Gender: Atypical gender development Flashcards
Atypical gender development: gender dysphoria; biological and social explanations for gender dysphoria.
1
Q
What is gender dysphoria?
A
When a person experiences discomfort or distress because there is a mismatch between their sex assigned at birth and their gender identity.
2
Q
What are the 2 biological explanations for gender dysphoria?
A
- Brain sex theory
- Genetic factors
3
Q
Explain the brain sex theory as a biological explanation for gender dysphoria:
A
- Suggests that gender dysphoria has a basis in brain structure- in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST).
- The BST is involved in emotional responses and male sexual behaviour in rats.
- The area is larger in men than women and has found to be female-sized in transgender females.
- This suggests that people with gender dysphoria have a BST which is the size of the gender they identify with, not the size of their biological sex.
- This dimorphism in the BST fits with the report made by transgender people that they feel from early childhood that the were born in the wrong sex.
4
Q
Explain genetic factors as a biological explanation for gender dysphoria:
A
- Coolidge assessed 157 twin pairs for evidence of gender dysphoria.
- Found that 62% of the variance could be accounted for by genetic factors. This suggests that there is a strong heritable component to gender dysphoria.
5
Q
What are the 3 evaluation points for the biological explanation of gender dysphoria?
A
1) Other brain differences (S)
2) Relief (S)
3) Contradictory evidence (L)
6
Q
Explain contradictory evidence (L) as an evaluation point for the biological explanation of gender dysphoria:
A
- A limitation is that its central claims have been challenged.
- Hulshoff studied changes in transgender individuals brains during hormone treatment via MRI scans. The scans showed that the size of the BST changed significantly over that period.
- Similarly, the BST was also studied post-mortem and after (other) transgender individuals had received hormone treatment during gender reassignment surgery. The results showed the BST was larger after receiving hormone therapy compared to the control.
- This suggests that differences in the BST may have been an effect of hormone therapy, rather than the cause of gender dysphoria.
7
Q
Explain relief (S) as an evaluation point for the biological explanation of gender dysphoria:
A
- A strength of the biological explanation is that knowing there is a biological basis to their gender dysphoria may be a relief.
- Classifying GD as a medical disorder requiring treatment removes responsibility from the person.
- As a consequence they may be less likely to assume that the way they feel is their fault and that their internal conflict is a sign of weakness or a flaw.
- However classifying GD as a mental disorder in the DSM-5 risks stigmatising those affected with harmful labels of being ‘sick’ or ‘ill’.
- Suggests that research into GD may ultimately shape how society views the label, and consequently how those who have the label are viewed. This means that researchers and clinicians should avoid to reinforce damaging stereotypes where possible.
8
Q
Explain other brain differences (S) as an evaluation point for the biological explanation of gender dysphoria:
A
- A strength is that evidence suggests that there may be other brain differences associated with gender dysphoria.
- Rametti studied another sexually dimorphic aspect of the brain- that of white matter. Found that there are regional differences in the proportion of white matter in males and female brains.
- Rametti also analysed the brains of both male and female transgender individuals, crucially BEFORE they began hormone treatment to aid in their gender reassignment.
- In most cases the amount and distribution of white matter corresponded more closely to the gender the individuals identified with rather than their biological sex.
- Suggests that there are early differences in the brains of transgender individuals.
9
Q
What are the two social explanations for gender dysphoria?
A
- Social constructionism
- Psychoanalytic theory
10
Q
Explain social constructionism as a social explanation of gender development:
A
- Argues that gender identity does not reflect underlying biological differences between people and instead these concepts are invented by societies.
- For individuals that experience GD, the gender confusion arises because society forces people to be either a man or a woman- they must pick a side and act accordingly.
- From this perspective GD is not a pathological condition but a social phenomenon which arises when people are required to choose one of two particular paths.
-McClintock analysed individuals in Sambia with a medical condition that causes biological males to be classified as females as they have a labia and clitoris. During puberty the large increase in testosterone causes the testes to descend ans the clitoris to enlarge into a penis. - This genetic variation is common in Sambia and it was routinely accepted that there are males, females and females-then-males.
11
Q
Explain the psychoanalytic theory as a social explanation of gender development:
A
- Ovesey and Person emphasise social relationships within the family as the cause of gender dysphoria.
- They argue that gender dysphoria in biological males is caused by experiencing extreme separation anxiety before gender identity has been established. They boy fantasises a reunion with his mother to relieve the anxiety, and the danger of separation is removed.
- As a consequence of this the boy becomes the mother and adopts the mother’s gender identity.
12
Q
What are the three evaluation points for the social explanation of gender dysphoria?
A
1) Social constructionism (S)
2) Psychoanalytic theory (L)
3) Different outcomes (L)
13
Q
Explain social constructionism (s) as an evaluation point for the social explanation of gender dysphoria:
A
- A strength is that not all cultures have two genders.
- Some cultures, such as those in Samoa, recognise more than two genders. This challenges traditional binary classifications of male and female.
- The recent increase in individuals identifying as non-binary suggests that cultural understanding is only now beginning to ‘catch-up’ with the lived experience of many.
- This suggests that gender identity and gender dysphoria is best seen as a social construction rather than a biological fact.
14
Q
Explain psychoanalytic theory (L) as an evaluation point for the social explanation of gender dysphoria:
A
- A limitation is that there are issues with the psychoanalytic theory of gender dysphoria.
- Ovesey and Person’s explanation does not provide an adequate account of gender dysphoria in biological females as the theory only applies to transgender women.
- Rekers found that gender dysphoria in those assigned male at birth is more likely to be associated with the absence of the father than the fear of separation from the mother.
- This suggests that the psychoanalytic theory does not provide a comprehensive account for gender dysphoria.
15
Q
Explain different outcomes (L) as an evaluation point for the social explanation of gender dysphoria:
A
- Gender dysphoria is inconsistent in those that experience it in terms of their future.
- Some individuals with GD decide to undego gender reassignment surgery. Such treatment is available on the NHS or through private healthcare.
- With approporate support those individuals are able to reconcile their external appearance with the gender they have always identified as.
- However a large proportion of individuals with GD in childhood do not as adults.
- Drummond found that in a sample of 25 females with GD during their childhood, only 3 of them still had GD at the age of 24. This tends to represent a proportion of people nationally that experience dysphoric feelings during childhood that disappear in adulthood.
- Suggests that gender reassignment surgery before the age of consent must be significantly well managed. It should still be an option for extreme GD cases where medical intervention is the only way to prevent extreme outcomes e.g. suicide.
