Atypical gender development

Question 1

Gender dysphoria

Answer 1

Characterised by strong persistent feelings of identification with opposite gender and discomfort with one’s own assigned sex.

Question 2

Biological explanations

Answer 2

It is plausible that gender dysphoria may be subject to some biological influences

Question 3

What are the two biological explanations

Answer 3

1. Brain sex theory
2. Genetic factors

Question 4

Brain Sex Theory

Answer 4

• In bed nucleus of the stria terminals (BST)
• Area has been found to be larger in men than women
• People with gender dysphoria have a BST, which is the size of the sex they wish to identify with, not bio sex size

Question 5

Brain Sex Theory (Zhou)

Answer 5

Reported that transgender people felt from an early age that they were born into the wrong sex and this dismorphism helps explain that

Question 6

Genetic factors- Coolidge research

Answer 6

• Assessed 157 twin pairs (96 MZ and 61 DZ) for evidence of gender dysphoria
• 62% of the variance could be accounted for by genetic factors
• Strong genetic component

Question 7

Atypical gender development (Biological) Evaluation points- Contradictory evidence

Answer 7

LIMITATION

BST differences may be effect of hormone therapy not cause of gender dysphoria, other research was after hormone therapy

Question 8

Atypical gender development (Biological) Evaluation points- Other brain differences

Answer 8

STRENGTH

Amount of white matter in childhood in gender dysphoria individuals corresponded to sex they identified as (Rametti)

Question 9

What are the two social explanations

Answer 9

1. Social constructionism
2. Psychoanalytic theory

Question 10

Social constructionism

Answer 10

Gender identity ‘invented’ by societies, gender confusion because forced to select a gender, social not pathological

Question 11

Psychoanalytic theory

Answer 11

Male gender dysphoria due to extreme separation anxiety, symbiotic fusion and desire to be his mother (Oversey and Peterson)

Question 12

Aytypical gender development (Social) evaluation points- Social constructionism

Answer 12

STRENGTH

Cultures recognise more than two genders.
e.g. Fa’afafine and current non-binary gender in our culture

Question 13

Aytypical gender development (Social) evaluation points- Psychoanalytic theory

Answer 13

LIMITATION

Gender dysphoria in those assigned male at birth more likely associated with absence of father than fear of separation from mother
(Rekers)