2.  Gender: refers to the sex of an individual, either male or female › Bio trait fixed by genes b/f birth  Gender Roles: widely accepted societal expectations about how males & females should behave › Appropriate & normal behavior › Not genetically determined › Product of bio & social factors › Observe & describe › Function as norms or standards › Ostracized if violate

3.  Gender Stereotypes: gender roles become rigid, fixed, oversimplified beliefs about ways men & women ought to behave › Traditional man breadwinner, female homemaker › Females: warm, emotional, dependent, gentle, helpful, patient, submissive, interested in arts, care for children, cook › Men: independent, competitive, tough, protective, logical, competent at business, math & science › Widespread, in 30 countries  Men: wise, courageous, aggressive, dominant, arrogant, unemotional  Women: dependent, submissive, weak, emotional, foolish, sensitive

4.  Physical Differences: › Sex characteristics › Size  Cognitive Differences: › Stereotype men more intelligent › Stereotype men greater knowledge of world affairs, science, industry › Girls acquire language faster › Boys more reading problems in US than girls › Men better with visual images & visual-spatial abilities in math, science, map reading › Computational ability basically same

5.  Explaining Gender Differences: › Usually small & getting smaller › Group differences › Cultural influence › Women entering male dominated careers

6.  Differences in Personality & Behavior: › Nurturance: affectionate care, more women › Communication Style:  Boys dominate in class discussion  Men talk less than women about feelings & personal experiences, intimate experiences  If do usually with a woman  Women most likely to offer understanding, support  Treated differently from birth

7.  Aggression: › Men fight more, war, physically longer & stronger › Hostile, threatening, verbal actions, challenges, threats, boasts, and demands, grabbing or destroying something, hitting, shoving › Men more likely to use physical aggression too › Women use indirect aggression

8.  Mate Selection: › Physical features: cleanliness, complexion, eyes, teeth, hair, muscle tone, steady gate › Men more swayed by physical appearance › Women more emphasis on dependability, kindness, fondness of children › Women look at social status, financial resources, dependability, education, intelligence › Men look at appearance, health, desire for home & children › Traits that ensure reproductive success › Socialization

9.  Gender Typing: gender role development › 2 ½ ideas about traits & behaviors being m › male or female  Bio View: genes & hormones › Genetics: traits that help you live get passed on  Men: visual spatial skills & aggression  Women: nonverbal communication skills & nurturance  Adjusted, male/female roles not as rigid in early societies, shared responsibility  Some use non-human animals to draw comparisons

10.  Hormones: › Brain:  Cognitive functions use both sides  Performed more quickly & efficiently by 1 than other  Usually right is better at visual spatial tasks  Usually left is better at verbal tasks  Producing speech solely responsibility of one or other  Lateralization: specialization of 2 sides of the brain  Occurs in fetal development  Influenced by sex hormones  May occur differently in boys & girls  Testosterone causes right side to develop further  Women show less lateralization than men

11.  Psychological Views: › Psychoanalytic Theory: gender typing explained in terms of gender ID, occur between 3-5  Children seek attention of parent of opposite sex, see other parent as rival, later don’t feel that way so ID with same sex parent out of guilt  Then comes to develop behaviors associated with own sex, models behavior  Problem:  most kids show gender roles earlier than 5

12.  Psychological Views: › Social Learning Theory: gender role behavior is acquired through 2 different learning processes, reinforcement & modeling  Reinforcement occurs when a behavior has good consequences, more likely to repeat  Or punished less likely to repeat  Starts early, as babies  Talk & read more to girls, rough house more with boys  Positive reaction to gender appropriate toys, not opposite  Toys they are given to play with  1 year olds equal in aggression, communication, but reaction by parents is different based on sex  By age 2 girls less aggressive, use words  Boys still aggressive, b/c it works

13.  Gender Typing: › Social Learning Theory:  Modeling: social learning through observation & imitation of others  More likely to model behavior of same sex parent or caregiver  More likely to receive praise for modeling same sex parent  Should be flexible, capable of change  Women working outside home, more women in college than men, female sports, men staying at home, men more nurturing & cooperative

14.  Psychological Views: › Gender Schema Theory: a cluster of ideas about physical qualities, behaviors, and personality traits associated with one sex or the other  Children play an active role in developing gender appropriate behavior  Develop their own concepts about gender & shape behavior to conform to gender concepts  Develop gender schema  Gender is such a strong force in our society that kids organize their perceptions around gender lines  Seek information about gender typed traits  Once schema is formed they strive to live up to it, judge themselves & others by it  Blend self concepts with gender schema of culture  Self esteem is higher if fits better  Also determine how important certain traits are to them

15.  Throughout time: › Western changed the most  Women: child rearing, Men: providers  Based on different bio characteristics  Women: less aggressive in mate selection, use adornment to make more attractive  Men: initiate relationship  Formerly rigid

16.  Modern Times: › Mid 20 th Century:  Women home, cook, clean, kids, devoted wife, needs of husband and children first, career & personal ambitions on hold, didn’t marry = shunned › Today:  2000, 70% women worked or trying to find it  57% moms work within 6 months of birth  Marrying later or remaining unmarried, 15% single in 2005  2005 less than ¼ of homes were married couples with kids  1970 40%  Families need 2 incomes  Stay at home dads  More flexible gender roles  Women in sports  Hair styles, jewelry, piercings, make up, less dresses/shirts

17.  Cultural Variation: › Ethnography: Margaret Mead explored how gender roles vary culture to culture  South Pacific  What is considered appropriate for men & women differs culture to culture  Gender differences learned, not inborn