2. Sex, Gender, and Gender
Roles
Sex: whether one is biologically female, male, or
intersex
– Genetic sex: chromosomal and hormonal sex
characteristics
– Anatomical sex: our physical sex; gonads,
uterus, vulva, vagina, or penis
Gender: social and cultural characteristics
associated with being male or female
Gender identity: gender one believes self to be
3. Sex and Gender Identity
Assigned gender
– Based on anatomical appearance
Gender variations
– Fafafine, GID
Gender identity
– Internalized feeling of femaleness or maleness
Gender role
– The attitudes, behaviors, rights, and
responsibilities that society associates with each
sex
– Influenced by culture, age, ethnicity, other
factors
4. Gender-Roles
Gender-role stereotype:
– A rigidly-held oversimplified belief concerning all
males or all females
Gender-role attitude:
– The belief one has for self and others concerning
what’s appropriate for male or female traits
Gender-role behavior:
– Activities or behaviors a person engages in as a
female or male
5. Masculinity and Femininity
Sexes seen as polar opposites in
traditional Western view, e.g.
“opposite sex”
Different qualities associated with
different genders
Sexism
Some qualities are biologically based,
some culturally based
(biopsychosocial)
– Arapesh of New Guinea
6. Gender and Sexual
Orientation
Gender, gender identity, and gender
role are conceptually independent of
sexual orientation
– However, many assume they are closely
related
– Heterosexuality has been assumed to be
part of masculinity and femininity
Therefore, some believe that gay men can’t
be masculine and lesbian women can’t be
feminine.
7. Gender and Sexual
Orientation
Studies show a link between
individuals’
– Negative attitudes towards gay and
lesbian people
– And those individuals’ adherence to
traditional gender roles
8. Gender Theory
What is our relationship between our
biological sex as male or female and our
gender role as masculine or feminine?
Do we act the way we act because our
gender role is bred in us or because of
socialization?
Gender Theory developed as a field in the
’80s and ’90s to explore the role of gender
in society
9. Gender Theory in
Psychology
In psychology, gender theory focuses on:
– How gender is created and what its purposes
are
– How specific traits, behaviors, and roles are
defined as male or female
– How gender creates advantages and
disadvantages
Gender theory rejects the idea that gender
differences are primarily biologically-driven
Operates from a social-constructivist
framework
11. Cognitive Social Learning
Theory
Emphasizes consequences as shaping
gender related behavior
Cognition: Mental processes such as
evaluation and reflection
– Includes ability to use language
– Anticipate consequences
– Make observations
– Modeling
12. Cognitive Development
Theory
Focuses on children’s active
interpretation of gender messages at
various developmental stages
After age 6 or 7, motivation to act like
one’s gender is primarily internal or
intrinsic
Gender is used to understand social
situations and interact
13. Social Construction Theory
Queer Theories and Feminism
Gender expression is an outcome of
– Power
– Language
– Meaning
Relationship to sexual orientation
– Women
– Men
14. Gender-Role Learning:
Childhood and
Adolescence
Parents as socializing agents
– Manipulation
– Channeling
– Verbal appellation
– Activity exposure
– Connections between sons and mothers
– Ethnic groups
15. Gender-Role Learning:
Childhood and
Adolescence
Teachers as Socializing agents
– Females are more common
– Bias in presentation of topics
– Conventional
Peers as socializing agents
– Play
– Approval
– Perceptions
Media
16. Gender Schemas:
Exaggerating Differences
Interrelated ideas which help
information processing
Cognitive organization of world by
gender
Emphasize dichotomy
Minimize valuing of the individual
– labels
17. Contemporary Gender
Roles
Women’s roles have changed
Men’s roles have changed
Must include diverse groups
Egalitarian approach to gender roles
18. Traditional Male Gender
Role
Aggressiveness Power orientation
Emotional Competitiveness
toughness Dominance
Independence Violence
Feelings of
superiority
Decisiveness
19. Traditional Male Sexual
Scripts: Zilbergeld
–Men should not have or express certain feelings
–Performance is the only thing that counts
–The man is in charge
–A man always wants sex and is ready for it
–All physical contact leads to sex
–Sex equals intercourse
–Sexual intercourse leads to orgasm
SEPARATION OF SEX, LOVE, ATTACHMENT
20. Traditional
Female Gender Role
There are striking ethnic differences in
female role
– American middle-class Whites: women as
wives and mothers. Recently includes
work outside the home
– African Americans: more egalitarian roles
for men and women
– Latinas: women subordinate to men out
of respect; Gender role affected by age
21. Traditional Female Sexual
Scripts: Barbach
Sex is good and bad
It’s not okay to touch yourself “down there”
Sex is for men
Men should know what women want
Women shouldn’t talk about sex
Women should look like models
Women are nurturers: they give, men
receive
There is only one right way to have an
orgasm
22. Changing Gender Roles
– Egalitarian position
– Androgyny: flexibility in gender roles,
combining elements of each traditional
role
23. Contemporary Sexual Scripts
Sexual expression is positive
Sexual activities involve a mutual exchange
of erotic pleasure
Sexuality is equally involving, and both
partners are equally responsible
Legitimate sexual activities are not limited to
intercourse but also include masturbation and
oral-genital sex
Sexual activities may be initiated by either
partner
Both partners have a right to experience
orgasm, whether through intercourse, oral-
genital sex, or manual stimulation
Non-marital sex is acceptable within a
relationship context
24. Androgyny
Unique combination
Combination or instrumental and
expressive traits
Difficulties with expression and
expectation
25. When Sex is Ambiguous
Intersexuality – born with not typical
Male or Female anatomy
– Chromosomal, Hormonal, Unknown
Origin
Transexuality – related to GID or body
not the same as internal gender
Transgenderism- cross dressing as
other gender
26. Intersexuality
Describes people who possess
mixtures of male and female genitalia
or reproductive physiology
Prevalence ranges from .0128% to
1.7% of population. Known until
recently as “hermaphrodites”
Shrouded in secrecy by families and
medical establishments in the past
27. Intersexuality
Hermaphrodites: Old terminology
Ambiguous genitals: 1/2000 births
Blended gonads or both gonads
One ovary and one testis, or testes
containing ovarian tissue
– Known until recently as “hermaphrodites”
29. Chromosomal Anomalies: Turner
Syndrome
Females who lack a chromosome: XO
rather than XX
Occurs in 1/1666 live births
Female external appearance
No ovaries
Hormonal therapy
Assisted fertility
31. Chromosomal Anomalies:
Klinefelter Syndrome
Males who have extra X
chromosomes: XXY, XXXY, or XXXXY
rather than XY
Occurs in 1/1000 live births
Variable effects; many men never
diagnosed.
Small firm testes; some female
physical traits
Lower testosterone levels
33. Hormonal Disorders:
Androgen-Insensitivity
Syndrome
Inherited condition occurring in 1/13,000
individuals
Genetic males whose tissues to not respond
to testosterone
Female genitals, no female internal organs
At puberty, develops hips and breasts, no
pubic hair and no menstruation
Many experience female gender identity
35. Hormonal Disorders: Congenital
Adrenal Hyperplasia
A genetic female with ovaries and a
vagina develops externally as a male
Due to malfunctioning of adrenal gland
Occurs in 1/13,000 live births
– At birth, child has ambiguous genitalia
– In the past, doctors and families choose
to assign female gender at birth
37. Hormonal Disorders: DHT
Deficiency
Internal male organs
Clitoris-like penis at birth
Undescended testes at birth
Testes descend at puberty and penis
grows
Socialization
38. A Related Condition:
Hypospadias
Urethral opening located at non
traditional location
Urethra exists on underside of glans
midway through the underside of the
shaft or at the base of the scrotum
Occurs in 1/770 male births
Repair is possible
40. Gender Identity
Disorder
Defined by the APA as a strong and
persistent cross-gender identification
and persistent discomfort about one’s
assigned sex (2000)
Diagnosis not associated as hormonal
or physiological
Requires experience of distress or
impairment in social, occupational, or
other areas of functioning
41. Gender Identity Disorder
– The goal of treatment for people with GID is
“lasting personal comfort with the gendered
self”
– Treatment is individual and multifaceted;
can affirm cross-gender identification
through:
Psychotherapy
Real-life experience living externally as desired
gender
Hormonal therapy
Sex-reassignment surgery
42. Transsexuality
Gender identity and sexual anatomy
are not congruent
Prevalence of transsexuality unknown:
estimated 1/50,000 people over 15 yrs
May occur with heterosexual,
homosexual, and bisexual orientations
Gender reassignment
43. Transsexual Phenomenon
Transgender community embraces
possibility of numerous genders and
multiple social identities
Other cultures recognize more than 2
genders
Paradigm shift of gender dichotomy
Employment protection