Module 13: Cultural and Gender Diversity: Understanding Nature and Nurture

Excess neural connections can still form at childhood

Why might a child find it easier to learn a language?

Selection Effect

Adolescents seek out peers who are similar to them personality-wise

Culture

The enduring behaviors, ideas, activities, values and traditions shared by one group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

moral values

Though we may differ in culture, humans share the same basic…

Norms

Understood rules for accepted and expected behavior, determine “proper” behavior

Tight cultures

Places with clearly defined and forced norms

Loose cultures

Places with flexible and informal norms

Individualism

A cultural pattern that emphasizes people’s own goals over group goals and defines identity mainly in terms of unique personal achievements

Collectivism

A cultural pattern that prioritizes the goals of important groups

Discover new things, express uniqueness

Life task of a person who follows individualism

Maintain relationships, fit in, perform role in life

Life tasks of a person who follows collectivism

Family Self

Common in Asian and African cultures, an individual’s actions reflects on their entire family. Children’s successes bring honor to their parents, and children’s failures cause shame to entire family

Sex

The biologically influenced characteristics by which people define male, female, and intersex (defined by body)

Gender

The behavioral characteristics that people associate with boy, girl, man, and woman (defined by mind)

Intersex

Possessing both male and female biological characteristics at birth

A combination of male and female chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy

What are intersex people born with?

Agression

Any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally (more common in men)

Relational Agression

An act of aggression (physical or verbal) intended to harm a person’s relationship or social standing (more likely to be committed by women)

Male Answer Syndrome

AKA mansplaining, man explaining something to women in a condescending and sometimes immature manner

• Genetically (different chromosomes)

• Physiologically (different set of hormones, causing anatomical differences)

Two ways biology influences gender (biology does not dictate gender)

X Chromosome

The sex chromosome found in female and males, females usually have two X chromosomes, males usually have one

Y Chromosome

The sex chromosome typically found only in males

Testosterone

Most important male sex hormone (males and females both have it, but males have more)

Growth of male sex organs during fetal period and development of male sex characteristics during puberty

What does the additional testosterone in males stimulate?

Androgen

Male hormone

Estrogens

Sex hormones, like estradiol, that contribute to female sex characteristics and are produced in greater amounts by females than males

Men or women may be prenatally exposed to unusually high levels of the hormone of the opposite gender, causing them to have typical interests of the opposite gender

One way sex hormones can influence wiring of the brain

Puberty

The period of sexual maturation, during which a person usually becomes able to reproduce

Primary Sex Characteristics

The body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible, develop during growth spurts throughout puberty

Secondary Sex Characteristics

Non-reproductive sexual traits, like female breasts + hips, male voice quality, and body hair

Spermarche

First ejaculation

Menarch

First menstrual period (predicted by genes and environment)

Role

A set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in that position should behave

Gender Roles

A set of expected behaviors, attitudes, and traits for men and women (can be influenced by culture or time period)

Sexual Agression

Any physical or verbal behavior of sexual nature that is unabated (intense) or intended to harm someone physically or emotionally, can be sexual harrassment or sexual assuault 

Gender Identity

Our personal sense of being male, female, neither, or some combination of male and female

Social Learning Theory

The theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished

Gender Typing

Acquiring/taking on a traditional masculine or feminine role

No matter what environment tells them, children may drift toward what feels right for them. But, some kids may take these rules more seriously

Children’s view on gender

Androgyny

Blending traditionally masculine and traditionally feminine psychological characteristics

Schemas

Concepts that help us make sense of the world

They organize experiences of male and female characteristics and help us determine our gender identity

Purpose of gender schemas

Transgender

An umbrella term describing people whose gender identity differs from that associated with their sex assigned at birth

Gender Dysphoria

Clinical levels of distress of the difference between a person’s expressed gender and their sex assigned at birth

Sexual Orientation

One’s sexual attraction

Make choices to defy those influences (ex. transgender people

We are not just the product of nature and nurture we can also…