Sex
biological distinction between being female and being male
intersexed individuals
people with mixed or ambiguous gentials
intersex development
refers to congential variations in the reproductive system, sometimes resulting in ambiguous genitals
gender
social and psychological behaviour associated with being female or male
socialization
process through which we learn attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors appropriate to the social positions we occupy
Gender Identity
psychological state of viewing oneself as a girl or boy, and later, as a woman or man
gender dysphoria
condition in which one’s gender identity does not match one’s biological sex
transgender
generic term for a person of one biological sex who displays characteristics of the opposite sex
cross dresser
generic term for individuals who may dress or present themselves in the gender of the opposite sex
transsexual
individual who has anatomical and genetic characteristics of one sex but the self concept of the other
Gender roles
behaviors assigned to women and men in a society
Sex Roles
behaviors defined by biological constraints
-wet nurse, sperm donor, chilbearer
Gender role ideology
proper role relationships between women and men in a society
Biosocial Theory
emphasizes the interaction of one’s biological or genetic inheritance with one’s social environment to explain and predict human behavior
parental investment
any investment by a parent that increases the chance that the offspring will survive and thrive
Social learning theory
emphasizes the roles of reward and punishment in explaining how a child learns gender role behavior
Cognitive Development Theory
biological readiness of the child, in terms of cognitive development, influences how the child responds to gender cues in the environment
Agents of gender Socialization
e.g. family
Family
parents, siblings affect gender changes and roles. parents can be strict and force certain roles, siblings can reinforce this
Race/ethnicity
different races have different views on gender roles and enforcement of these roles
Peers
e.g. drinking, sports
Religion
traditional framing of gender roles
- male dominance
- traditional marriage roles
Education
influences and enforces gender roles through classroom activity and books
Economy
men dominate certain roles in jobs with higher education requirements as opposed to femals
occupational sex segregation
concentration of women in certain occupations and men in other occupations
Mass Media
media images, television, etc. conform to traditional roles, reinforce these.
Negative consequences of traditional female role socialization
- Less income
- feminization of poverty-idea that women disproportionately experience poverty living alone
- Higher risk for sexually transmitted infections
- Negative body image
- Less marital satisfaction
sexism
an attitude, action, or institutional structure that subordinates or discriminates against an individual or group because of their sex
Positive consequences of traditional female role socialization
- longer life expectancy
- Stronger relationship focus
- keeping relationships on track
- bonding with children
Negative consequences of traditional male role socialization
- Identity tied to work
- limited emotionality
- fear of intimacy, more lonely
- disadvantaged in getting custody
- shorter life
Positive consequences of traditional male role socialization
- Higher income and occupational status
- More positive self-concept
- less job discrimination
- freedom of movement; more partners to select from; more normative to initiate relationships
- happier marriage
androgyny
being neither male nor female but a blend of both traits
physiological androgyny
intersexed individuals-genitals neither male nor female
behavioral androgyny
blending or reversal of traditional male and female behavior, so that a biological male may be very passive, gentle, and a biological female may be assertive, rough, selfish.
Positive Androgyny
view of androgyny that is devoid of the negative traits associated with masculinity and femininity.
gender role transcendence
abandoning gender frameworks and looking at phenomena independent of traditional gender categories
