Transcript Chapter Three Gender Development, Gender Roles, and Gender Identity Agenda  Discuss Distinction between Gender and Sex  Review Various Theoretical Explanations for Gender Differences 

Chapter Three
Gender Development, Gender Roles,
and Gender Identity
Agenda
 Discuss Distinction between Gender and Sex
 Review Various Theoretical Explanations for
Gender Differences
 Discuss Gender Roles
Gender Roles & Gender Traits
Gender Role Theory
Varieties of Gender
Gender Role Socialization
Distinction Between Gender & Sex
 Gender – refers to behavioral, psychological,
and social characteristics of men and women
 Sex – refers to the biological aspects of being
male or female
 Both nature and nurture are important in
forming gender
Case study: Dr. John Money and
Brenda/Bruce
Theoretical Explanations for
Gender Differences
From Table 3.4 in Text
Table 3-4, p. 82
Prenatal Development: X and Y Make
the Difference
 Humans reproduce sexually and are made to
be sexual beings
 Each parent supplies a gamete, each with
half of the genetic information (23
chromosomes), including a sex chromosome
Male: sperm (X or Y)
Female: egg/ovum (X)
 Sex is determined at conception
Sexual Differentiation in the Womb
 Gestation: 9 months
 4-6 weeks: gonads begin to develop and
sexual differentiation starts 1-2 weeks later
 Sex chromosomes control development of:
internal sex organs
external sex organs
the embryo’s hormonal environment
the brain’s sexual differentiation
Homologous Tissue: Male and female organs that began from the same prenatal tissue are called
homologous.
Development of the male and female external genitalia from the undifferentiated genital tubercle.
Hormonal Development and Influences
 Ovaries produce:
Estrogen: female sexual characteristics
Progesterone: menstrual cycle and
pregnancy
 Testes produce:
Androgens: development of male-typical
characteristics
Sex Chromosome Disorders
 Over 70 sex chromosome abnormalities
 Extra or missing sex chromosomes
 3 most common:
Klinefelter’s syndrome
Turner’s syndrome
XYY/XXX
Klinefelter’s Syndrome
 XXY – egg contained an extra X
 1/700 live male births
 Develops male genitalia, but not fully
 Tall, feminized body
 Low testosterone levels; low in sexual desires
 Gynecomastia
 Infertile
 Testosterone therapy
XYY Syndrome / Triple X Syndrome
 XYY or XXX – sperm contains an extra sex
chromosome, or egg has an extra X
 May be normal male (XYY) or normal female
(XXX)
 May have slight mental retardation and/or
fertility problems
Hormonal Irregularities
 Hermaphrodite – born with fully developed
testes and ovaries; extremely rare
 Pseudohermaphrodite – external genitals
appear on some level similar to both sexes
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)
Androgen-Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS)
Gender Roles
Gender Roles & Gender Traits
Gender Role Theory
Varieties of Gender
Gender Role Socialization
Gender Roles and Gender Traits
 Gender stereotypes greatly influence our
thoughts and interactions
 Gender roles – culturally defined behaviors,
attitudes, emotions, traits, mannerisms,
appearances, and occupations that are
appropriate for females and males
 Gender traits – biologically determined
differences between males and females
Class Exercise:
Discuss Gender Stereotypes
 How are stereotypes generally supported? How are
they challenged? How has our culture responded to
efforts to change gender role stereotypes?
 What messages did you learn in your family about
gender?
How does gender role socialization occur before a
child is born?
How are gender roles reinforced by your partner?
 How does the use of language influence gender
stereotypes?
 How does the media support gender stereotypes?
Does it present challenges?
Gender Stereotypes
 What stereotypes does this cartoon reinforce?
Gender Stereotypes
 What stereotypes does this cartoon reinforce?
Gender Stereotypes
 What stereotypes does this cartoon reinforce?
Masculinity and Femininity
 Ideal cluster of traits that society attributes to
each gender
 Changes with society, and varies from culture
to culture
Less gender role stereotyping in African
Americans and Northern U.S.
Gender Role Theory
 A variety of theorists and positions
Evolutionary biology: gender differences
are due to adapting to our environment
Social learning: learn gender roles from
society, our environment
Cognitive development: universal stages
for understanding and utilizing gender
Gender Role Theory
Gender schema: cognitive structures
organize “gender,” influenced by culture
Gender hierarchy: men are the standard
and their traits are valued more by society
Chodorow’s developmental:
psychoanalytic background; boys separate
from mom by devaluing females; girls can
love mom as a heterosexual and idealize
father’s qualities
Gender Role Theory
Ortner’s culture/nature: masculinity is
associated with culture, femininity with
nature; culture encompasses nature
MacKinnon’s dominance: men use gender
to dominate; it is not a biological or social
issue
Varieties of Gender
 Sex typing – thought processes that split the
world into female and male categories
 Greatly influences our thoughts and
behaviors
 Masculinity and femininity are independent
traits
Masculinity: The Hunter
 Rights of passage in many societies
 Contradictions in the male role:
Provide, but don’t solely focus on career
Be sexually successful, but not degrading
to women
Be strong and stable, but be emotionally
available
Do not be dependent on a woman
 Men have a less flexible role than women
Femininity: The Nurturer
 Typically viewed as the opposite of
masculinity
 Characterized by beauty, empathy, concern,
softness, modesty
 Contradictions in the female role:
Job fulfillment, but stay at home with kids
Not just for looks, but use makeup/be thin
Opportunities are available, on men’s
terms
Androgyny: Feminine and Masculine
 Rate high in femininity and masculinity
 Flexibility in behaviors
 This concept may be reinforcing gender roles
Transgenderism: Living as the Other
Sex
 10-15% of the population
 Live the other gender’s role, full/part-time
 Happy as their biological sex, but
psychosocially pleasured dressing as the
other sex
 Relaxing and peaceful to cross-dress
Billy Tipton
Billy Tipton was a well-known jazz musician who was discovered to be a female when he died in 1989.
Transsexualism: When Gender and
Biology Don’t Agree
 Feel their gender identity does not match
their biological sex (Gender Dysphoria)
 “Trapped” in the wrong body
 More males than females experience this
 Sex reassignment surgery involves a long
process: psychological counseling, live as the
other sex, hormones, multiple surgeries
M2F: realistic results, orgasm
F2M: experimental stages
Third Genders: Other Cultures, Other
Options
 Some cultures have a third gender category
Native American berdache
Oman xanˉ ýth
Indian hijra
Thai kathoey
Hawaiian aikane
Tahitian mahu
Asexualism: The Genetics but Not the
Sex
 Born without any sexual organs (no biological
gender)
 Has a genetic gender (XX or XY)
 Typically assigned gender as a child and
given hormones
Gender Role Socialization
Across the Lifespan
Childhood
Adolescence
Adulthood
Senior Years
Childhood: Learning by Playing
 Children are greatly defined by their gender
Name, clothing, decorations, toys
Treatment by parents, teachers, others
Model behavior of same gender individuals
Rewarded for stereotypical behavior,
punished for nonstereotypical behavior
(especially boys)
Homosocial play beginning 2½ to 3 years
old
Adolescence: Practice Being Female
or Male
 Trying roles to determine what it is to be a
man or woman
 Difficult time for transgendered, homosexual,
bisexual youth
Adulthood: Careers and Families
 “Breadwinner” is a prized part of being male
 Women pursue careers out of desire and
necessity, yet hold primary responsibility for
home life – more than men with the same
occupation
Women and Family Life
 Primary satisfaction/identity should be as wife
and mother
 Modern thought also insists on a career
outside of the home
 Often feel guilt for not adequately meeting
both demands
Men and Family Life
 Fathers spend less time with their infants than
mothers
 Stay-at-home dads are becoming more
common, but social pressure suggests they
should be in the work force and labels them
as “unemployed”
The Senior Years
 Female with typical wife/mother role may
experience “empty nest syndrome”
 Adjustment required at retirement if a large
part of identity was related to work
 More relaxed gender roles