Gender Development, Adolescence and Adulthood

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Gender Development, Adolescence and Adulthood
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Where does gender come from?

• Biological and Social Influences

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Whats the difference between sex and gender?
Name Address Sex?
Name Address Gender?
Male
Female
Biology determines all sex differences, but only
some gender difference.
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Where does gender come from?

• Biological influence

A few of the behavioral differences between
genders can be explained by biology, but a great
many cannot.
Social influence Gender Socialization

• Does it begin before birth?
• Gives you stuff to hang on your gender schema

9-11 months recognize gender difference 3-4
years - gender identity (am I a boy or a
girl?) 5-7 years - RIGID gender roles Midlife
(45) gender roles relax
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When does adolescence begin?

• Biological influence Puberty

Until Puberty Androgens/estrogens equal in boys
and girls Puberty A person becomes capable of
reproducing. Androgens (male hormones) are now
higher in boys estrogens (female hormones) in
girls, but we still both have both.
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What happens in adolescence?

• Biological influence Brain Changes

• In addition to visible physical changes of
  puberty, the BRAIN changes.
• Growth of new brain connections,
• pruning of unused brain connections,
• especially in pre-frontal cortex (judgment,
  controlling impulses, planning, emotional
  processing)

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When does it end?
18-25 Are you an adult? Yes and No
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Are adolescents angry, rebellious, mean to their
parents and low in self-esteem?

• Actually no. Children of baby boomers are
  close to their parents, are confident, have
  friends and a sense of purpose in life, but...

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Do adolescents have any problems?

• More often than at other times in life
• moody,
• disagree with parents,
• break rules and
• take risks.
• Some gender difference Boys more often
  externalize (aggression) and girls more often
  internalize their feelings (withdrawal, eating
  disorders).

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Erik Eriksons Stages and Crises

• Trust vs Mistrust first year
• Autonomy vs shame and doubt toddler
• Initiative vs guilt preschool
• Competence vs inferiority school-age child
• Identity vs role confusion adolescence
• Intimacy vs isolation young adulthood
• Generativity vs stagnation middle age
• Ego integrity vs despair late adulthood

Erikson For best results, resolve each crisis on
time and in order! But Erikson knew, not everyone
does and things are different in different
cultures.
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Life Transitions and the Social Clock

• Different cultures and different historical
  periods have different social clocks (that tell
  you when to get married, when to go to school,
  when to retire or have children) and some are
  more flexible than others, but we still see some
  patterns and transitions in adult life

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Emerging Adulthood 18-25? 30? ?

• Clearer in some cultures, but in ours, when do
  you become an adult?
• Move a lot
• Lots of risky behavior
• Still free and exploring (unless restricted by
  parenting, poverty, religion, culture, etc.)

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Middle Adulthood 35-65

• Prime of Life for both men and women
• Healthy
• Psychologically and physically
• Productive in work
• Connected to family and community
• Decline in estrogen/testosterone
• More extreme in women menstruation ends
• Lower sperm count for men, and some disorders
  like schizophrenia more common in children with
  fathers over 50

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Late Adulthood (Old Age)

• When does it begin? Later and later all the time.
• Are older people lonely, depressed, forgetful,
  and slow thinkers? .No!

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Late Adulthood (Old Age)

• IF you remain active,
• Numeric and verbal ability remain steady into 80s
• Slight decline in verbal memory greater decline
  in spatial orientation, perceptual speed
• Fluid intelligence (deductive reasoning, problem
  solving) and crystallized intelligence (content)
  stay the same or improve!
• Problems like depression, senility, weakness
  often caused by medication interactions or
  inactivity (mental and physical)