Gender dysphoria/Atypical gender development Flashcards
(17 cards)
1
Q
what is atypical gender development?
A
- some men and women experience gender mismatch between their biological sex and the gender they are
- dont identify as sex given at birth
- source of extreme discomfort
recognised as psychological disorder in DSM-5
2
Q
explanations for gender dysphoria?
A
- biological
- social
3
Q
how is gender a social construction?
A
- gender identity doesnt reflect underlying differences between people but instead are invented by societies
- people are ‘forced’ to choose between 2 paths that they percieve they dont fit into
eg fafafine - gender identity seen as a social construct
4
Q
strength of social construction of gender identity?
A
- not all cultures have 2 genders. some cultures recognise more than 2 genders eg fafafine, this challenges traditional binary classification of male and female. rising amount of non-binary suggests cultural understanding now ‘catching up’
5
Q
limitation of social construction of gender identity?
A
- any research undertaken with those with gender dysphoria is socially sensitive, knowing biological basis is a relief and less likely to assume ‘their fault’
- risk of stigmatising
- despite strong oppression eg jobless, bullying they still persist their desire to change sex. biology determines phenomena that cannot be overcome through free will
6
Q
what are the points for the biological explanation?
A
- genetics
- brain sex theory
- hormones
7
Q
how does genetics explain gender dysphoria?
A
- common genetic diffs in people with dysphoria eg concering androgen receptor (influences action of testerone)
8
Q
evaluation for genetics?
A
- twin studies-> higher concordence rate in MZ than DZ, suggesting genetic component
- hard to separate nature and nurture= ungeneralisable, 60% is not 100%
- reductionist, ignores nurture, determinstic
9
Q
explanation for brain sex theory?
A
- brain abnormalities involved in emotional responses and sexualised behaviour in rats
- larger in men than women and transgender females (postmortem brain scans)
- dysphoric individuals have BST which is side of gender identify with not biological
10
Q
evaluation for brain sex theory?
A
- objective -> bio evidence from brain scans. hormones could have made BTS smallers. when did it get smaller? no cause and effect
- contradictory evidence-> Hulshoff Pol changes in transgender brains (MRI) taken during hormone treatment, size of BTS changed sig over period. diffs are effect of hormone therapy
11
Q
explanation of hormones?
A
- lack of male hormone released during pregnancy needed for masulation of fetus
- could be down to disorder of mothers endocrine system or maternal stress
12
Q
evaluation of hormones?
A
- factual empirical evidence-> blood tests on mother
- reductionist -> ignores higher levels of explanation eg SLT. too simplistic
13
Q
explanations for social explanations?
A
- social learning
- psychodynamic
14
Q
explanation for social learning?
A
- dysphoria is learned
- operant conditioning - individuals may be reinforced (rewarded) for cross-gender behav
eg: - more attention from parents when boy dresses in mums shoes/dress
- complimenting behav creates conflict bet sex and gender
- absence role model to imitate (boys no father)
15
Q
evaluation for social learning?
A
- environmentally reductionist-> suggests that purely down to environment eg parents, ignoring free will
16
Q
explanation for psychodynamic?
A
- Freud-> dysphoria develops when child experiences extreme separation anxiety before gender identity developed
- fantasises of symbolic fusion (joint identity of mother + child) to remove anxiety
- child take on female identity essentially becoming his mother
17
Q
evaluation for psychodymamic?
A
- unfalsifiable-> untestable concepts (unconscious), Popper
- subjective, pyschic determinstic
- supp evidence-> Stroller interviews, GD males overly close relationships wth mothers sug stronger female identificaiton. issues w interv
