Gender Flashcards
Sex
Based on chromosomes; biologically male or female
Gender
The way a person identifies as a man or a woman , or with masculinity or femininity
Binary
The choice of two distinct states
Non-binary
something that cannot be defined into one of two distinct categories
Gender fluid
Not having a fixed gender
Androgyny
Displaying a balance of masculine and feminine characteristics
Transgender
Someone whose gender does not align with their sex assigned at birth
Gender dysphoria
When a person feels discomfort with their sex assigned at birth
Masculinity
Social expectations, roles, behaviours, and attributes expected of boys and men
Femininity
Social expectations, roles, behaviours, and attributes expected of girls and women
Gender bias
differential treatment of men and women based on stereotypes
Alpha bias
Theories that exaggerate differences between males and females
Beta bias
Theories that ignore or minimise differences between men and women
Gender schema
- Begin to develop at about two years old
- Shaped by culture
- Cognitive script of how men and women should behave
Gender schematic
Strong gender schema
Gender aschematic
Weak gender schema
Gender priming
- gendered information can be primed
- gender roles/stereotypes primed to embed stereotypes
- Likes and interests primed through advertising and peers
Cultural differences in gender
- gender roles vary between cultures
- Margret Mead - tribes in Papua New Guinea have different gender roles
Peer influences on gender
- Children identify their own gender by the age of 3
- At school have little interaction with peers of opposite gender
- Adolescents compare selves to peers and if they are typical for their gender
NSI and gender
Gender norms influence behaviour to fit in
ISI in gender
Gender norms guide individuals who believe they are correct
Gender non-conformity
- Peer pressure causes stress for adolescents as non-conformity can result in bullying
- Masculinity in girls is more acceptable than femininity in boys
Operant conditioning in gender
- Children are rewarded for behaving typically for their gender
- Children are discouraged from behaving atypically for their gender
Differential reinforcement
Different behaviours are reinforced/punished based on gender
More likely to be done by father
Social learning in gender
- Parents encourage gender typical behaviours by modelling
- Children imitate parent of same sex
Vicarious reinforcement in gender
- gendered behaviour is reinforced/deterred through others
- E.g. seeing boy being teased for wearing pink
Media in gender
Reflects societal norms and values of gender to the audience
Testosterone in gender
High levels of testosterone linked to aggression in both men and women
Oxytocin in gender
- Females have higher levels
- Linked to increased sociability
- Dampens fight and flight - tend and befriend
Oestrogen before/after birth
- Produced in early pregnancy
- Helps develop babies organs
- Helps placenta function
Oxytocin in gender
- Eases pain, opens the cervix, limits bleeding
- Released by skin to skin and eye contact with baby
Sexual selection in gender
- Certain behaviours are beneficial to reproductive success
- Some masculine/feminine traits beneficial for reproduction
Dominant male theory
- Males compete over females
- Characteristics that make organism more likely to reproduce passed on
Division of labour in the EEA
- Men and women took on roles most suited to survival and reproductive success
- Men - Hunters, require strength and aggression
- Women - Gatherers, safer to survive for children
