Welcome Back Everybody! Hope your break was better than mine! Today: Welcome Back! New Seats New Unit: Gender, Relationships and Attraction. EQ: How do we form and maintain happy and healthy romantic relationships?

Social Constructs vs. Biological Actions Nature vs. Nurture Social Construct: a social mechanism, phenomenon, or category created and developed by society; a perception of an individual, group, or idea that is 'constructed‘ through cultural or social practice Stereotypes are a form of social constructs.

I know what boys like, I know what guys want…. What boys what And girls??

Okay BUT…. There is another side: Essentialism: holds that there are necessary properties of things, that these are logically associated prior to the existence of the individuals which encompass them. This applies to values and behaviors as well. That there essentially good and bad behaviors, and their ‘goodness’ and ‘badness’ and not socially constructed but universal.

So what? Acknowledging social constructs is important, just because WE don’t see something, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a societal impact. We can look at issues along gender and racial lines. Social movements move against social constructs. However, the danger is valuing behaviors of the dominate culture over non-traditional behaviors.

Movie Reflection Three things from the movie you found interesting. Three things from the movie you found troubling. Three things from the movie you’d like more information about/you have questions for. You will also want to take general notes- they will be useful for your assessment.

Evolutionary Explanations – think about the film Imposed or accurate? Often the argument is made that women like shopping because it fulfills their ‘gatherer’ needs. Women like dressing up, wearing make-up etc.., because unlike men, they are looking to attract a long-term partner.

Essentialism vs. Constructs This is a little like the chicken or the egg debate. You may fall somewhere in the middle with your world view. What do you think? In your groups discuss, how much of masculinity and femininity is a social construct vs. biological?

Happy Block Day Friends! Today: Movie Critique – Essentialist Argument Gender Identity vs. Expression vs. Orientation vs. Behavior Relationship Reflection Characteristics Chart Characteristics Discussion Essential Question: How does our gender help define how we behave and what we are looking for in a romantic partner?

Movie Reflection Three things from the movie you found interesting. Three things from the movie you found troubling. Three things from the movie you’d like more information about/you have questions for. You will also want to take general notes- they will be useful for your assessment.

Evolutionary Explanations – think about the film Imposed or accurate? Often the argument is made that women like shopping because it fulfills their ‘gatherer’ needs. Women like dressing up, wearing make-up etc.., because unlike men, they are looking to attract a long-term partner.

Lets Explore this a little more:

And even more crazy things to think about…. Remember those sweet ads we look at? The question really is, are you are who you are because its natural? Or are you the way you are because the media, your friends, your parents and your society have instructed you that a certain set of characteristics and behaviors are best? What does the media say about how men and women feel about and behave during relationships?

Psychology and Gender In the beginning the essentialist view was almost universally accepted as fact. Men hunted/Women raised children, and we EVOLVED along those lines, it wasn’t a social construction. Freud was obsessed with gender and sex. Women envy men’s penises Men are obsessed with their penises Debated in ‘The Second Sex’ by Simone de Beauvoir and The Feminine Mystique “ Betty Friedan Friedan in particular argued that men’s superiority complex was a social construct.

Reflect before we move forward: Take a moment and think: If you had a partner, or if you already have a partner what characteristics would you like to see in them – why do you think you want these characteristics in a partner? What characteristics do you want them to appreciate in you? Why? This should be a page long – at least. It doesn’t have to be a sexual partner but it can be. Try and be REALLY honest with yourself, do you want a pretty partner because you really care about that, or because it’s a social status symbol – that’s ok, society is a real thing and status DOES matter – if you want it to ;).

Characteristics Chart Come up and write the characteristics you are looking for in a partner on the poster paper. We are going to divide by gender preference to see if there are any patterns. If someone has already written up the same characteristic, make a check mark next to the characteristic. Do the same with the poster paper marked – characteristics I want my partner to appreciate in me.

Happy Friday Friends! Today: Review Partner Preferences Chart. Discussion – small table/whole class. If time- Begin Adolescent Development. EQ: How do we shape our perceptions about relationships and what makes a person desirable or sexy?

Discussion – Partner Preferences What types characteristics came up? Most popular characteristics? What are the similarities between what we want in our male partners and our female partners? What are the differences between what we want from our male and female partners? Where can you see sexism, social construction, and society impacting our selection of a partner?

Partner Preferences Cont… What explanations can we give for opposite characteristics – what do these differences exist on our list? Why do individuals want different things? How might this list look different if everyone in this room was older? Richer? Poorer? If the year was 1913 instead of 2013? What does that mean for what is important in love and relationships?

We’re going to look into this more.. So, the question really is, what shapes our perception regarding what relationships are like? What kind of partner we want? How did you feel reading the list? Include in your write-up how reading the list made YOU feel. Then, write me a paragraph explaining our data….

Adolescent Development and Romantic Relationships What is Adolescents? 12-14 Early Adolescents 15-16 Middle Adolescents 17-19 Late Adolescents This is a time period marked by the most physical and emotional development post infancy – childhood.

Adolescent Development Romantic development in adolescents can be separated into early, middle and late adolescents. Sometimes teen-romances are characterizes as short-lived and superficial. Romantic relationships for adolescents have the greatest impact on positive or negative emotions for teens – greater so than relationships with friends and family.

Key Aspects of Sexuality in Early Adolescents Sexuality (2% of U.S. teens have sex during early adolescents) Girls ahead of boys Shyness, blushing, and modesty when sex is mentioned More showing off; Greater interest in privacy Experimentation with body (masturbation) Worries about being normal Other Key Developmental Aspects Beginning of the assertions of independence from parents. Major physical developments (puberty) Capacity for abstract thought, poor consequence judgment.

Romantic Relationships and Identity Early adolescents is marked by young peoples development of different identities based on the relationship context. You are different when you are with your: Friends Family Romantic Partners These ‘selves’ may be contradictory These contradictions are not usually acknowledged in early adolescents.

Key Aspects of Sexuality in Middle Adolescents Sexuality ( 16% of teens have had sex by middle adolescents) Concerns about sexual attractiveness Frequently changing relationships Movement towards heterosexuality with fears of homosexuality Tenderness and fears shown toward opposite sex Other Key Developmental Aspects Continued physical changes Development of ideals and selection of role models More consistent evidence of conscience Greater capacity for setting goals Interest in moral reasoning

Romantic Relationships and Gender Identity What do you think the impact of romantic relationships and the pursuit of romantic relationships might be on the formation of gender identity or the conformation to gender stereotypes?

Key Aspects of Sexuality in Late Adolescents Sexuality (71% of teens have had sex by late adolescents) Concerned with serious relationships Clear sexual identity Capacities for tender and sensual love Other Key Developmental Aspects Capable of useful insight Stress on personal dignity and self-esteem Ability to set goals and follow through Acceptance of social institutions and cultural traditions Self-regulation of self esteem

Teen Pregnancy Rates in the U.S. Steady decline since 1990’s. United States still has a higher teen pregnancy rate than other developed countries.

Education and Sexual Risks  21 States emphasize abstinence only sex education in schools. Teens in states that practice more abstinence-oriented education are more likely to become pregnant States that practice more abstinence-oriented education also had higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases.

Office of Adolescent Health stats. Of adolescents who have had sex: 1/3rd has had only one partner.  16 percent has had two partners 32 percent has had three to five partners 20 percent has had six or more partners.  Many adolescents are engaging in sexual behaviors other than vaginal intercourse: nearly one-half have had oral sex, and just over one in 10 have had anal sex. Many people attribute this to the rapid expansion of the availability of pornography.

Questions about Teen Sexuality New studies looking to impacts of shows like “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” on teenage sexuality and pregnancies. New studies also looking at pornography consumption and its impact on young people’s sexual activities, expectations and identities.

OkTrends So lets look at some more relationship related data… Go to the following blog: http://blog.okcupid.com This is a data set collected by the people who run the dating sight, OKCupid. Select a survey set a read it. Each person in your group should select a different survey set to share.