Gender - nature explanation

Question 1

biological approach to gender beliefs

Answer 1

sex and gender are the same. ‘anatomy is destiny’

Question 2

female chromosomes

Answer 2

XX

Question 3

male chromosomes

Answer 3

XY

Question 4

male development

Answer 4

Y chromosome carries the SRY gene. produces TDF protein which causes testes to grow and become male. testes produce androgens and causes male genitalia to grow. testosterone alters brain organisation to ‘male pattern’ e.g. in hypothalamus

Question 5

female development

Answer 5

no SRY gene so no high levels of androgens -> development of Mullerian system and being female

Question 6

most known androgen

Answer 6

testosterone

Question 7

which sex produces more oxytocin

Answer 7

female

Question 8

puberty’s effect on hormones

Answer 8

after around 10 yrs, hypothalamus releases 2nd round of hormones -> affects anterior pituitary gland and causes gonads to become active and causes dev. of secondary sexual characteristics

Question 9

Batista family case study (1974, Dominican Republic)

Answer 9

10 children w very small male genitals
- raised as girls despite XY chromosomes
- puberty = regular sized male genitals
- relatively easy adaptation to new gender
- supports that gender is due to nature

Question 10

role of testosterone

Answer 10

• produced more in men
• controls dev. of male sex organs and secondary sexual characteristics
• linked to aggression

Question 11

role of oestrogen

Answer 11

• dev. of female secondary sexual characteristics
• linked to heightened emotionality and irritability during menstrual circle

Question 12

role of oxytocin

Answer 12

• facilitates mother-baby bonding
• related to orgasm and fast wound healing
• promotes feelings of bonding in both men and women
• reduces cortisol and dampens fight or flight response

Question 13

Young et al (1964)

Answer 13

female monkeys injected with male hormones during pre-natal development = more rough and tumble play in comparison to female counterparts

Question 14

Vandenbergh (2003)

Answer 14

rat foetuses line up like peas in a pod. females next to males = exposed to more testosterone than their sisters and showed more masculine behaviour

Question 15

Erhardt and Money (1967)

Answer 15

gave women carrying girls male hormones = girls showing more tomboyish behaviour. carrying boys female hormones = less rough and tumble play. higher than usual ‘cross-gender behaviour’

Question 16

SDN

Answer 16

sexually dimorphic nucleus -> different in brain between sexes (larger in males). transgender SDN same as gender rather than sex

Question 17

David Reimer (John Money case study)

Answer 17

Bruce raised as Brenda due to castration at young age, never felt comfortable as girl. told assigned sex around 13 yrs old. living as male again almost straight away.

Question 18

strengths of nature explanation of gender

Answer 18

+ Reimer case study shows nature outweighed nurture
+ Van Goozen (1995). transgender women taking oestrogen = decrease in aggression and visuo-spatial skills. men showed opposite
+ Gorski found structural diff. in brains of male/female rats. SDN. prenatal exposure to androgens = larger SDN? account for behavioural differences?

Question 19

limitations of nature explanation of gender

Answer 19

• case studies and animal studies lack generalisability
• reductionist
• if gender was purely down to biology, we would expect to see a lot more differences between gender than we do
• contradictory evidence. 43 males given injection of testosterone vs placebo. no difference in behaviour so testosterone doesn’t play role in behaviour