Biological approach: Gender

Question 1

What are the 3 biological explanations of gender?

Answer 1

Role of sex hormones, evolutionary explanations for masculinity/femininity, roll of chromosomes

Question 2

SEX HORMONES: gender

Answer 2

Sex chromosomes initially determine a person’s sex but most gender development is a result of sex hormones. Set hormones are released at critical periods of development

Question 3

What are the two main critical periods of development?

Answer 3

Prenatally in the womb, At puberty

Question 4

What is the main male sex hormone?

Answer 4

Testosterone

Question 5

What does testosterone do?

Answer 5

this sex hormone is thought to masculinise the brain and is associated with producing masculine-typical behaviours such as better spatial awareness, competitiveness, wanting to be dominant and aggression.

Question 6

How is feminine behaviour explained

Answer 6

As a result from a lack of high levels of testosterone

Question 7

What are the two main female sex hormones?

Answer 7

Oestrogen and Oxytocin

Question 8

Oestrogen

Answer 8

this sex hormone is thought to play a role in feminising the brain and is associated with feminine typical behaviours such as sensitivity and cooperation

Question 9

Oxytocin

Answer 9

This sex hormone is released in large quantities during Labour and often childbirth. It reduces the stress hormone cortisol and so aids emotional bonding stop it is associated with feminine typical behaviours like being nurturing and loving

Question 10

EVOLUTIONARY EXPLANATIONS OF MASCULINITY/FEMININITY: gender

Answer 10

Evolutionary explanations propose gender roles/behaviour are coded in our genes because they were adaptive and so gave survival in the evolutionary past (EEA)

Question 11

What are the two explanations of masculinity and femininity?

Answer 11

Dominant male theory and division of Labour in the environment of evolutionary adaptation (EEA)

Question 12

Dominant male theory

Answer 12

The most dominant males in the evolutionary past mated most often, so the genes that contributed to that dominance survived. Male offspring developed masculine-typical traits useful in competition with other males for short term mating (eg, aggression, risk-taking)

Question 13

division of labour in the environment of evolutionary adaptation (EEA)

Answer 13

Ancestor men and women adopted different roles. eg, men were hunters and needed masculine typical traits such as aggression and spatial awareness to provide resources (eg, food) to make them more attractive to females - as a better provider means offspring are more likely to survive. Women gathered (picked fruit) and developed feminine typical traits such as being nurturing and caring as such traits help offspring to survive

Question 14

SEX CHROMOSOMES: gender

Answer 14

Each individual has 23 pairs of chromosomes. The last pair is the sex chromosome which determines the sex. Chromosomes initially determine a person’s sex but most gender development is a result of sex hormones.

Question 15

name two strengths of the biological approach is explanation of gender

Answer 15

1. There is research to support the influence of sex chromosomes on gender behaviour

David Reimer was a biological male (XY) who was raised as a girl after an accident with his penis. They found that David always felt and behaved like a boy. He changed back to being a boy when he discovered what had happened to him. this suggests that his biology had a greater influence on his gender development than his sex of rearing/his environment

2. There’s research to support the influence of sex hormones on gender behaviour

Bailey found biological females (XX) who had been exposed to high levels of testosterone prenatally, displayed masculine typical characteristics/ behaviours. eg, they were more aggressive than other girls and preferred ‘male’ toys. this suggests that the high testosterone levels caused their masculine characteristics/behaviour

Question 16

name one limitation of the biological approaches explanation of gender

Answer 16

Incomplete explanation

The biological approach can’t explain changing gender norms and roles in Western societies. There is less of a distinction between what’s considered typical behaviour for men and women than there was in the past. eg, in 2024 it is seem more normal for everyone to wear similar clothes than in 1970s when there was a strict dress code