Sex and Gender

Question 1

Gender

Answer 1

• A persons identity, psychological status as well as attitudes roles and behaviours

Question 2

Sex

Answer 2

• Biological. Determined by chromosomes, hormonal differences and anatomy

Question 3

Outline the Batista boys case study

Answer 3

• McGinley studied families in the Dominican Republic
• 37 children had inherited a mutant recessive gene
• all had XY chromosomes, however they had female genitalia
• at puberty the surge in testosterone levels led to the production of a male hormone which they had lacked before birth
• grew male genitalia

Question 4

conclusions of the study

Answer 4

• The role of socialisation in the development of sex is overridden by biological factors
• their ability to adopt a male gender identity and gender role suggests their testosterone had pre-programmed masculinity into their brains

Question 5

Weakness - different treatment

Answer 5

• One weakness is that the genitalia of the female children were not entirely normal
• children may have been treated differently to normal females

Question 6

Weakness - social factors

Answer 6

• Dominican Republic was a highly patriarchal society
• males were valued over women - the Batista boys were called ‘little miracles’
• may have had no difficulty adjusting to new gender roles because they were given support by the community

Question 7

Gender dysphoria

Answer 7

• when someone’s biologically prescribed sex does not reflect the way they feel inside and the gender they identify themself being