Week 5 - Gender, Identity, and The-Self Flashcards
What is is gender? BIOLOGICAL
SEX
- Biological markers of sex
- Influenced by social contexts
- Genitals and Reproductive organs
- Chromosomes
- Hormones
* Male or female (intersex)
What is gender? SOCIAL
Gender
- Social constructs which reflect societal norms influencing gender expression
- Gender roles and norms
- Clothes
- Appearance
- Toys
- Colours (pink/blue)
What is gender? PSYCHOLOGICAL
Gender
- Traits culutrally associated with masculinity or femininity
- Influence by socialisation and by social contexts
- Competitive
- Dominant
- Compassionate
- Quiet / Loud
- Aggressive / Passive
- Tough
- Gentle
Gender Roles
- Gender is socially constructed
- Gender roles are the socially constructed roles, behaviours, and attributes that society considers appropriate for men and women
- Gender roles are often reinforced through media, culture, and social expectations
Intersectionality
- Kimberle Crenshaw 1989
- The overlap of systems of opression to create distinct experiences for people with multiple identity categories
- '’a way of understanding how gender interacts with other social categories like race, class, disability, and sexual orientation’’
Why is gender important? Why study it?
- An important part of our identity; it shapes many aspects of our everyday lives
- Impacts our experiences and how we interact with others
- Potential to impact our wellbeing; positively and negatively
- Gender intersects with other characteristics
- Psychology and Gender; does psychology and psychological research reinforce gender binary?
- We measure using the binary… e.g., official statistics
Gender in childhood
Kohlberg (1966) Gender constancy
1) Gender labelling – by Age 3
2) Gender stability – by Age 5
3) Gender constancy – by Age 7
Gender Schema Theory - Sandra Bem, 1980s
- A schema is a cognitive framework/structure an individual draws on to interpret and make sense of their social word
- Gender scheme theory is a social-cognitive psychological theory
- GST explains how people become gendered from a young age and the impact of this gendering on cognitive and categorical processing through the lifecourse
- Children develop ideas about what it means to be masculine or feminine (gender schemas) from an early age and use this to categorize information, make decisions, and regulate behaviour
Gender in adolescence
- Adolescence is a period of storm and stress; difficulties from the young person and the people around them (Hall, 1904)
- Viewed in society as a difficult time
Arnett (1999):
1. Conflict with parents
2. Mood disruption
3. Risk taking
Its a period of transition… into adulthood
Transitional events define and shape experiences (Graber & Brooks- Gunn, 1996)
Adolescent developmental changes
physical development
- Puberty (typically experienced earlier by girls than boys)
- Physical changes experienced differently - girls more dissatisfied with changing bodies
- Harassment and teasing
- Early maturation in girls linked to increase in psychological issues (Reardon et al. 2009)
Sexuality and sexual behaviour
- Sexual maturation of the body + sexual desires
- Ideas and interest in sexual behaviour
- Sexualised messages in the media and expectations
- Teenage sexual behaviour problematised
Cognitive and brain development
- Significant and prolonged changes to prefrontal cortex
- Development of thinking and reasoning
- Changes to the limbic system – overly emotional and susceptible to stress a result (Coleman, 2011
Increasing autonomy and independence accompanying this period
Engagement in risk-taking behaviour
Less able to consider risks and benefits – can lead to risky choices (links to physical maturation)
Identity development
Occuring alongside developmental changes.
Erikson (1962, 1968) identity crisis
Beck (1992) individuaisation
GENDER IDENTITY:
- particularly heightened in early adolescnce
- Onset of puberty - intensification of gender based expectations
- Changes to physical appearances linked to increased social preassure to conform to traditional gender roles
Gender in adolescence:Friendships &
Relationships
Dunphy (1963)
1) Uni-sexual cliques
2) Male/female uni-sexual cliques socialise
3) Formation of larger heterosexual clique
4) Reorganisation into smaller mixed gender cliques – coupling up
Gender in adulthood & everyday life
Experiences in childhood and adolescence can shape us into adulthood
Gender impacts everyday life across a range of contexts
- Work/employment
- Relationships and Family life
- Crime
- Health and wellbeing
- Media and advertising
- Sport
Looking critically at gender can make us more aware
