Gender Identity and Gender
Roles
Chapter 6
This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:
• any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;
• preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;
• any rental, lease, or lending of the program.
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon 1

Gender Identity and Gender
Roles


Prenatal Sexual Differentiation
Gender Identity




Gender Roles and Stereotypes
Sex Differences
Gender Typing
Psychological Androgyny
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
2

Gender Identity and Gender
Roles


Gender


The psychological state of being female or male, and the roles assigned by society
Different from anatomic sex, which is based on the physical differences between females and males
Gender typing
 The process of learning to behave in line with what is expected of one’s gender
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
3

Prenatal Sexual Differentiation
 Prenatal Sexual Differentiation


The process by which males and females develop distinct reproductive anatomy
Sperm fertilizes ovum
 Zygote
 A fertilized ovum (egg cell)
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
4

Prenatal Sexual Differentiation
 Chromosomes
 Rodlike structures found in the nucleus of every living cell and carry the genetic code in the form of genes
 23 chromosomes from male parent combine with 23 chromosomes from female parent to form 23 pairs
 The 23rd pair determines sex of offspring.
 Females contribute X; males contribute X or Y

If 23rd pair is XX, normally develops as female

If 23rd pair is XY, normally develops as male
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
5

Prenatal Sexual Differentiation
 Embryo


The stage of prenatal development that begins with implantation of a fertilized ovum in the uterus and concludes with development of the major organ systems at about two months after fertilization
After seven weeks of prenatal development, the genetic code (XX or XY) results in changes in the gonads, genital ducts, and external genitalia.
 Ovaries begin to develop at 11 or 12 weeks.
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
6

Prenatal Sexual Differentiation


Genetic Factors in Sexual Differentiation
 Genetic influences do exist, e.g. SRY (sexdetermining region Y gene).
 Leads to the formation of the testes
The Role of Sex Hormones
 Androgens
 Male sex hormones
 Presence results in the development of male external reproductive organs’
 Without androgens, all infants would develop externally as females
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
7

Prenatal Sexual Differentiation


Testosterone : the male sex hormone that fosters the development of male sex characteristics and is connected with the sex drive
 Testosterone causes cells in hypothalamus to become insensitive to estrogen
In female fetuses, the female sex hormones
(estrogen and progesterone) do not play a role in fetal sexual differentiation.
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
8

Prenatal Sexual Differentiation
 Descent of the Testes and Ovaries
 Testes and ovaries develop from structures in the abdominal cavity.
 The ovaries complete their descent after the prenatal period.
 Inguinal canal : a fetal canal that connects the scrotum and the testes, allowing their descent.
 Cryptorchidism

The condition defined by testes that fail to descend
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
9

Prenatal Sexual Differentiation
 Sex Chromosomal Abnormalities:


Klinefelter syndrome: a condition caused by an extra X chromosome (XXY) in a male
 Fail to develop appropriate secondary sex characteristics
 May be mildly retarded
Turner syndrome: a condition caused by only one X chromosome (XO) in a female
 At risk for medical complications
 Spatial and math difficulties
 Infertility
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
10

Gender Identity
 Gender Identity

One’s awareness of being male or female



Sex assignment (also called gender assignment )
 Labeling of a newborn as a male or a female
By 18 months, most children know their anatomical sex
By the age of 3, most children have a solid sense of their gender identity.
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
11


Gender Identity
Nature and Nurture in Gender Identity


Gender identity is typically consistent with one’s chromosomal sex.
People usually are reared as males or females, in accordance with their sexual anatomy.
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
12



Gender Identity
Hermaphrodite : a person who possesses both ovarian and testicular tissue
 Is extremely rare
Intersexual : a person who possesses gonads of one sex but external genitalia that are ambiguous or typical of the other sex
 Also termed pseudohermaphrodite
 The experiences of intersexuals have helped uncover the relative importance of nature and nurture.
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
13

Gender Identity
 Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)





The most common form of female intersexualism
Genetic female has female internal sexual structures but masculinized external genitals
Due to exposure to excess levels of androgens
Girls with CAH exhibit more interest in masculinetyped behaviors
Results may support a hormonal contribution to gender identity
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
14

Gender Identity


Androgen-insensitivity syndrome
 Genetic male is prenatally insensitive to androgens such that his genitals are not normally masculinized
Dominican Republic syndrome
 A genetic enzyme disorder prevents testosterone from masculinizing the external genitalia


First documented in the Dominican Republic
At puberty, testosterone levels become normal
 Most transition to the male gender role
 Supports the importance of biological factors
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
15

Gender Identity


Researchers studying partial androgen insensitivity syndrome and complete androgen insensitivity syndrome in girls conclude that two
X sex chromosomes and ovaries are not essential to the development of feminine-typed behaviors.
 Supports the importance of environmental factors
Conclusion is that gender identity is affected by a complex interaction between biological and psychosocial factors.
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
16

Gender Identity
 Transsexualism


Transsexuals
 People who strongly desire to be of the other sex and live as a person of the other sex
Gender dysphoria

A sense of incongruity between one’s anatomic sex and one’s gender identity
 Autogynephilic
 Are sexually stimulated by fantasies that their own bodies are female
17
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon

Gender Identity
 Homosexual transsexuals
 Extremely feminine gay males who seek sex reassignment
 Sex reassignment surgery




Irreversible and involves a lifetime of hormone treatments
Largely cosmetic
Phalloplasty : the surgical procedure of creating an artificial penis
Outcomes of gender-reassignment surgery are more positive if social support is available.
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
18

Gender Roles and Stereotypes


Stereotype


A fixed, conventional idea about a group of people
Often a distorted generalization
Gender roles
 Complex clusters of expectations for how males and females should behave
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
19

Gender Roles and Stereotypes
 INSERT TABLE 6.1 HERE IF POSSIBLE
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
20

Gender Roles and Stereotypes
 Sexism




The prejudgment that because of her or his sex, a person will possess certain negative traits
Education can change traditional sexist attitudes.
Psychologically damaging
Can influence career choice
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
21

Gender Roles and Stereotypes
 Gender Roles and Sexual Behavior




Men as initiators, women as gatekeepers
Men make the choices regarding sexual positions and techniques
Men as overaroused, women as underaroused
Men report more interest in sex than women do.
22
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon

Sex Differences
 Differences in Cognitive Abilities
 In most cases, the differences are small.




They are group differences (variability is larger within than between the genders).
Differences may largely reflect environmental influences and cultural expectations.
Females tend to be better than males are at verbal tasks.
Males tend to be better at visual/spatial tasks compared to females.
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
23

Sex Differences
 Differences in Personality
 Females are more extraverted, anxious, trusting, and nurturing


Males are more assertive, toughminded, and have higher self-esteem
Differences tend to be small
24
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon

Sex Differences
 Differences in Social Behavior



Differences in communication styles
 Males dominate discussions.
 Females express their feelings more than males do.
Differences in aggressiveness
 Males engage in more overt aggression compared to females.
Differences in willingness to seek health care
 Women live an average of seven years longer than men do.
25
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon

Gender Typing
 Gender typing
 The process by which children acquire behavior that is deemed appropriate to their sex
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
26

Gender Typing
 Biological Perspectives


Evolutionary perspective
 Stress is on genetic influences passed down from ancestors
 Traditional roles have promoted survival in the past
Prenatal brain organization

May explain men’s overall superiority at visual/spatial tasks and women’s overall superiority at verbal tasks
 Prenatal sex hormones may create a greater or reduced tendency to act physically aggressive.
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
27

Gender Typing
 Psychological Perspectives


Psychodynamic theory
 Gender typing occurs through identification with the same sex parent
 A resolution to the Oedipus complex (or Electra complex in girls)
Social-learning theory
 Gender typing occurs through the processes of observational learning, reinforcement, and socialization
 Guiding people into socially acceptable behavior patterns by using information, rewards, and punishments
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
28

Gender Typing
 Psychological Perspectives
 Cognitive-developmental theory
 Gender typing occurs through cognitive development
 Schema

Concept; way of interpreting experience or processing information
 Gender stability


Concept that people retain their genders for a lifetime
Gender constancy

Concept that people’s genders do not change, even if they alter their dress or behavior
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
29

Gender Typing


Psychological Perspectives
 Gender schema theory
 Gender schema

Cluster of mental representations about male and female physical qualities, behaviors, and personality traits


Once learned, children evaluate themselves in terms that are appropriate to their sex.
Higher self-esteem is associated with self-concepts that are congruent with the prominent gender schema of one’s culture.
 A gender schema can lead to gender-appropriate behaviors and affects mental processes, e.g., memory.
Cross-cultural perspectives
 Gender roles as a cultural adaptation
30
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon

Psychological Androgyny
 Psychological Androgyny
 Characterized by possession of both stereotypical masculine traits and stereotypical feminine traits
 May be more flexible, acting on the demands of the situation
 Associated with psychological well-being and higher self-esteem
Copyright 2008 Allyn & Bacon
31