1. Gender and Gender Roles
Chapter 5
Gender and Gender Roles

2. Sex, Gender, and Gender Roles
Sex: whether one is biologically female, male, or intersex
Genetic sex: chromosomal and hormonal sex characteristics
Anatomical sex: our physical sex; gonads, uterus, vulva, vagina, or penis
Gender: social and cultural characteristics associated with being male or female
Gender identity: gender one believes self to be 2

3. Sex and Gender Identity
Assigned gender
Based on anatomical appearance at birth
Gender identity
Internalized feeling of femaleness or maleness
Gender role
The attitudes, behaviors, rights, and responsibilities that society associates with each sex
Old term was “sex role”
Influenced by culture, age, ethnicity, other factors 3

4. Gender-Roles Gender-role stereotype: (video) Gender-role attitude:
A rigidly-held oversimplified belief concerning all males or all females
Gender-role attitude:
The belief one has for self and others concerning what’s appropriate for male or female traits
Gender-role behavior:
Activities or behaviors a person engages in as a female or male 4

5. Masculinity and Femininity
Sexes seen as polar opposites in traditional Western view, e.g. “opposite sex”
Different qualities associated with different genders (List contradictory qualities often expected in our cultures)
Sexism - discrimination
Some qualities are biologically based, some culturally based

6. Gender and Sexual Orientation
Gender, gender identity, and gender role are conceptually independent of sexual orientation
However, many assume they are closely related
Heterosexuality has been assumed to be part of masculinity and femininity
Therefore, some believe that gay men can’t be masculine and lesbian women can’t be feminine.

7. Gender and Sexual Orientation
Studies show a link between individuals’
Negative attitudes towards gay and lesbian people
And those individuals’ adherence to traditional gender roles
These negative stereotypes have fueled homophobia
"Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood." Correta Scott King

8. Gender Theory
Gender Theory developed as a field in the ’80s and ’90s to explore the role of gender in society
What is our relationship between our biological sex as male or female and our gender role as masculine or feminine?
Do we act the way we act because our gender role is bred in us or because of socialization?
Important in the social power structure, and is reliant on the concept than men and women are “opposite” sexes.

9. Gender Theory
Seeks to understand society through understanding how its organized by gender
Views gender as a basic element in social relationships
Examines socially-perceived differences between genders that are used to justify unequal power relationships

10. Gender Theory in Psychology
In psychology, gender theory focuses on:
How gender is created and what its purposes are
How specific traits, behaviors, and roles are defined as male or female
How gender creates advantages and disadvantages
Gender theory rejects the idea that gender differences are primarily biologically-driven
Operates from a social-constructivist framework
With more professional women in the workforce than men, how will gender theory predict the changing gender roles and characteristics among men and women?

11. Theories of Socialization
Cognitive Social Learning Theory
We learn behaviors via social interactions with others
Consequences control behavior (Punishment vs. Reward)
Cognitive Development Theory
While cognitive social learning assumes adults and children learn the same way, cognitive development theory stresses that people learn differently dependent on their age.

12. Cognitive Social Learning Theory
Emphasizes consequences as shaping gender related behavior
Cognition: Mental processes such as evaluation and reflection (examples, p.132)
Includes ability to use language
Anticipate consequences
Modeling (making observations)

13. Cognitive Development Theory
Focuses on children’s active interpretation of gender messages at various developmental stages
Children at age 2 can identify self as “boy” or “girl” based on superficial features
Argues that after age 6 or 7, motivation to act like one’s gender is primarily internal, and that gender-role behavior is intrinsic

14. Social Construction Theory
Gender is a set of practices and performances that occur through language and a political system.
Language – mediates and deploys how meaning power and gender will be expressed.
Queer Theories – identifies sexuality as a system that cannot be understood as gender neutral or by the actions of heterosexual males and females. Meanings of sexuality are socially constructed political systems to perpetuate white heterosexual men

15. Gender-Role Learning: Childhood and Adolescence
Parents as socializing agents (see p )
Manipulation
Channeling
Verbal appellation
Activity exposure
Connections between sons/daughters and fathers/mothers
Ethnic group variations

16. Gender-Role Learning: Childhood and Adolescence
Teachers as Socializing agents
Females are more common
Bias in presentation of topics
What roles did you learn in primary school ?
Peers as socializing agents
Play
Approval
Perceptions
Media

17. Gender Schemas: Exaggerating Differences
Interrelated ideas which help information processing
Cognitive organization of world by gender
Emphasize dichotomy
Minimize valuing of the individual
Typical Schema Senarios (p.137)
Activities
Emotions
Behavior
Clothing
Colors

18. Contemporary Gender Roles
Women’s roles have changed
Men’s roles have changed
Must include diverse groups
Egalitarian approach to gender roles

19. Traditional Male Gender Role
Aggressiveness
Emotional toughness
Independence
Feelings of superiority
Decisiveness
Power orientation
Competitiveness
Dominance
Violence

20. Traditional Male Sexual Scripts: Zilbergeld
Men should not have or express certain feelings
Performance is the only thing that counts
The man is in charge
A man always wants sex and is ready for it
All physical contact leads to sex
Sex equals intercourse
Sexual intercourse leads to orgasm

21. Traditional Female Gender Role
There are striking ethnic differences in female role
American middle-class Whites: women as wives and mothers. Recently includes work outside the home (rapid changes in the workforce)
African Americans: more egalitarian roles for men and women
Latinas: women subordinate to men out of respect

22. Traditional Female Sexual Scripts: Barbach
Sex is good and bad
It’s not okay to touch yourself “down there”
Sex is for men
Men should know what women want
Women shouldn’t talk about sex
Women should look like models
Women are nurturers: they give, men receive
There is only one right way to have an orgasm

23. Discussion Topic
Do our gender roles reflect an instinctive/biological nature or are they created by society?
What kinds of data, such as animal or anthropological studies, are needed to support such theories. What are their shortcomings?
Is male aggression and female nurturance biological or social in nature—or both. What evidence is there to support this assertion?

24. Changing Gender Roles Egalitarian position
Androgyny: flexibility in gender roles, combining elements of each traditional role
An androgynous lifestyle allow men and women to choose from a full range of emotions and behaviors, according to their temperament, situation, and common humanity rather than their “gender”

25. Contemporary Sexual Scripts
Sexual expression is positive
Sexual activities involve a mutual exchange of erotic pleasure
Sexuality is equally involving, and both partners are equally responsible
Legitimate sexual activities are not limited to intercourse but also include masturbation and oral-genital sex
Sexual activities may be initiated by either partner
Both partners have a right to experience orgasm, whether through intercourse, oral-genital sex, or manual stimulation
Non-marital sex is acceptable within a relationship context

26. Discussion Questions…
What gender-role attitudes and behaviors of the other sex they would like to see become more like your own ?
What are gender-role issues in relationships? How has your partners have led your to modify your gender-role attitudes and behaviors and vice versa?
How does ethnicity affects gender roles. Does ethnicity affect female/male gender roles equally?

27. Gender Variations
Intersexuality
Transexuality
Transgenderism 5

28. Intersexuality
Describes people who possess mixtures of male and female genitalia or reproductive physiology
Prevalence ranges from .0128% to 1.7% of population. Known until recently as “hermaphrodites”
Intersex used to refer to these variety of conditions where the sexual reproductive structures are not “typical”. Aka. Disorders of Sex development (DSD).

29. Chromosomal Anomalies: Turner Syndrome
Females who lack a chromosome: XO rather than XX
Occurs in 1/2000 live births
Female external appearance
No ovaries
Hormonal therapy
Assisted fertility (in vitro fertilization, donated ova)

30. Chromosomal Anomalies: Klinefelter Syndrome
Males who have extra X chromosomes: XXY, XXXY, or XXXXY rather than XY
Occurs in 1/600 live births
Variable effects; many men never diagnosed. Designated as male.
Small firm testes; double XX = some female physical traits
Lower testosterone levels

31. Hormonal Disorders: Androgen-Insensitivity Syndrome
Inherited condition occurring in 1/20,000 individuals
Genetic males whose tissues to not respond to testosterone, estrogen influence prevails
Female external genitals, no female internal organs
At puberty, develops hips and breasts, no pubic hair and no menstruation. Surgery may remove undescended testes
Many experience female gender identity

32. Hormonal Disorders: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (pseudohermaphroditism)
A genetic female (XX) with ovaries and a vagina develops externally as a male
Due to malfunctioning of adrenal gland
Occurs in 1/10-18,000 live births
At birth, child has ambiguous genitalia
In the past, doctors and families choose to assign female gender at birth
Gender role behavior typically male

33. Hormonal Disorders: DHT Deficiency (cannot convert Testosterone to DHT)
Internal male organs
Clitoris-like penis at birth
Undescended testes at birth
Testes descend at puberty and penis grows
Socialization ? – Biology can be a large determinant of gender identity among some intersexed individuals.

34. A Related Condition: Hypospadias
Urethral opening located at non traditional location
Urethra exists on underside of glans midway through the underside of the shaft or at the base of the scrotum
Occurs in 1/250 male births
Repair is possible

35. Gender Identity Disorder
Defined by the APA as a strong and persistent cross-gender identification and persistent discomfort about one’s assigned sex (2000)
Diagnosis not associated as hormonal or physiological
Requires experience of distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning 6

36. Gender Identity Disorder
The goal of treatment for people with GID is “lasting personal comfort with the gendered self”
Treatment is individual and multifaceted; can affirm cross-gender identification through:
Psychotherapy
Real-life experience living externally as desired gender
Hormonal therapy
Sex-reassignment surgery

37. Transsexuality Gender identity and sexual anatomy are not congruent
Prevalence of transsexuality unknown: estimated 1/12,000 males and I in 30,000 females
May occur with heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual orientations
Gender reassignment

38. Transgender Phenomenon
Transgender community embraces possibility of numerous genders and multiple social identities
Other cultures recognize multiple genders
Paradigm shift of gender dichotomy
Employment protection is rising for the transgendered.

39. End of Presentation