Gender - Introduction to Sex and Gender

Question 1

What are the key features of sex and gender?

Answer 1

• sex is a biological status (innate)
• gender is a psychosocial status (nurture)
• GID is where sex and gender do not correspond

Question 2

Why is sex a biological status?

Answer 2

Someone’s sex is biologically determined by their genetic make-up, namely their chromosomes.

Chromosomes influence hormonal and anatomical differences that distinguish males and females (e.g. reproductive organs, body shape and hair growth).

Question 3

Why is gender a psychosocial status?

Answer 3

Gender, described as masculine and feminine, reflects all the attitudes, behaviours and roles we associate with being male or female.

Whilst biological sex cannot change despite sex-change surgery, gender is more fluid and an individual can also become more masculine or feminine.

Question 4

What is gender identity disorder?

Answer 4

For most people their biological sex and gender identity correspond.

However, some people experience gender identity disorder, when their biological sex does not reflect the way they feel inside and the gender they identify themselves as being.

Gender reassignment surgery allows people to bring their sexual identity with their gender identity.

Question 5

What are the key features of sex-role stereotypes?

Answer 5

• sex-role stereotypes are social expectations
• sex-role stereotypes may or may not be valid
• research confirms sex-role stereotypes in the media

Question 6

What are sex-role stereotypes?

Answer 6

Sex-role stereotypes are shared by a culture or group and consist of expectations regarding how males and females should behave.

These expectations are transmitted through a society and reinforced by members of it (e.g. parents, peers, etc.).

Question 7

Why may or may not sex-role stereotypes be valid?

Answer 7

Some expectations have some basis in reality.

For example, in many cases it might be the male in a heterosexual couple who is responsible for DIY whilst the female buys and sends the birthday cards from both of them.

However, there is no biological reason for this to be the case. Many sex-role stereotypes are incorrect assumptions and can lead to sexist and damaging attitudes.

For example, the stereotype that women are too emotional to cope with high-powered jobs.

Question 8

What research confirms sex-role stereotypes in the media?

Answer 8

A study of TV adverts (Furnham and Farragher 2000) found that men were more likely to be shown in autonomous roles within professional contexts, whereas women were often seen occupying familial roles within domestic settings.

This along with other studies demonstrates both the existence of sex-role stereotypes and the role the media has in reinforcing them.

Question 9

How can you define androgyny?

Answer 9

• androgyny is a balance of masculine and feminine characteristics
• androgyny is a positive attribute

Question 10

What is androgyny?

Answer 10

Everyday understanding of the term androgyny relates to appearance as being neither female nor male.

Psychologically it refers to the presence of a balance of masculine and feminine traits, behaviours and attitudes.

Question 11

Why is androgyny a positive attribute?

Answer 11

Bem (1974) suggested that high androgyny is associated with psychological wellbeing.

Individuals who have a balance of masculine and feminine traits are better equipped to adapt to a range of situations.

Androgyny needs to be distinguished from over-representation of opposite-sex characteristics.

For example, a female who is very masculine or a male who is very feminine would not exhibit the necessary balance of male and female traits and may not be androgynous.

Question 12

How can you measure androgyny?

Answer 12

The Bem Sex-Role Inventory

• items in the BSRI are masculine, feminine or neutral
• BSRI has 60 questions and a 7-point scale
• masculine and feminine categorisation
• androgynous and undifferentiated categorisation

Question 13

What kind of items are on the BSRI?

Answer 13

Masculine items include dominant, competitive and athletic.

Female items include gentle, affectionate and sympathetic.

Neutral items are characteristics which do not apply more specifically to one sex than another, including sincere, friendly and unpredictable.

Question 14

How is the BSRI scored?

Answer 14

BSRI has 20 feminine, 20 masculine and 20 neutral trait items.

Participants used a 7-point rating scale to rate each trait (1 is ‘never true of me’ and 7 is ‘always true of me’).

Question 15

What categorisations can be made form the BSRI?

Answer 15

In total there are four categorisations that can be made:

1. A masculine categorisation results from a high score on masculine items and low score on feminine items.
2. A feminine categorisation results from a high feminine score and a low masculine score.
3. An androgynous categorisation results from a high score on both masculine and feminine scales.
4. An unclassified categorisation results from a low score on both the masculine and feminine scales.

Question 16

What are the strengths of defining androgyny and the BSRI?

Answer 16

• the BSRI has been found to be both reliable and valid

Question 17

What are the weaknesses of defining androgyny and the BSRI?

Answer 17

• links between well-being and androgyny are challenged
• gender identity cannot be reduced to a single score
• the BSRI lacks temporal and cultural validity
• questionnaires are subjective and biased

Question 18

How has the BSRI been found to be both reliable and valid?

Answer 18

Development of the scale involved 50 males and 50 females judging 200 traits in terms of gender desirability. The top 20 in each case were used. Piloting it on over 1000 students confirmed that BSRI reflected their gender identity (validity).

Furthermore, a follow-up study involving a smaller sample of the same students revealed similar scores when the students were tested a month later, suggesting high test-retest reliability.

Together this evidence suggests that the BSRI has a degree of both validity and test-retest reliability.

Question 19

How are links between well-being and androgyny being challenged?

Answer 19

Bem emphasised that androgynous individuls are more psychologically healthy because they are more able to deal with scenarios that demand a masculine, feminine or androgynous response.

Some researchers (e.g. Adams and Sherer 1985) have argued that people who display a greater proportion of masculine traits are better adjusted as these are more highly valued in Western society.

This suggests that Bem’s assumption did not take adequate account of the social and cultural context in which it was developed.

Question 20

Why can gender identity not be reduced to a single score?

Answer 20

An alternative is the Personal Attribute Questionnaire which additionally measures instrumentality and expressionism, but the scale still suggests that gender identity can be quantified.

Golombuk and Fivush (1994) suggest that gender identity is a more global concept and to understand it fully we must also consider the person’s interests and perception of their own abilities.

This suggests that the BSRI is overly simple, but it also may just be difficult to measure gender identity.

Question 21

How does the BSRI lack temporal and cultural validity?

Answer 21

Since the BSRI was developed over 40 years ago, expectations have changed with regard to gender and behaviour.

There is also concern that the original judges who expressed their ideas about masculinity and femininity were all from the US.

This means that both the temporal validity and the cultural validity of the BSRI are questioned.

Question 22

How are questionnaires subjective and biased?

Answer 22

A questionnaire assumes a degree of self-understanding that people may not have. Their answers may be determined by, for example, response bias (a patterns of responding).

Answers may also be influenced by social desirability bias where raters choose the answer which they think shows them in a favourable way.

The validity of the BSRI as a measure of androgyny is questioned because of the subjectivity and bias that arise from the use of such questionnaires.