not gender
◦ Not so much that boys are doing bad, but
girls are closing the gap and sometimes
exceeding boys’ performance
Male Body Shapes
•Lately, big and bulky has been pushed to the wayside,
and the swimmer's physique reigns supreme, editors of
men's magazines and websites say. The male silhouette
landing on magazine covers and action flicks is tall, lean,
agile and fit.
Ideal Male

"As women gain more financial power in
society, men are expected to bring more
to the table," Addis said. "In addition to
being financially successful, they need to
be well-groomed, in good shape,
emotionally skilled in relationships and
the emphasis on looking good is just part
of the bigger package -- the stakes have
been raised."
Adult Male Development

The early adult transition 17-22
◦ Bridge between adolescence and adulthood
◦ Leave home, both physically and psychologically with some parental guidance

Entering the adult world 23-27
◦ Individual is expected to explore relationships and career
◦ However also expected to become responsible member of society
◦ Males struggle with what to do

The age 30 transition 28-30
◦ Divorce is common
◦ Crucial to future development because of changing directions

Settling down period 33-39
◦ Making it in the adult world
◦ Have established themselves in society and found occupation
◦ Commits to work, family, leisure, friendship, community, etc.

Midlife transition 40-44
◦
◦
◦
◦
Self examination
Earlier dreams can’t be met, must make new ones
Can have moderate or severe crisis
Idea of death becomes more real
Adult Female Development

Phase I: Leaving the Family
◦ Same as males except focus is on marriage instead of
career

Phase II: Entering the adult world
◦ First marriage age is rising, women focus more on
labor force before having children
◦ Women will tend to take time off after children

Phase III: Entering the Adult World Again
◦
◦
◦
◦
Early 30s
Have to again seek occupation
Delay marriage
Delay parenting