1. Lecture Overview Sex and Gender Transvestism & transexuality
Sexual Orientation: How is it formed?
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2. Sex & Gender: Important/Confusing Terms
Sex: biological maleness or femaleness including chromosomal sex
Gender: psychological & sociocultural meanings added to biological sex
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3. Let’s start with Sex: Genetics. X from mother, Y from father
Mullerian ducts = female ; Wollfian ducts= male
SRY gene (sex determining region) on Y chromosome
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4. Dimensions of Sex & Gender
Sex Dimensions Male Female
1. Chromosomes
2. Gonads
3. Hormones
4. External genitals
Internal accessory organs
XY XX
Testes Ovaries
Androgens Estrogens,Progesterone
Penis, scrotum Labia, clitoris,
vaginal opening
Prostate, seminal Vagina, uterus,
vesicles, fallopian tubes,
vas deferens cervix
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5. Early circulating hormones affect the hypothalamus
Prenatal hormones--affect fetal brain development
Do they affect sexual orientation?
Do early circulating hormones affect gender identity?
(Testosterone aromatizes to Estrogen)
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6. Gender Dimensions
Gender identity (self-defined) : Am I a boy or a girl? Gender role ( socially-defined): How shall I behave?
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7. Gender Identity Formation
Gender Identity: self-identification as being either a man or a woman
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8. Gender Role Development
Gender Role: societal expectations for “appropriate” male & female behavior
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9. Gender development?
Gender labels: Recognize difference between boys and girls ( around 30 months of age)
Gender stability: I am a girl and will remain a girl (around 5)
Gender constancy: Gender is consistent across all situations
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10. Two Theories of Gender Role Development
Social-learning theory of gender role development: suggests gender roles develop as children:
receive rewards &/or punishments for gender role behaviors & attitudes
observe & imitate the behaviors & attitudes of others
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11. Two Theories of Gender Role Development
Gender Schema Theory: combines social learning & cognitive processing; children form gender schemas (mental blueprints) of “correct” behaviors for boys vs. girls
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12. Theories of Gender Role Development
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13. Transsexual: mismatch between gender identity& gonads, genitals, or internal accessory organs
Transvestite: individuals who cross-dress for emotional &/or sexual gratification; from Latintrans, meaning “to change,” & vestire, meaning “clothing”
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14. Sex & Gender:
Sexual Orientation: primary erotic attraction toward members of same sex (homosexual, gay, or lesbian), both sexes (bisexual), or other sex (heterosexual)
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15. Biology, gender, sexual orientation
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia in girls
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16. Biology, gender, sexual orientation (cont.)
Guevedoce in Dominican Republic
AIS (androgen insensitive syndrome)
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17. Amazing case of David Reimer
Money and Ehrhardt, Johns Hopkins Hospital
David
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18. Male External Sex Organs
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19. Sex Differences
Physical anatomy: height, weight, body build, reproductive organs
Functional & structural brain differences:
hypothalamus
corpus callosum
cerebral hemispheres
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21. Gender Differences Cognitive abilities
Women score slightly higher on verbal skills.
Men score slightly higher on math & visuospatial skills.
Aggression
Men exhibit greater physical aggressiveness.
Women supposedly higher on relational aggression, but no clear differences.
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22. Sex & Gender: Important/Confusing Terms (Cont.)
Androgyny: combining characteristics typically male (assertive, athletic) with those considered typically female (yielding, nurturing); from Greek andro, meaning “male,” & gyn, meaning “female”
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23. Sexual Behavior: Sexual Orientation
Myths of Homosexuality:
Seduction theory--gays & lesbians seduced in childhood by adults of same sex
“By default” theory--gays & lesbians unable to attract partners of opposite sex
Poor parenting theory--gay men = domineering mothers, weak fathers; lesbian women = weak or absent mothers
Modeling theory--children imitate gay or lesbian parents
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24. Biological basis of homosexuality
Childhood gender nonconformity
Michael Bailey twin studies
Simon LeVay and the INAH3
2D :4D ratio
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25. Yet the environment is important
Bem: traits are inborn and then get labeled and reinforced
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26. The Study of Human Sexuality
Alfred Kinsey--among the first to use surveys & interviews to study sexual practices & beliefs.
Masters & Johnson-- early scientists who used experimentation & direct observation to study the sexual response cycle.
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