Title: Gender Issues
1Gender Issues
- Varying perspectives on what it means to be a
male or female
2Big 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?
3Definitions
- 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
6Forming 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.
7Chromosomal 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.
8More 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.
9The 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
10The 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
12Internal 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
13Female reproductive organs
- Without the influence of androgen, mullerian
ducts develop into female structures and the
woffian duct system fades into nothingness
14External 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
15Brain 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 -
-
16The 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
17But theres more
- Are there other reasons why men perform better on
spatial tasks while women shine in verbal
measures?
18The 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.
19Atypical 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
20Problems 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
21Faulty 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
22Androgen 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
23Fetally 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
24DHT-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
25The 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.
26Social-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
27Cross-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
28Are 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
29Chromosomes 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
30Transsexualism 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.
32Gender Dysphoria
- Some, but not all, of TSs and TGs experience
gender dysphoria unhappiness with their
biological sex or expected sex role.
33Gender 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
34Gender-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 -
35Transsexuals 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!
36Fine, 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.
37OK(?) What Do We Do?
- Perhaps psychotherapy can alleviate the need for
reassignment surgery. But often it cant, leaving
no choice but - SEX-REASSIGNMENT SURGERY
38PROTOCOL
- 1) Interviews
- 2) Living the life for a year or longer
- 3) Hormone therapy reverse secondary sexual
characteristics, and, finally,
39The 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
40Female 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
41Cultural 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
42The 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
43Other 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
47Gender-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
48More 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
49Finally
- Men as unemotional
- Women as nurturing
- Do these assumptions still prevail?