social explanations of atypical gender development: Gender dysphoria

Question 1

what are the 2 social explanations of atypical gender development: Gender dysphoria?

Answer 1

social constructionism

psychoanalytic theory

Question 2

explain the social constructionism perceptive to explaining gender dysphoria

Answer 2

social constructionism argues the differences between people are invented by society

gender dysphoria occurs when people are unable to pick a side suggesting it is a social phenomenon

Question 3

explain how McClintock’s research supports social constructionism as an explanation to gender dysphoria

Answer 3

McClintock used individuals in Papa New Guinea who are biologically male (so have XY chromosomes) but have a labia and a clitoris

at puberty their genitals change because of the increase in testosterone so testes descend and clitoris becomes a penis

it is accepted that there are 3 types of people: men, women, females who become males

Question 4

explain psychoanalytic theory to explaining gender dysphoria

Answer 4

Oversey and Peterson claimed social relationships were the cause of gender dysphoria

they claim gender dysphoria occurs when a biological male experiences extreme separation anxiety from mother before gender identity has been established

the boy fantasies of a symbiotic fusion with his mother to reduce this anxiety

so the boy becomes the mother and adopts a female gender identity

Question 5

explain how Stoller’s research supports the psychoanalytic theory to explaining gender dysphoria

Answer 5

when interviewing males with gender dysphoria they would display an overly close relationship with their mother