Gender, Genes and Culture

Module 12: Human Nature and Cultural Diversity | Module 13: Genes, Gender and Culture

Why is social psychology rooted in evolutionary psychology?

• human beings are pre-wired to be social creatures

• humans are pre-wired to identify threats vs. allies

• although the main purpose of human beings is to have offspring, we are selective in our mates because we want offspring with desirable traits

What are the 3 most desirable traits we want our offspring to have?

beauty, intelligence, and some unique skill that sets them apart from others

What is kin selection?

when we are more likely to help family and encourage them to reproduce if they have desirable traits to pass on

What is culture?

a group of people with shared behaviors, ideas, beliefs, traditions, practices,

How does culture differ in a homogeneous society vs. a heterogeneous society?

culture is strong in a homogeneous society and diluted in a heterogeneous society

What are norms?

unwritten rules about how to behave

How are norms taught?

by modeling

What are norms often driven by?

gender

What results from breaking norms?

disapproval from others in your culture

What is an example of a norm?

personal space

Why do we like when people are similar to us?

it makes us feel comfortable

How are humans more alike than different?

• we all learn to walk around the same age

• we all learn to speak our respective languages around the same age

• there are very few differences in the anatomy of the brain

What are universal norms?

norms that exist within every culture

What are the 5 universal norms?

• friendship

• personality

• status

• criminal code

• social belief dimensions

How is friendship a universal norm?

all cultures value trustworthiness and loyalty in friends

How is personality a universal norm?

regardless of how they may differ, all cultures have a sort of personality to them

How is status a universal norm?

all cultures have some type of social hierarchy

How is criminal code a universal norm?

all cultures have certain norms that are so important they become law

How are social belief dimensions a universal norm?

all cultures have:

• cynicism vs. optimism

• social complexity

• reward for application

• spirituality

• fate control

What are the 2 unique universal norms that go into their own separate category?

incest taboo and war

How is incest taboo a universal norm?

all cultures believe incestual relationships are bad because they create genetic anomalies that could passed on for generations

How is war a universal norm?

certain rules and boundaries exist during war:

• fighting should happen between warriors; women, children, and elderly are off-limits

• if a warrior is injured, you take care of them, and if you can’t, you put them out of their misery

• the rules go out of the window when war is over, and the victors get the spoils

What does gender similarity focus on?

the 45/46 chromosomes that all humans have in common

What do gender differences focus on?

the 1 chromosome that differs between humans

How are males and females different in terms of social connection?

women are much more socially connected than men, as men are usually only socially connected in regard to group affiliation/membership

How are females more socially connected than males?

females…

• prioritize social relationships based on social connection

• are more socially organized

• are more concerned with harmony and good feeling than winning and losing

• will take careers with more social connectedness

• smile more

• have a superior range of empathetic responses

How are males and females different in terms of social dominance?

in most cultures, men are more socially dominant

How are males more socially dominant than females?

males…

• covet power and achievement

• are goal-driven and task-oriented

• tend to dominate politics

• prefer a black and white way of dealing with politics (conservative vs. liberal, right vs. wrong)

• usually do the asking out, driving, and paying

How are males and females different in terms of aggression?

males are seen as more aggressive than females

Why are males seen as more aggressive?

• in the U.S., for every 1 female incarcerated for a violent crime, there are at least 10 males incarcerated for that same crime

• for males, fighting to resolve a conflict is more socially acceptable

• for females, outward physical aggression is frowned upon and viewed as “unladylike,” so they use indirect methods (verbal, social, passive)

How are males and females different in terms of sexuality?

• in most cultures, men are more likely to initiate sex, fantasize about it, and have multiple partners

• sexual economics – women hold the power when it comes to sex, and men always have to exchange something in order to gain it (i.e. gifts, acts of service)

• women rarely have to pay for sex

• when women pay for male prostitutes, it’s rarely about sex, and more about feeling special and desirable

What are gender and mating preferences?

when we unconsciously look for specific genetic characteristics we want passed on, particularly physical appearance and health

What are examples of gender and mating preferences?

women look at jawline and teeth, men look at bust to hips to waist ratio

Why do women have a larger investment in mating?

they have to physically bear children

What kind of men do women look for?

those with striking physical characteristics balanced with traits that make them good caretakers of children

Why are younger women attracted to physical dominance in men?

they desire protection

What type of women are attracted to financially dominant women?

older

How are expectations for appearance different between males and females?

males simply have to maintain a good physique, while women go to great lengths to further their beauty, even if it’s painful

What does testosterone drive?

mating preferences

What does testosterone help men handle?

rejection

How is testosterone regulation different between males and females?

those in males are regulated within seconds, but those in females are regulated over 28 days (menstrual cycle)

How do men change as they age?

young men tend to be more domineering and assertive, and as they get older, they become more empathetic and less domineering

How does testosterone change in males when it comes to relationships?

testosterone is high in males when pursuing someone and initially dating them, then lowers once the relationship is committed

What are gender roles?

a set of expected behaviors based on societal and cultural norms

What are examples of gender roles?

females are expected to take care of the house, and males are expected to repair it

How do many cultures give boys wings and girls roots?

they teach boys to be independent, give them more freedom, and encourage them to make mistakes while they tie girls to tradition and keep them closer to home

What are the 4 major events in the U.S. that changed the way society views women and their roles?

• women’s suffrage

• women in the workplace (WWII)

• invention of birth control

• Title IX

How did women’s suffrage change society’s view of women and their roles?

it gave women the ability to shape law and allowed them to get voted into office

How did women in the workplace (WWII) change society’s view of women and their roles?

it proved women could do physically taxing tasks

How did the invention of birth control change society’s view of women and their roles?

it allowed women to have sex with little to no consequence

How did Title IX change society’s view of women and their roles?

when it came to education, women would get the same access and accommodations as men

neurotransmitters

communicators of the nervous system; talk through chemicals

Goldilocks principle

"just right"; perfect amount of neurotransmitters equals normal behavior

abnormal behavior

oversupply/undersupply of neurotransmitters

illicit drugs

temporarily create an undersupply or oversupply of neurotransmitters

lock and key

type of relationship between neurotransmitters and receptor sites; if all receptor sites are used, then the message is received

characteristics of a neurotransmitter

work quickly

serve a specific function

released next to an adjacent nerve cell

ACh

primary neurotransmitter for memory and learning

undersupply - Alzheimer's

serotonin

primary neurotransmitter with mood, hunger, and sleep

undersupply - depression

oversupply - mania

dopamine

primary neurotransmitter with muscle movement and mood

undersupply - Parkinson's

oversupply - Schizophrenia

glutamate

primary neurotransmitter for excitatory responses; speeds up nervous system

oversupply - migraines

GABA

inhibitory neurotransmitter; slows down nervous system

PEA

what causes people to find other people attractive; breathing and heart beat accelerate, pupils dilate; only lasts between 90 days and 6 months (works with oxytocin)

oxytocin

produces feelings of love (works with PEA)

reuptake

releases more neurotransmitters than we have receptor sites for; extra unused neurotransmitters are recycled to the axon terminal to be used later; makes sure you always have enough to keep things moving; replenishing now doesn't have to occur constantly

undersupply of neurotransmitters

reuptake didn't happen, and all these molecules are sitting there, waiting to be used

oversupply of neurotransmitters

reuptake was too quick and the message wasn't fully received to fix: you want to block reuptake

hormones

• messengers of the endocrine system

• very slow

• carried by bloodstream

• last longer and affect a much broader area of the body

pituitary gland

master gland; controls other glands and tells them to start secreting hormones; right under hypothalamus

pineal gland

produces/secretes melatonin (sleep)

thyroid gland

produces/secretes thyroxine

hypothyroidism

too little thyroxine is used; weight gain

hyperthyroidism

too much thyroxine is used; weight loss

adrenal gland

makes three hormones: adrenaline (opens up airways and rushes blood to muscles), noradrenaline (brings body's functioning back to normal), and cortisol (retains energy for fight/flight; stores calories; also releases from stress and causes weight gain)

ovary

produces estrogen and progesterone; regulates fertility cycle; develop secondary sex characteristics in females (puberty); retain and shave fat; cycles sync when females cohabitate; these characteristics start at puberty and run up until menopause

testes

testosterone is regulated within 28 seconds; can be made higher by having women treat him rudely and can be made lower by handing him a baby; drives sexual behavior and creates secondary sex characteristics (facial hair and deepening of voice)

sensation

raw information/stimuli taken in by senses; governed by sensory system