1. Chapter 10 Gender Issues for adolescents

2. Gender and Gender Role n The sociocultural dimension of being male or female n Gender is a psychological phenomenon as determined by your own experience of your sex n Gender is a sociological phenomenon as determined by the structure of the society in which you live: matriarchy/pat

3. Gender Role n A set of expectations that prescribes how females and males should think, act, and feel. n How should a woman behave in our culture? n How should a man behave in our culture? n Different/same over the years? Why?

4. Biological influences on gender n Because of pubertal change, sexuality plays a more important role in gender development for adolescents than for children. n The body changes, the girl becomes the woman; the boy, the man n Macho boys, feminine girls n Expectations based on sex?

5. Biological influences on gender n Psychoanalytic school of psychology believes that anatomy is destiny n Your “gender” and “gender role” is a function of your anatomy n Your role as female or male is dictated by what’s between your legs or what’s not between your legs. n View is now passe

6. Biological influences on gender n Today’s developmentalists are interactionists n Both biological and environmental influences effect the experience of gender and gender role n Interactionism has become popular consistent with the changing roles of women in society over the years.

7. Biological influences on gender n Evolutionary psychology argues that gender differences are evolutionary adaptations produced psychologically so as to maximize survival of the gene pool n Is there an evolutionary reason to have a “male” role and a “female” role regardless of the sex doing the role?

8. Biological influences on gender n Evolutionary psychology viewpoint of gender differentiation has been criticized as it suggests there are some roles which maximize gene propagation and some roles which minimize gene propagation. n Criticisms about in the “gene propagation” argument. Controversial.

9. Social Influences on gender n Social roles of gender n Women as a submissive, less powerful gender; men as a more dominant, powerful gender n Gender hierarchies; patriarchy, matriarchy; influence on gender n Division of labor; sex-differentiated behavior. What is good? Bad? Effects?

10. Social influences on gender n Identification theory and social cognitive theory emphasize the adoption of parents’ gender-appropriate roles n We learn to be a man from our father; a woman from our mothers n Modeling appropriate gender-role behavior; effects on success of the child as a future mate?

11. Social influences on gender n Peers become adept at rewarding gender-appropriate behavior n Peers become skilled at punishing gender-non-appropriate behavior n What does education do to gender equality or is there such a thing in education? Math, language, good grades, expectations???

12. Social influences on gender n Television and its effects on teaching gender roles and the whole experience of gender in our culture n What is a competent male on TV? What is a competent female on TV? n Baywatch, Ali McGraw, soaps, Xena? n Hercules, Home Improvement? n Public TV and Home

13. Social influences and gender n Woman?

14. Social influences and gender n Man?

15. Cognitive influences on gender n Kohlberg proposed a cognitive developmental theory of gender development n Gender schema theory: individuals develop a schema for gender influenced by sociocultural standards and stereotypes of gender

16. Cognitive influences on gender n What is the schema for woman? n What is the schema for man? n Where do you learn this schema? n What is your own personal schema?

17. Old fashioned Sexism n Women are not as smart as men n Men are better bosses than women n Women are emotional and men are rational n Men are never emotional and don’t cry

18. Gender stereotypes n Gender stereotypes are widespread around the world n Many of these stereotypes emphasize the man’s power and the woman’s nuturance n Evolutionary psychology or a worldwide chauvanistic plot?

19. Gender similarities and differences n Obviously, physically different n How are they physically different? –Neurologically different –Hormonally different –Structurally different n Physically differences translated into physiological strengths and vulnerabilities

20. Gender similarities and differences n Cognitive differences –The debate between theorists concerning whether there is an actual cognitive difference between the sexes or not –Do men think differently than women? –Neurological evidence would suggest that women are more holistic processors of data than are men –Men better math; women better linguistic

21. Gender similarities and differences n Socioemotional differences –Females enjoy rapport talk, males enjoy report talk –Males are more physically aggressive; testosterone; effects on socialization –Number of friends usually larger for females; males in this society have been taught to be tough and not to complain –Femininity? Masculinity?

22. The War of the Sexes n Real? Not? Why? Why not? n Androgeny –the presence of a high degree of desirable masculine and feminine characteristics in the same individual –those who are most androgenous are most likely to be most well adjusted in our technological society

23. Androgeny n 1970s began experimentation with alternative roles of male and female n Androgeny as a logical extension of the changing nature of society, work, and culture n Androgenous individuals are competent and flexible and well adjusted n Culture dictates possibility of androgeny

24. Changing society and gender n Traditional roles are becoming increasingly more difficult to manage as the economic pressures drive us all into the workforce n The changing nature of work and egalitarianism is further dulling the differentiation between the sexes n Masculinity, testosterone, and society?

25. Changing society and gender n An alternative to androgeny is gender- role transcendence n Evaluation of a person not on gender role but on person’s characteristics n Again this is possible as a function of the society in which this occurs; some societies demand strictly defined and meticulously followed divisions.

26. Developmental junctures n Early adolescence is a time of very extreme psychological and behavioral differences between boys and girls n Girls become aware that their intense interest in intimacy is not always shared by males and not prized in a patriarchy n Feminist issues of what a society should be like.

27. Questions on Chapter 10? n Gender? n Gender Roles? n Adolescent experiences?