Gender Flashcards
Sex and Gender - What is sex?
- The biological difference between males and females including chromosomes, hormones and anatomy.
Sex and Gender - What is gender?
- The psychological and cultural differences between males and females including attitudes, behaviours and social roles.
- Gender is partly environmentally determined and is due to nurture.
- Gender is a learned concept and is more fluid and open to change.
Sex and Gender - What is gender identity disorder?
- Most people, sex and gender correspond.
- Biologically prescribed sex does not reflect the way they feel inside and the gender they identify themselves as being.
- Some become transgender and undergo surgery to align sexual identity with their gender.
Sex and Gender - What are sex-role stereotypes?
- Set of shared expectations that people within a society hold about what is acceptable or usual behaviours for males and females.
- Expectations communicated through society and reinforced by individuals.
- Some have grain of truth, many don’t.
Androgyny and The BSRI - What is androgyny?
- Androgyny is when an individual displays a balance of masculine and feminine characteristics in one’s personality.
- High androgyny = good psychological well-being.
Androgyny and The BSRI - How is androgyny measured?
- In 1974, Bem created a scale presenting 20 masculine characteristics, 20 feminine characteristics and 20 neutral characteristics.
- Respondents are required to rate themselves out of 7 and calculate the mean of each column. Scores are then classified on the basis of 2 dimensions: femininity-masculinity and androgynous-undifferentiated.
Androgyny and The BSRI - Discuss evaluation points of androgyny and the bsri.
- Scale is valid and reliable as 50 men and 50 women rated characteristics and most desirable were chosen.
- High test-retest reliability after a follow up study was completed, collecting similar results.
- Some argue people with more masculine traits are better adjusted, not androgynous.
- Oversimplifies a complex concept, gender can’t be reduced to a certain score.
- Scoring system on questionnaire is subjective and it relies on an understanding of their own personality and behaviour they may not necessarily have.
Chromosomes and Hormones - Outline the role of chromosomes in sex and gender development.
- Baby’s sex is determined by the sperm that fertilises the egg cell.
- Girl = sperm carry X. Boy = sperm carry Y.
- Y carries SRY gene = causes development of testes. These produce androgens = male sex hormones, without these hormones embryo = female.
Chromosomes and Hormones - Discuss the role of testosterone in sex and gender development.
- Prenatally controls development of male sex organs (8 weeks foetal development).
- At puberty a burst of hormonal activity triggers the development of secondary sexual characteristics e.g pubic hair.
- From androgen group of hormones, produced in testes.
- Associated with aggressiveness.
Chromosomes and Hormones - Discuss the role of oestrogen in sex and gender development.
- Determines female sexual characteristics and menstruation.
- Physical changes and heightened emotionality during menstrual cycle = PMS.
Chromosomes and Hormones - Discuss the role of oxytocin in sex and gender development.
- Women = larger amounts than Men.
- Hormone stimulates lactation, make it possible to breastfeed.
- Reduces stress hormone, cortisol and facilitates bonding, referred to as ‘love hormone’.
- Released in huge quantities after giving birth.
- Men and women produce equal amounts during kissing and sexual intercourse.
Chromosomes and Hormones - Give one case study example which supports chromosomes and hormones influence on gender development.
- David Reimer
- Born ‘Bruce’, after botched circumcision, left without a penis.
- Parents took him to psychologist, John Money = trying to prove if raised as opposite sex can develop opposite gender identity.
- Money instructed Reimer’s to raise Bruce as a female = Brenda. Given stereotypical feminine upbringing.
- By puberty, suffering severe psychological problems and never adjusted as life as a female.
- When told truth, immediately went back to living as a man = David.
Chromosomes and Hormones - Discuss the evaluation points about the role of chromosomes and hormones.
- Evidence in case of David Reimer supports it.
- Tricker et al (1996) = contradictory evidence = 43 males given injection of testosterone or placebo, no difference in aggression found after 10 week period between groups.
- Overemphasis on nature = more differences within same sexes than between different. SLT importance of social norms etc.
- Oversimplifies complex concept = reductionist, ignores alternative explanations.
- Objections to PMS = claim it is a social construct, feminists pointed out dismissal of women’s emotions, medicalisation of it when it should just be normal.
