Sex and Gender (gender)

Question 1

What’s the difference between sex and gender?

Answer 1

• SEX= biological state of being either male or female, determined by different chromosomes. (nature)

-GENDER= Someone’s psychosocial status as being masculine, feminine or androgynous, this is influenced by social norms and cultural expectations (nurture)

Question 2

What is gender dysphoria?

Answer 2

• When someone’s biological sex doesn’t reflect the way they feel inside or the gender they identify as.
• Can get gender reassignment surgery

Question 3

What is sex role stereotyping?

Answer 3

• A set of beliefs and pre-conceived ideas about what’s expected for males and females in a given society.

Question 4

Stereotypes cause use to ________ similarities between individual members of the same group (eg all males are aggressive)

Stereotypes also cause us to overemphasise the __________ between the different groups (if all females are caring then all males are not caring)

Answer 4

• overemphasise

-differences

Question 5

What was the procedure of KUHN et al’s research?

Answer 5

• Showed 2-3 year olds male and female paper dolls
• Asked them to identify which doll would make statements, such as ‘ I cry a lot’ and ‘I like fighting’

Question 6

What were the results of KUHN’s study?

Answer 6

• Most of the 2 year olds had similar ideas about the sexes (boys= fighting, girls=dolls)
• Each saw its own gender as having positive qualities (girls thought other girls were pretty, boys saw other boys as hard working)
• Each sex had negative views about the other (boys are mean, girls are slow)

Question 7

Are some of these sex-stereotypes matched in adult hood?

Answer 7

YES

• Adults see men as being: assertive, aggressive,skilful and get things done
• Women seen as: warm, expressive,gentle and lacking in competence, independence and logic

Question 8

Explain how sex stereotyping is shown in young children’s toy choices

(RICHARDSON AND SIMPSON)

Answer 8

• Girls have dolls and house keeping toys
• Boys have guns and trucks

–> this was found in a study into the requests of 4-9 year olds for gifts from Santa

Question 9

Do parents enforce sex-role stereotyping in their children from a young age due to the toys they buy them?

Answer 9

• ECCLES–> children encouraged by parents to play with gender typical toys

RHEINGOLD and COOK–>
- Made inventory of toys in rooms of children ages 1 month to 6 years
- Boys= vehicles, sports equipment
- Girls= dolls, floral decorations

• Differences in rooms were present from very early ages–> suggests that parents were selecting toys based upon the child’s gender rather than in response to their interests.

Question 10

Only ___% of British primary school teachers and ___% of nursery teachers are male. WHY?

Answer 10

• 12
  -3
• Early years teaching seen as a feminine profession due to nurturing ability and unsuitability of males due to perception of being intimidating

–> SEX ROLE STEREOTYPES AFFECT ADULT CAREER CHOICES

Question 11

S-R STEREOTYPES EVALUATION- What does the fact that s-r stereotypes differ cross culturally tell us?

Answer 11

• Suggests characteristics associated with sex roles are culturally transmitted
• ENVIRONMENTAL learning experiences are stronger than BIOLOGICAL factors in determining s-r tereotypes

Question 12

S-R STEREOTYPES EVALUATION- How can environmental learning experiences be used to change negative s-r stereotypes?

Answer 12

• Negative s-r stereotyping addressed by providing learning experiences for children
• These would reinforce the idea of POSITIVE sex roles being equally applicable to males and females

Question 13

S-R STEREOTYPES EVALUATION- What’s the problem in addressing negative s-r tereotyping?

Answer 13

• Examples of stereotypes tend to be OVEREMPHASISED as ‘typical behaviour’, eg girls cry but when boys do it’s unusual
• ‘Typical’ differences are then perceived as ‘natural’ differences between the sexes which reinforces the stereotype and makes it HARDER TO BREAK DOWN.

Question 14

S-R STEREOTYPES EVALUATION- The media is criticised for __________ presentation of sex roles

Answer 14

• STEREOTYPICAL
• However the way in which sexes r represented in childrens books has changed since the 1960s where women were under-represented and shown in passive and needy roles

Question 15

S-R STEREOTYPES EVALUATION- Has the media really stop being stereotypical ?

Answer 15

• some argue it still is but now it’s more subtle
• Research shows males and females still represented differently on TV

Question 16

S-R STEREOTYPES EVALUATION- Explain what Davis concluded about the media and stereotyping

Answer 16

Found that females on TV are…

• 4 x more likely to be dressed provocatively
• Younger than males
• Outnumbered 2:1 by males