Gender Roles Chapter 16

Some Definitions Sex—the biological category of male or female; sexual intercourse Gender—cultural, social, and psychological meanings associated with masculinity or femininity Gender roles—behaviors, attitudes, and personality traits designated either masculine or feminine in a given culture Gender identity—A person’s psychological sense of being male or female Sexual orientation—direction of a person's emotional and erotic attractions

Gender Role Stereotypes The beliefs and expectations people hold about the typical characteristics, preferences, and behaviors of men and women In the US, when men and women accept the female stereotype more positively than the male stereotype, “benevolent sexism” results. Contributes to gender inequality. There is a high degree of agreement on the characteristics associated with each sex among people of many different cultures (Williams, 1999; Best, 2001).

Gender Related Differences Differences do not mean deficiencies Overall: men and women more similar than different Three main areas of gender differences Personality Cognitive abilities Sexual attitudes and behaviors

Personality Differences No significant differences between men and women have been found on most characteristics Women tend to be more nurturant than men Men tend to be more assertive than women

Cognitive Differences No differences for most cognitive abilities Verbal, reading, and writing—females consistently score higher Spatial skills—males outscore females on mentally rotating objects, females score better on remembering locations of objects Math Skills—males score slightly better than females but the average difference very small (Georgiou, 2007)

Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors Reported differences between males and females in these areas have become less pronounced since the 1960s Recent meta-analyses indicate that men tend to have more sexual partners, experience first intercourse at an earlier age, and masturbate more frequently than women.

Gender Role Development Between ages 2-3 years, children can identify themselves and other children as boys or girls. The concept of gender or sex, however, is based more on outward characteristics such as clothing Toddler girls tend to play more with dolls and ask for help more than boys Toddler boys tend to play more with trucks and wagons, and tend to play more actively After age 3 years we see consistent gender differences in preferred toys and activities

Social Learning Theory Gender roles are acquired through the basic processes of learning, including reinforcement, punishment, and modeling

Some Definitions Gender schema theory—the theory that gender-role development is influenced by the formation of schemas, or mental representations, of masculinity and femininity Intersexed—condition in which a person’s biological sex is ambiguous, often combining aspects of both male and female anatomy and/or physiology. Transgendered—condition in which a person’s psychological gender identity conflicts with his or her biological sex. Transsexual—a transgendered person who undergoes surgery and hormone treatments to physically transform his or her body into the opposite sex.

Gender Schema Theory An example of how a child forms a schema associated with gender. A girl is offered a choice of 4 toys to play with. I am a girl Toy car Doll Orange Artichoke Approach object Who for? Is it relevant to me? Avoid/Forget Assign to category and remember/ Approach Not for me For me Boys Girls

Human Sexuality Sexuality both private and public. The human sexual response cycle was first mapped by sex research pioneers William Masters and Virginia Johnson during the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Sexual Orientation Sexual orientation—direction of a person's emotional and erotic attractions Heterosexual—sexual attraction for the opposite sex Homosexual—sexual attraction for the same sex Gay—typically used to describe male homosexuals Lesbian—typically used to describe female homosexuals Bisexual—sexual attraction for both sexes

Determination of Sexual Orientation Genetics—role suggested by twin and family studies Brain structure—differences found in hypothalamus of homosexual and heterosexual men Complex issue with no clear answers

Some General Findings Sexual orientation is an early-emerging, ingrained aspect of the self that probably does not change No consistent relationship between orientation and childhood experiences (e.g., parenting, abuse, sexual experience) Controversial findings suggest a possible relationship among prenatal stress, androgens, and the development of brain systems that play a role in sexual attraction

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) STD—any of several infectious diseases transmitted through sexual intercourse or other sexual contact Of the 19 million cases of STDs diagnosed annually in the US, about half are among those aged 15 to 24 Many STDs have mild or no symptoms, yet left untreated can cause serious health problems

AIDS Epidemic Acquired immune deficiency syndrome—caused by exchange of bodily fluids (blood, blood products, semen) containing the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which attacks and weakens the immune system HIV can stay in the body for many years without apparent symptoms As the HIV attacks the immune system, the person becomes very susceptible to other opportunistic diseases (pneumonia, cancers) Highest risk groups are gay men, IV drug users sharing needles, and people with multiple sex partners

Prevention and Treatment There is currently no cure for AIDS, but it can be treated with complex “drug cocktails,” which improve quality and duration of life, but have many side effects and are extremely expensive Prevention is possible using condoms, not engaging in other high risk behaviors such as sharing needles, and improved blood screening and infection control in health care settings.

ABCs of Preventing STDs A=Abstinence B=Be faithful C=Condoms