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Gender Issues

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Gender Issues Varying perspectives on what it means to be a male or female Big Confusing Questions What does it mean to be a male or female in our society? – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Gender Issues


1
Gender Issues
  • Varying perspectives on what it means to be a
    male or female

2
Big Confusing Questions
  • What does it mean to be a male or female in our
    society?
  • Are the behavioral preferences of males and
    females based on biology or culture?
  • Do our societys attitudes and expectations hurt
    or help our sexual relations?

3
Definitions
  • SEX biological maleness or femaleness
  • genetic determined by chromosomes
  • anatomical obvious physical differences
  • between males and females

4
  • Gender psychological aspects of maleness or
    femaleness
  • Gender Identity the subjective sense of being
    either male or female
  • What sex you think you are, or really should be.

5
  • Gender Role attitudes and behaviors considered
    appropriate in a specific culture for people of a
    particular sex
  • Expectations we should fulfill
  • Masculine or Feminine
  • Vary widely from culture to culture but rapidly
    evolving

6
Forming a Gender Identity
  • Does it simply flow from anatomy?
  • For some of us, its not always that easy
  • For all of us, it all starts in our mothers
    womb, at the instant of conception, as prenatally
    we begin the tortuous path of sexual
    differentiation.

7
Chromosomal Influences
  • We receive 23 chromosomes from each parent.
  • Of these, 22 pairs are identical in structure.
  • The 23rd pair, the sex chromosomes, determines
    whether we are genetically male or female.

8
More Chromosomes
  • If we receive an X from both parents, we will be
    female (XX).
  • A y from our father, and we are male (Xy).
  • One gene on the y (SRY) leads to testes
    development.
  • Perhaps one gene on X (DSS) leads to the
    development of female characteristics. If so, we
    are not inherently female.

9
The Gonadal Stage
  • Males and females have identical gonads
    (reproductive organs) until about 6 weeks after
    conception when SRY or DSS spur their development
  • Once the testes or ovaries become functional
    their release of hormones controls further
    differentiation

10
The Crucial Role of Hormones
  • The gonads release the sex hormones into the
    blood stream
  • Ovaries produce
  • 1) estrogen a hormone which develops
    female sexual characteristics and regulates
    menstruation, as do
  • 2) progestational compounds

11
  • Testes release androgens which promote the
    development of male genitals and secondary sexual
    characteristics
  • Another hormone released by the testes,
    testosterone, also promotes sexual motivation
  • Both males and females produce the sex hormones
    typically associated with the other (testosterone
    and estrogen) but in much smaller quantities

12
Internal reproductive structures - males
  • At about 8 weeks after conception
  • Males androgens stimulate the woffian
    ducts to develop into the plumbing which will
    allow semen creation and transmission
  • another hormone causes the
    mullerian duct system to vanish

13
Female reproductive organs
  • Without the influence of androgen, mullerian
    ducts develop into female structures and the
    woffian duct system fades into nothingness

14
External reproductive structures
  • A product of testosterone DHT causes portions
    of the undifferentiated sex organs to fuse and
    form the scrotum and penis
  • Without DHT this fusion does not take place and
    the clitoris, labia minora, and labia majora form
  • By the 12th week, its all done and our sex is
    apparent

15
Brain Differentiation
  • For males, in the Hypothalamus, testosterone
    exposure leads to insensitivity to the effects of
    estrogen, preventing the establishment of the
    menstrual cycle at puberty
  • Also, some of its regions are much larger in
    heterosexual males than females

16
The Cerebral Cortex
  • Are differences between the sexes on verbal and
    spatial cognitive skills caused by differences in
    their cerebral cortexes?
  • Men appear to often rely on just one hemisphere.
  • Women have a thicker corpus callosum facilitating
    the use of both hemispheres

17
But theres more
  • Are there other reasons why men perform better on
    spatial tasks while women shine in verbal
    measures?

18
The power of Expectations
  • Recent research highlights the importance of
    psychosocial, not biological, influences.
  • Social Expectations girls do just as well as
    boys initially in science and math, but falter in
    high school.
  • Where they discouraged ?
  • Changing Expectations by the late 90s, the gap
    had largely vanished.

19
Atypical Differentiation
  • How, and why, do things go awry?
  • Hermaphrodites/Intersexed people who possess
    biological attributes of both sexes
  • Very few have both ovaries and testes, most have
    ambiguous anatomy but their gonads match their
    chromosomes and they are called pseudo
    hermaphrodites

20
Problems at the Chromosomal Level
  • Turners Syndrome
  • Just one sex chromosome X
  • Left with 45 rather than 46
  • Normal external female genitals but little or no
    evidence of ovaries/hormones
  • Despite that, feminine in interests and behavior
  • 1 of 2000 births

21
Faulty Chromosomes cont.
  • Klinefelters Syndrome
  • XXy occurs in 1 of 500 births
  • Anatomically male
  • Presence of extra X stops development of male
    structures, resulting in sterility
  • No interest in sex, no testosterone
  • Tall, rounded, feminine, but content as males

22
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome
  • An otherwise normal male, unaffected by prenatal
    exposure to androgen
  • Results in female genitals, including a shallow,
    but nonfunctional vagina
  • Raised as girls, they assume a female gender
    identity and thrive as females

23
Fetally Androgenized Females
  • Chromosomally normal females exposed to excessive
    androgens
  • At birth genitals appear to be male
  • Corrected by minor surgery, most still reject a
    female gender identity with some assuming a male
    gender identity and behavior

24
DHT-Lacking Males
  • Males who cannot produce crucial DHT
  • Result female appearing external genitals, at
    least initially
  • Typically raised as girls, they suddenly sprout
    into males at puberty
  • In one study, 16 of 18 cast off their female
    gender identity and happily assumed male sex roles

25
The Puzzle of Gender Identity
  • Why do we think we belong to one sex, even though
    our anatomy tells us differently?
  • Evidence, both cross-cultural, and otherwise,
    points to the importance of social-learning
    forces.

26
Social-Learning Influences
  • Familial expectations (blue room vs. pink room)
    start before birth
  • Familial perceptions/interpretations vary
  • Familial responses vary similarly
  • By 3, most of us have a firm gender identity, and
    reinforcement momentum builds as kids mimic
    same-sex parent

27
Cross-Cultural Evidence
  • Margaret Meads ground-breaking studies
  • In Mundugumor, both sexes are aggressive,
    insensitive Masculine ?
  • In Arapesh, both sexes are nurturing and gentle
    Feminine?
  • In Tchambuli, we find a reversal of our customary
    sex roles
  • Therefore, its more culture than biology

28
Are We Sexually Neutral at Birth?
  • In the 1960s, Dr. John Money at John Hopkins
    thought so
  • Intersexed infants were surgically fixed to
    have female genitals, regardless of their
    chromosomal sex
  • Its easier to make a functional vagina than a
    penis
  • Initially, this approach seemed to work

29
Chromosomes Win Out
  • As these individuals matured, some of the
    children assigned a sex at odds with their
    chromosomes rejected their expected gender
    identity
  • The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl
  • Since the social learning model obviously has its
    limits, now even John Money endorses an
    interactional model

30
Transsexualism Transgenderism
  • Transsexual (TS) someone whose gender identity
    is opposite to their biological sex
  • TSs feel that their biological sex is mistaken.
    Many seek sex-reassignment, many do not.

31
  • Transgendered (TG) people whose appearance
    and/or behaviors do not match traditional gender
    roles.
  • TGs behave in a way that flouts societys
    expectations. Often, they cross-dress.
  • TGs do not seek sexual reassignment surgery.

32
Gender Dysphoria
  • Some, but not all, of TSs and TGs experience
    gender dysphoria unhappiness with their
    biological sex or expected sex role.

33
Gender Identity/Orientation
  • Sexual Orientation the sex we are emotionally
    and physically attracted to
  • Gender Identity the sex we believe we belong
    to, even despite biology
  • Most TSs are attracted/oriented to those who
    share (pre-surgery) their anatomy
  • But some male to female TSs prefer females

34
Gender-Identity Disorder
  • According to DSM IV TR, to fit the
    Gender-Identity Disorder tag, individuals must
  • 1) have pervasive cross-gender beliefs,
  • 2) dysphoria
  • 3) lack a physical intersex condition,
  • 4) show great distress and problems
    functioning in society and at work

35
Transsexuals Why?
  • Most have no problems with chromosomes or anatomy
  • 90 lack any hint of mental illness
  • While at first 75 were male, this gap has
    narrowed
  • Most develop their desire to change sexes in
    childhood
  • Dating!

36
Fine, But Why?
  • We still dont know, two theories exist.
  • Hormonal prenatal exposure to inappropriate
    levels alters brain differentiation But most
    are normal.
  • Social Learning children are conditioned to
    behave in a manner consistent with the other sex
    and reinforced for mimicking other sex parent.

37
OK(?) What Do We Do?
  • Perhaps psychotherapy can alleviate the need for
    reassignment surgery. But often it cant, leaving
    no choice but
  • SEX-REASSIGNMENT SURGERY

38
PROTOCOL
  • 1) Interviews
  • 2) Living the life for a year or longer
  • 3) Hormone therapy reverse secondary sexual
    characteristics, and, finally,

39
The Surgery
  • Works better for male to female switch
  • Penis tissue becomes the vagina
  • Some can even experience arousal and orgasm
  • Additional surgery can change the pitch of their
    voice

40
Female to Male
  • Breasts, uterus, ovaries removed
  • Vagina sealed, penis constructed but no
    erection from sexual arousal
  • Does it work?
  • Most report a significant increase in their
    overall adjustment to life

41
Cultural Gender Roles
  • Men assertive, logical, competitive, competent
  • Women submissive, warm, nurturing, emotional
  • Most psychologists argue that our gender roles
    arise from socialization our learning
    histories, through which we accept our societys
    expectations for our behavior

42
The Socialization of Sex Roles
  • Who and what shapes our assumed sex roles?
  • Parents often have differing expectations for,
    and treatment of, boys and girls
  • Encourage or discourage certain toys
  • gender appropriate
    play
  • But today sports are pushed for both

43
Other Socializing Forces
  • Peers
  • Voluntarily segregation, even in pre-school
  • Reinforces sex-typing in play
  • Influence even increases in adolescence
  • Otherwise face social ridicule
  • Often produces stereotyping

44
  • Schools Textbooks
  • From the 70s to the early 90s, girls and boys
    were treated quite differently
  • Boys were encouraged to be assertive, received
    more tolerance when bad, more attention, help
    and praise
  • Girls praised for neatness not substance,
    encouraged to be dependent and to avoid math and
    sciences
  • Recently, these attitudes have shifted

45
  • Television
  • Also perpetuates gender stereotypes
  • Women are both underrepresented and presented
    stereotypically
  • Hope springs from The Wild Thornberrys, Alias,
    and Judging Amy
  • Marketing concerns should push this positive
    trend since women both watch and buy more

46
  • Religion
  • Promotes males as superior God, Pope, Bishop,
    Priest, etc.
  • Women portrayed as Eve, Virgin Mary
  • Encouraged to model roles such as educators,
    nurses, charity workers
  • Recently, many denominations have ordained women
    ministers and moved to eliminate masculine
    metaphors for God

47
Gender-Role Assumptions
  • Women as undersexed, mean as over
  • women have been told that they should not
    desire or enjoy sex
  • men should pursue every chance
  • unfairly limits both

48
More Assumptions
  • Men initiate, women respond
  • Men approach, ask out, pick up, make
    the move
  • Women respond with submission or rejection
  • Causes men to feel pressure and anxiety
  • Women may wish to initiate but feel pressure

49
Finally
  • Men as unemotional
  • Women as nurturing
  • Do these assumptions still prevail?
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