Androgyny Flashcards
What is the assumption of gender?
Masculinity and femininity are opposite points on a single dimension where an extremely masculine man would be place at one end and an extremely feminine woman at the other end
What is androgyny?
A person can show both masculine and feminine traits
What does Sandra Bem challenge?
The traditional idea that there are only 2 gender identities by adding androgynous
What did Bem believe?
There are costs involved in the maintenance of gender role stereotypes, they include limiting opportunities for boys and girls
What did Bem suggest?
It was best to be androgynous as one could be more adaptable to the demands of modern life and take the opportunities that are open to both boys and girls
What did Bem design?
The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) to measure androgyny, it consists of 60 items rated on a seven point scale
What are the 60 items?
- 20 to stereotypically masculine
- 20 to stereotypically feminine
- 20 gender neutral filler items
What four categories of a person were found when the test was revised?
- Masculine: high masculine, low femininity
- Feminine: high femininity, low masculinity
- Androgynous: high masculinity, high femininity
- Undifferentiated: low masculinity, low femininity
What did Bem do?
Used the BSRI to measure androgyny, finding 34% of males and 27% of females were androgynous
What do Bem’s findings suggest?
A sizeable minority of people are predominantly androgynous rather than masculine or feminine, this supports the idea that there are more than just the traditional gender identities
What did Flaherty and Dusek find?
Androgynous individuals have a higher self esteem, a better sense of well-being and more adaptable behaviour
What did Taylor and Hall suggest?
That masculinity, in males and females, is a better predictor of psychological well-being than androgyny
What are 3 evaluation points?
- Negative behaviour may override any positive benefits
- Masculine traits are better
- Still stereotypes
