1. Carroll Chapter 3
Gender

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

3. Gender Formation: Social Learning
Learn what it means to be a boy or girl
Social and cultural influences key
Gender roles
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)

4. Gender Formation: Social Learning
Media adds to/elaborates early GI (sexuality)
Magazines, TV, movies
MTV & music videos (key for youth)
What do music videos tell us about sexuality?

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

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

7. Group Activity V: Sex Surgery
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?

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

9. Gender Formation: Biology
Prenatal hormone exposure key for GI
Influences brain development -> later GI
XX - estrogen, XY - testosterone
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

10. Gender Formation: Biology
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

11. Transsexualism 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

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

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

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

15. Male to Female Transsexual

16. Female to Male Transsexual
Sex reassignment
F->M hard (O increases)

17. SRS Outcomes (Cohen-Kettenis & Gooren, 1999)
Outcomes measures
Objective (employment, housing, relationships)
Subjective (gender dysphoria, life satisfaction)
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

18. Reaction Paper V : Transsexualism
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?

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