Gender Key Terms Flashcards
Sex
The biological difference between males and females including chromosomes, hormones and an anatomy.
Gender
The psychological, social, and cultural differences between boys/men and girls/women including attitudes, behaviours and social roles.
Sex-role stereotypes
A set of beliefs and preconceived ideas about what is expected or appropriate for men and women in a given society or social group.
Androgyny
Displaying a balance of masculine and feminine characteristics in ones personality.
Bem Sex Role Inventory
The first systematic attempt to measure androgyny using a rating scale of 60 traits to produce scores across two dimensions : masculinity, femininity androgyny and undifferentiated.
Chromosomes
Found in the nucleus of living cells and and carrying information in the form of genes. The 23rd pair of chromosomes determine biological sex.
Hormone
A biochemical substance that circulates in the blood but only affects target audiences. They are produced in large quantities but disappear quickly. Their effects are very powerful.
Testosterone
A hormone from the androgen group that is produced mainly in the male testes. Associated with aggression.
Oestrogen
The primary female hormone, playing an important role in the menstrual cycle and reproductive system.
Oxytocin
A hormone which causes contraction of the uterus during labour and stimulates lactation.
Atypical sex chromosome patterns
Any sex chromosome pattern that deviates from the the usual XX or XY formation which tends to be associated with a distinct pattern of psychological and physical symptoms.
Klinefelter’s syndrome
A syndrome affecting males in which an individuals genotype has an extra X chromosome. characterised by tall tis physique, small infertile testes and enlarged breasts.
Turner’s syndrome
A chromosomal disorder in which the effected women will only have one X chromosome (denoted XO), causing developmental abnormalities and infertility.
Gender identity
A chid recognises that they are a boy or a girl and possesses the ability to label each other as such. In Kohlberg’s theory, gender identity is acquired around age 2.
Gender stability
Happens around age 4. A child understands that their own gender is fixed and they will be a man/woman when thy are older.
Gender constancy
Usually reached by age 6 or 7. A chid realises their gender will remain the same over time and different situations. They begin to identify with people of their own gender an start to behave in stereotypically gender-appropriate ways.
Gender schema
An organised set of beliefs and expectations related to gender that are derived from experience. Such schema guide a person’s understanding of their own gender and stereotypically gender-appropriate behaviour in general.
Oedipus complex
Freud’s explanation of how a boy resolves his love for his mother and rivalry with his father by identifying with his father.
Electra complex
A term proposed by the Neo-Freudian Carl Jung which refers to a process similar to the Oedipus complex. In girls, attraction to their father and envy of their mother is resolved through identification with the mother.
Identification
A desire to be associated with a particular person o group often because the person/group possesses a certain desirable characteristic.
Internalisation
An individual adopts the attitudes and/or behaviour of another.
Social learning theory
A way to explain behaviour which includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors.
Culture
The ideas, customs and social behaviour of a particular group of people or society.
Media
Communication though channels, such as TV, film and books. Through which news, entertainment education and data are made available.
Gender roles
A set of behaviours an attitudes that are considered typical to one gender and atypical of the other.
Gender dysphoria
Used to describe when a person experiences discomfort or distress excuse there is a mismatch between their sex assigned at birth and their gender identity. This is also the clinical diagnosis for someone who doesn’t feel comfortable with the sex hey were assigned at birth.
