Chapter 11 - Gender and Sexuality

Question 1

What is gender versus gender identity?

Answer 1

Gender describes the social and psychological aspects of being female or male; gender goes beyond biological sex to include an individual’s personal understanding of the meaning of being male or female.

Gender identity is an individual’s sense of belonging to the male, female, or an alternate gender.

Question 2

What are sex chromosomes?

Answer 2

The 23rd pair that determine genetic sex for females (XX) and males (XY)

Question 3

What are gonads?

Answer 3

– Part of the endocrine system

– Glands that produce sex hormones

– Generate ova (eggs) in females
and sperm in males. Known as the cells used in reproduction

– Female gonads are the ovaries

– Male gonads are the testes

Question 4

What does it mean to be androgynous?

Answer 4

Having attributes that are typically associated with both genders.

Question 5

What are gender roles and gender stereotypes?

Answer 5

Gender roles reflect the individual’s expectation for how a female and male should think, act, and feel.

Gender stereotypes are beliefs about what women and men are like.

Question 6

What are the typical stages of gender affirmation?

Answer 6

1) disclosing one’s identity to close individuals

2) gender-affirming hormones

3) surgery to remove secondary sex characteristics

4) gender-affirming surgery

Question 7

What is the biological approach to gender?

Answer 7

• focuses on genes, prenatal hormones and brain structures/functions contribute to gender identity.

Question 8

What is the evolutionary psychological approach to gender?

Answer 8

• gender differences can be explained by selection pressures or environmental challenges
• concerns sexual selection and reproductive challenges.
• criticized for being binary, sexist, and heterosexist.

Question 9

What is sexual selection?

Answer 9

According to Darwin’s theory of evolution, the differentiation between male and female members of a species differ from each other because of differences in competition and choice.

Question 10

What are reproductive challenges related to gender?

Answer 10

• females have limited fertility
• males are more concerned about quantity of offspring produced while females are selective about high-quality partners to invest in a family.

Question 11

How do social cognitive approaches explain gender?

Answer 11

• focus on how children learn about gender
• gender-related behaviour is learned through rewards and punishments for conforming and non-conforming behaviour, observational learning and modelling.
• children develop gender schemas

Question 12

How does social role theory explain gender?

Answer 12

• Eagly’s theory of gender development that, while acknowledging the physical differences between the sexes, argues that these differences colour social expectations and create social structures that limit opportunities for both sexes
• we internalize gender roles and stereotypes

Question 13

How prevalent are same-sex sexual behaviours?

Answer 13

Same-sex sexual behaviours are present in over 1,500 different species and found across all human cultures.

Question 14

How do homosexual experiences differ from heterosexual experiences?

Answer 14

• They experience homonegativity and internalized-homonegativity
• They could experience intersectionality
• Gender dysphoria

Question 14

Do the Genders Differ in Terms of Emotion,
Empathy, Helpfulness and Aggression?

Answer 14

– Verbal performance (female advantage)
– Visuospatial ability (male advantage)
- Males are more helpful in dangerous situations
- Overt aggression (males)
- Relational (females)

Question 14

What are the 4 stages of our sexual response?

Answer 14

1. Excitement
2. Plateau
3. Orgasm
4. Resolution/Male
   Refractory Period

Question 15

What is WEIRD research?

Answer 15

Western
Educated
Industrialized
Rich
Democratic

Question 16

What is gender dysphoria?

Answer 16

• Needs diagnosis
• Discomfort with natal gender