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) Sexual Orientation Gender Identity

13. Transsexualism Etiology (unclear) –Not genetic disorder –Brain differences (prenatal hormones) Zhou et a., 1995 - 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. Fausto-Sterling (1993) Gender & sex may be continuum not qualitative dimension –Female OR male –Many gradations from male to female Allows for various combinations Intersexuals physiologically & psychologically –5 sexes?

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

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

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

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

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

25. 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