Gender Roles Midterm #1 Flashcards
Gender
People’s masculinity/femininity, not physical identity or biological sex.
Sex
Biological sex/physical identity
Gender Roles
Social functions of people, as society deems appropriate for males or females.
Social views, norms, cultural stereotypes, expectations, activities, sports
How many genders?
Male, Female, Transgendered, “Third gender”
How many sexes?
Male, Female, Intersexed
How many sexual orientations?
Straight, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Queer…
“Transgender”
Transexual Transvestite/cross-dresser Genderqueer Androgyn Bigender
“Third gender”
- Berdache or “two-spirited”
- Hijra/Aruvani of India (not a man, not a woman)
- Mahu (Hawaii)
Unclear gender in professional athletes?
Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce) Caster Semenya Erick Schinegger (formerly Erika) Dr. Renee Richards (formerly Richard Raskind)
History of Studying Sex Differences
Structuralism (1879-1900ish) Functionalism (1900-1920) Behaviourism (1920- Psychoanalysis (1920ish) Cognitive Revolution (1950's) Women's Movement (1960's) Men's Movement (1970's)
Structuralism
- structure of the conscious mind
- ignored individual differences
- excluded women in early research
Functionalism
- how the mind functions
- individual differences
- wider variety of subjects
- Findings supported prevailing cultural roles
Behaviourism
- observable behaviour (learning and memory)
- interest in sex difference decreased (“womanless psychology”)
Psychoanalysis
- Sigmund Freud (penis envy/castration anxiety, development stages)
- Gendered implications
Cognitive “Revolution”
- Cognitive development theory
- Gender constancy
Two competing views
Minimalist = few important differences Maximalist = Large fundamental differences
Essentialist view (evolutionary psychology)
- Gender differences are biologically based
- Resistant to change
- Males predominate the theory
Biosocial view
- Flexibility in gender-linked differences
- Associated with social constructionism
- Females subscribe frequently
Women’s Movement (2nd wave feminism)
- 60’s & 70’s
- Change in how women were viewed
- Motivated by civil rights movement, anti war protests
- Equal pay for equal work, control of reproductive rights, better childcare
Feminist Movement
- Resisted biological essentialism (sex or gender?)
- Challenged the absence of women in psychological research
- Led to an awareness of gender issues
“Types” of Feminists
- Liberal feminists (extend women’s rights)
- Radical feminists (focused on the oppression of women)
- Cultural feminists (advocate an acceptance of traditionally feminine values)
Men’s Movement
- Goal: study gender roles and inhibitions of traditional masculinity as well as evoking men’s full potential .
- Changes in women’s roles resulted in men examining their roles: burdened, pro-feminist, objected to dissolution of traditional roles
Diversity
Sexism rather than racism (women psychologists)
Why study gender?
- part of who we are
- shapes our lives, expectations, opportunities
- professional understanding
- one of very few factors that exist in every society
- progress and measure it over time
Pop Psychology
- self-help books
- talk shows
- popular magazines
- advice columnists
How science developed
- Science replaced religion in inquiry
- Empirical observation (gathers evidence)
- Free of bias
Quantitative research
- Turning observation into numbers
- scientific method used
- Replicable and data systematic
- Problem: fails to capture aspects of situations by turning observations, feelings, etc. into numbers
- Includes descriptive (what?) and experimental (why?) research
Qualitative research
- Focusing on the situation
- Not “true” science”
- Understanding complexity of situation
- Interview/focus groups
- Use “responses” to generate themes
Experimental research
- “cause” and “effect”
- explanations rather than descriptions
- Most experiments take place in laboratories as opposed to natural settings
Experimental design
Logic: IV/DV
Key assumption: we can hold all other variables constant
Problems with Experiments
- variables need to be specified, measurable, and specific
- representative sample of participants
Media Portrayals of Male vs. Female Scientists
Women in science is media are portrayed as nerdy or too “bossy.”
Sources of Bias in Research
- Framework of science
- Theories
- Questions asked (variables, design, hypothesis)
- Statistical vs. practical significance of results
- Not likely to publish “no differences”
Designing Biased Research
Do a survey for men and women to complete, using only information/topic that one gender is more likely to know (sports, childcare, etc.)
Challenges Female Scientists Face
- Not taken seriously
- Body image comes first
Gender Stereotypes
Generalized beliefs and attitudes about masculinity and femininity
- psychological traits and characteristics
- activities appropriate for men or women
History of Stereotypes
- The belief that men and women have different interests arose during the Industrial Revolution
- Doctrine of Two Spheres (Home & children / work & outside world)
Assessing Masculinity and Feminitity
AIAS & MMPI (Unidimensional Approach - Masculinity/Femininity)
BSRI & PAQ (Dimensional Approach - Low/High)
Gender Role Strain
- Occurs when gender-role expectations have negative consequences for the individual
- occurs when gender role conflicts with personal desire
Self role discrepancy theory
strain arises when you do not live up to a gender role that society constructed
socialized dysfunctional characteristic theory
gender roles that society instills are inherently dysfunctional personality characteristics (you’re ok, society’s messed up)
Male gender roles
- more contradictory
- worse consequences
- inability to express emotions other than anger
Female gender role strain
Fear of…
- unemotional relationships
- physical unattractiveness
- victimization
- behaving assertively
- not being nurturant
Explicit vs. Implicit Stereotyping
- Explicit: Consciously aware
- Implicit: Not consciously aware of biases
- IAT (Implicit association test)
Negative Effects of Stereotypes
- being at risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one’s group
What is sexism?
One’s attitudes and/or feelings towards people based on their sex alone
Tradition vs. Modern Sexism
- Traditional: Endorsement of traditional gender roles for women and men, and differential treatment.
- Modern: Denial of existing discrimination towards women, antagonism to women’s demands/needs, resentment towards any preferential treatment for women
Psychodynamic theory
- Sigmund Freud
- innate instincts drive thought/action
- little evidence to support his theories
5 stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital
Social learning theories
- operant conditioning
- learned behaviours
- positive/negative & reinforcement/punishment
- Attention, Retention, Reproduction, Motivation
Cognitive theories
- Cognitive Developmental Theory
- Gender Schema Theory
Assimilation
Incorporation of new information into existing knowledge
Accommodation
Creation of new knowledge or modification of existing knowledge
Kohlberg’s 3 stages
- Acquisition of gender identity (2-3 years)
- Concept of gender stability (by age 4/5)
- Development of gender constancy (6/7 years)
