Gender - Androgyny And The BSRI Flashcards
Who speaks about the gender schemas that become the lenses that we look through the world with?
Bem
What are the 3 beliefs that gender schemas cause in western society?
Men & women differ psychologically & sexually
Men are the dominant & superior sex
Differences between men & women are natural
What view does Bem take & what does she suggest society should take?
Interactionist view -> society should be gender depolarised through the redefinition of our gender traits & the perception of what it is to be human rather than male/female
What is psychological androgyny?
Individuals displacing both masculine & feminine behavioural & emotional traits
What is the benefit of being androgynous, suggested by Bem?
The person is more adaptable to the demands of modern life & can take opportunities open to both boys & girls
What are the differences between an androgynous & traditionally sex-typed person?
Cognitive style (an androgynous person responds irregardless of gender concepts whereas a traditionally sex-typed person responds with what they determine is appropriate for their gender in a situation
What is the BSRI, developed by Bem?
Bem Sex Role Inventory -> questionnaire consisting 20 male, female & neutral characteristics (60 total) where participants have to rate themselves on a 7 point rating scale (7 - this is me, 1 - this is never me) scores are then classified based on two dimensions (masc-fem, andro-undifferentiated)
How many male and female participants were classified as androgynous, according to the BSRI?
34% male
27% female
EVALUATION: What is a strength of the BSRI?
It is valid & reliable -> was developed asking 50 male & 50 female judges to rate 200 traits of how they were describable for men & women & traits that were highest scorers were in each category
The BSRI was piloted with 1000+ students and results broadly corresponded with the participants own description of their gender identity (validity) -> follow up study month later produced similar scores (high test-retest reliability)
EVALUATION: What are some cultural & historical issues with the BSRI?
BSRI developed 40+ years ago (behaviours regarded as typical have changed -> lacks temporal validity)
Panel of judges were all American (western notions of masc & fem not the same in all societies & cultures -> imposed etic)
EVALUATION: What is an issue with using the BSRI to measure gender identity?
Questionnaires require people to understand their own personality & behaviour (some might not)
Gender is open to interpretation
Rating scales are subjective & people’s interpretation of each of the 7 points may differ
EVALUATION: How might the BSRI oversimplify a complex concept?
Gender identity is too complex to be reduced to a simple score -> alts have been developed e.g. the personal attribute questionnaire (PAQ) -> still based on idea that gender identity can be quantified
Golombok & Fivush -> gender identity is much more global concept then suggested by these scales -> in order to understand gender identity more fully, broader issues should be considered e.g. personal interests & perception of their abilities
