Gender work booklet 1-Sex and Gender, Sex-Role Stereotypes and Androgyny

Question 1

Sex definiton

Answer 1

• Biological differences between males and females, including anatomy, phisiology, hormones and brain chemistry

Question 2

Gender definition

Answer 2

• Social construct associated with males and females including behaviour, personality traits and attitides.
  -can change over time and between and within cultures

Question 3

Sex role stereotypes definition

Answer 3

• Are a set of beliefs and preconceived ideas about what is expected and acceptable behaviour in males and females.
  -we are born male or female but sex-role stereotypes pressure us to conform to ‘masculine’ or ‘femanine’ qualities

Question 4

How does healthcare differ between men and women?

Answer 4

• The stereotype is that men are less aware of healthproblems than women, less attuned to symptoms and they dont visit the doctor as often as women.
  -men are silent stoics ; women are hysterical hydrochondriacs

Question 5

Why is a cardiac arrest in public more likely to result in death for a woman?

Answer 5

• 39% of women who have a cardiac arrest in a public place were given CPR, versus 45% of men. Men were 23% more likely to suirvive.
• Benjamin Abella speculated that rescuers may worry about moving womans clothing, or touching her breasts.
• Additionally, due to a massive lack of female manaquins

Question 6

Why are women more likely to be sedated than given pain relief?

Answer 6

• Several authors attribute this to ‘a long history within our culture of regarding womens reasoning capacity as limited’ the paper noted

Question 7

Why are men less likely to poen up about mental health issues?

Answer 7

• Men may be reluctant to talk about their mental health due to the belief that they should be able to handle their problems on their own.
  -the fear of being seen as weak or not in control, and the worry that talking about their feelings will make them seem less manly

Question 8

Research support-Archer and Loyd (1982)

Question 9

Research support-Urberg (1982)

Answer 9

• Told 3-7 year olds stories that stressed sex-role stereotypes such as bravery or caring but without specifying the gender of the child.
  -responses favoured sex-role stereotypes e.g. Bravery being masculine.
  -around age 5 there was a tendancy to attribute positive characteristics with their own gender.
  -older children saw both female and male characteristics
  -this shows that stereotypes loose rigidity as you grow older

Question 10

A03-Discrimination

Answer 10

• Sex role stereotypes can lead to dicrimination for certain members of each sex.
  -e.g women in work place less likely to be promoted than man. Women are seen as hysterical hydrochondriacs that cant handle pain so are more likely to be given sedatives instead of pian killers.
  -issue as it can result in restricted opportunities within society.

Question 11

A03-Outdated

Answer 11

• In todays society there vmay be less sex-role stereotyping than in previous generations
  -due to how recently gender stereotypes have been challenged and it is even praised to go against your gendered stereotypes
  -means that the concept of sex-role stereotypes may be outdated and may influence current and future genrations less than in pervious years

Question 12

Discuss sex-role stereotypes (8 marks)-Plan

Answer 12

AO1-3 marks
-define stereotypes
-provide examples of them
-discuss how they developed
AO3-5 marks
-sex role stereotypes can lead to discrimination for certain members of each sex
-in todays sopciety there may be less sex-role stereotyping than in previous genrations

Question 13

Androgyny definition

Answer 13

• When an individual shows both male and female characteristics simultaneously
  -measured by the BSRI

Question 14

Would androgyny be beneficial or no?

Answer 14

• Considered advantageous as you are bale to adapt to different situatiuon
  -androdgynous people are less likely to have mental health issues

Question 15

BSRI

Answer 15

• Bem (1975) challenged previous ideas around masculinity and femininity with her adrodgynouis hypothesis which proposed that femininity and masculinity are two seperate dimensions rather than a continuum.

-list of 60 items, 20 masculine characteristics, 20 female and 20 neutral so they can be categorised as masculine, femanine, androdgenous or undifferentiated.

Question 16

Research support of BSRI

Answer 16

• Rose Montemayor (1994) found that 25-30% of US high school students defined themselves as androgynous and more girls falling into the masculine category than boys into the feminine category

-however, stereotyped male characteristics are socially desirable traits that the majority of people would like to claim they have.

Question 17

AO3- Re-test reliablity

Answer 17

• The BSRI test has good test re-test reliablity as its a very easy ,method to replicate. Research has found that when P’s are given the test a second tim etheir results stay the same.
  -this is a strngth as we can be more confident about the accuracy of the results

Question 18

AO3-Validity

Answer 18

• The BSRI may lack temporal and cultural validity.
  -The measure was created from 1970’s American students and what they perceived to be acceptable characteristics in men and women
  -therefore it only represents western cultures as other socities will have different stereotypes for males and females.

Question 19

AO3-Over-simplistic

Answer 19

Reducing masculinity and femininity down to one single score is over-simplistic
-This is because gender is more than a characteristic trait as it includes how we dress, hobbies etc.
-This is an issue because its reductionist as its not appreciating the true complexity of gender and therefore invalid as a measure.