Chapter 9 Gender

Definitions n Sex: Biology, genes, anatomy n Gender: Psychology –Identity - self-perceived gender n How do we form our gender identity? –BIOLOGY v. SOCIAL LEARNING

Gender Formation: Social Learning n Learn what it means to be a boy or girl –Social and cultural influences key –Gender roles n Parents & teachers –Respond to children ala gender roles »Toys, play behaviors, classroom, crying »Model & reinforce gender appropriate behaviors –18 months child has GI & it perpetuates »Impacts life trajectory (education, career, sexuality)

Gender Formation: Social Learning n Media adds to/elaborates early GI (sexuality) –Magazines, TV, movies –MTV & music videos (key for youth) »What do music videos tell us about sexuality? n Dreamworld video –Who inhabits the dreamworld and their role? –What are men and women like in dreamworld?

Gender Roles: Dreamworld n Story being told about women’s sexuality? –How does this story relate to female sex drive? n What is the Dreamworld like for males? –How does this relate to the male sex drive? n Who tells this story? –What are the implications of this? n Implications? –Men should… Women want...

Gender Formation: Sex Surgery n Tabula Rosa view of gender at birth –All due to social influences (discount BIO) »Any child could develop a male or female GI n Born w/ ambiguous genitals –SL approach says gender assignment »Surgery and raise as chosen gender »Video

Group Activity IV: Sex Surgery n Groups of 4-5 (mixed genders) –Summarize responses to questions –Share with class –TURN IN AFTER CLASS!

Group Activity IV: Sex Surgery n You’re child is born w/ ambiguous genitalia. The doctor recommends assigning a gender & surgically modifying the genitals. Would you do as the doctor advises? Explain. –If yes what gender would you choose & why? –Do you think this sort of procedure is ethical? »Should we let children be intersexual? Are there > 2 genders?

Session II

Gender Formation: Biology n Sex (& ~ gender) differentiated prenatally n Chromosomes (XX, XY) -> –Gonadal development (testes, ovaries) -> »Hormone production (testosterone, estrogens) -> n Reproductive organs (penis, vagina) n Brain development (some sex differences)

Gender Formation: Biology n Prenatal hormone exposure key for GI –Influences brain development -> later GI –XX - estrogen, XY - testosterone n Atypical prenatal differentiation yield mix –AIS - XY but not sensitive to testosterone »Female organs & GI –FAF - XX but excess of testosterone »Ambiguous organs, female GI but dissatisfaction & male orientation

Gender Formation: Biology n Biological differences reflected in behavior –Males more (physically) aggressive –Women better at verbal, emotional tasks »Denser corpus callosum –Men better at spatial, analytical tasks –Women more nurturing

Fausto-Sterling (1993) n Gender & sex may be continuum not qualitative dimension –Female OR male –Many gradations from male to female »Allows for various combinations n Intersexuals physiologically & psychologically –5 sexes?

Fausto-Sterling (1993) n Males, female n Hermaphrodites –One testis & one ovary n Male pseudohermaphrodites –testes & female external genitalia (no ovary) n Female pseudohermaphrodites –Ovaries & external male genitalia (no testes)

Fausto-Sterling (1993) n Estimated that 4% of all births intersexed –~500 KSU students intersexed n Legal & medical response to intersexuality –Laws require male or female determination –Medial community responses w/ treatment »Surgery, hormones in infants n Prejudice about intersexuals

Prejudice n Negative attitudes about social group –Behavior –Feelings –Cognitions or beliefs (stereotypes) »Conveys homogeneity of group members »Associated with social categorization

Social Categorization n Divide social world into Us & Them –Us - viewed favorably/heterogeneous –Them - viewed negatively/homogenous n OutGroup Homogeneity Effect –Ingroup members seen as heterogeneous & Outgroup members seen as homogenous –Maintains prejudice

Fausto-Sterling (1993) n Social reality about sex differences challenged by intersexuals –Evokes attempts to marginalize, control »Labeled deviants, abnormal (out-group) »Maintain consensual social reality n See this in science (Gallileo, Einstein)

Transsexualism n GI opposite of biological sex –Feels like a woman trapped in a man’s body –Feels like a man trapped in a woman’s body

Transsexualism n Sexual orientation independent GI –Many hetero (within GI) –F->M desire females (~all) –M->F desire males (~most) Sexual Orientation Gender Identity

Transsexualism n Etiology (unclear) –Not genetic disorder –Brain differences (prenatal hormones) »Zhou et a., M->F had female sized hypoth –Not adult hormones levels –Social learning

Transsexualism n Some satisfied with assuming the G Roles –Many want changed body and G Roles n Sex reassignment surgery (SRS) –1. Psychological therapy –2. Lifestyle change –3. Hormone therapy –4. Surgery »M->F easiest (arousal, O possible)

Male to Female Transsexual

Female to Male Transsexual n Sex reassignment –F->M hard (O increases)

SRS Outcomes (Cohen-Kettenis & Gooren, 1999) n Outcomes measures –Objective (employment, housing, relationships) –Subjective (gender dysphoria, life satisfaction) n Dozens of studies reveal positive outcomes –Majority satisfied with results of SRS »MF: 71%-87% »FM: 90%-97% –Unsatisfied due to improper diagnosis, poor real-life test, poor surgery

Reaction Paper IV : Transsexualism n How would you react if one of your classmates told you he or she had had sex reassignment surgery? If your date told you? What questions would you want to ask him or her?

Conclusion n Gender and sex different and at times inconsistent –Intersexuals, transsexuals n Gender identity influenced by social & biological forces –Gender more in the brain than between the legs