1. Chapter 5 Gender Issues

2. Sex and Gender Definitions
genetic, anatomical
Gender
psychosocial meaning of maleness and femaleness
Gender Identity
subjective sense of being male or female
Gender (Sex) Role
cultural norms for male and female behavior

3. Gender-Identity Formation
Typical prenatal differentiation
23 human chromosomes
22 autosomes and 1 sex chromosome
Chromosomal sex
XX: female XY: male
DSS gene on X
SRY gene on Y
Is our sense of being male or female based more on biological factors or on social learning?
What is the best treatment strategy for intersexed children who are born with an ambiguous mixture of male and female external genitals?

4. Typical Prenatal Differentiation
Caption: Gender Identity as a Biological Process: Typical Prenatal Differentiation

5. Typical Prenatal Differentiation
Gonadal sex
Ovaries or testes
Hormonal sex
Estrogens and androgens

6. Typical Prenatal Differentiation
Internal structures
Müllerian duct
Males – Vas deferens, seminal vesicles, ejaculatory duct
Wolffian duct
Females – Fallopian tubes, uterus, inner 1/3 vagina
External structures
Genital tubercle
Clitoris or penis
Labioscrotal swelling
Labia or scrotum

7. Prenatal Differentiation of Internal Structures
Caption: Prenatal development of male and female duct systems from undifferentiated (before sixth week) to differentiated.

8. Prenatal Differentiation of External Genitals
Caption: Prenatal development of male and female external genitals from undifferentiated to fully differentiated.

9. Homologous Sex Organs
Caption: Homologous sex organs

10. Sex Differentiation Of The Brain
Hypothalamus
Differentiates in pregnancy
Directs production of sex hormones
May influence sex differences and sexual functioning
Cerebral hemispheres
Corpus callosum

11. Parts of the Brain
Caption: Parts of the brain: (a) cross section of the human brain showing the cerebral cortex, corpus callosum, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland; (b) top view showing the left and right cerebral hemispheres. Only the cerebral cortex covering the two hemispheres is visible.

12. Atypical Prenatal Differentiation
Intersexed
True hermaphrodites
Pseudohermaphrodites
Sex chromosome disorders
Turner’s syndrome XO
Klinefelter’s syndrome XXY

13. Atypical Prenatal Differentiation
Disorders affecting prenatal hormonal processes
Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS)
Fetally androgenized females
DHT-deficient males

14. Atypical Prenatal Differentiation
Caption: Summary of some examples of atypical prenatal sex differentiation.

15. Social Learning Influences on Gender Identity
Firm gender identity by age 3
Mead study
Culture determines gender role
Long-term case studies by Money
Psychosexually neutral at birth
Follow-up of Money’s cases by Diamond
Another case often overlooked (Bradley)
Long-term problems with surgical reassignment
Assume that you are the leader of a team of health professionals who must decide the best treatment for an intersexed infant. Would you assign a gender identity and perform the surgical and/or hormonal treatments consistent with the assigned gender? If so, what gender would you select? Why? If you would decide not to assign a gender, what kind of follow-up or management strategy would you suggest during the child’s developmental years?

16. The Interactional Model
Nature
Biological determinants
Nurture
Social learning and the environment
Acknowledge the interaction of both
Relative roles are still unclear

17. Transsexualism and Transgenderism
Transexualism
Gender identity is opposite to biological sex
Transgendered
Appearance and/or behavior does not conform to traditional gender roles
Variations of transgendered behaviors
Intersexed people
Gender Identity vs. sexual orientation

18. Transsexualism Etiology Options Outcomes
Gender blending/cross-dressing
Psychotherapy
Sex reassignment
Outcomes

19. Gender Roles Gender-based stereotypes (North American)
Males
Independent and aggressive
Females
Dependent and submissive
Recent trend away from rigid stereotypes
Women less entrenched than men in rigid gender-role stereotypes
Ethnic variation in gender roles

20. Gender Roles Agents of Socialization
Parental expectations
Peers
School teachers and textbooks
Television and gender-based stereotypes
Religious training

21. Gender Role Expectations
Women undersexed, men oversexed
Men initiate, women receive
Women as controllers, men as movers
Men are unemotional and strong
Women are nurturing and supportive

22. Androgyny Transcending Gender Roles
Having characteristics of both sexes
Benefits
Drawbacks
May show more flexibility and comfort with sexuality