Lifespan Development Ch 11: Gender Roles and Sexuality

Biological sex

physical characteristics that define male and female

gender

incorporates features that society associates with or considers appropriate for men and women

gender roles

patterns of behavior that females and males should adopt in a particular society

gender-role norms

Society's expectations or standards concerning what males and females should be like

gender stereotypes

overgeneralized and largely inaccurate beliefs about what males and females are like that are created by society's gender norms

8 month old infants

have recognition of gender-stereotypic information

- boys spend more time looking at a truck

- girls spend more time looking at a doll

18 month old infants

have an understanding that they are either like other girls or boys

girls at 24 months of age

understand which activities are associated with males and females

2.5 - 3 year olds

children give verbal proof of their identity and are aware if they are a boy or a girl

- boys prefer trucks and cars

- girls prefer dolls and soft toys

young children acquire gender stereotypes

they acquire motives, values, and patterns of behavior that culture considers appropriate for members of their biological sex

children behave in gender "appropriate" ways

1. boys tend to choose "boy" toys and spend more time playing sports. girls tend to choose "girl" toys

2. children begin to favor same-sex playmates as early as 30-36 months of age

elementary school: gender segregation

separating themselves into boy and girl peer groups and interacting more with their own sex than other sex

gender role development evolves from the interaction of

1. biology

2. social experience

3. individual's behavior

androgenized females

girls prenatally exposed to excess androgens

Gender role development social learning theory

children learn masculine or feminine identities, preferences, and behaviors through 2 processes:

1. differential reinforcement

2. observational learning

observational learning

- children see which toys and activities for girls and which are for boys

- imitate individuals of their own sex

- learn from the media (internet, television, movies, video games)

cognitive theories - gender role development

- children must acquire understanding of their gender

- children actively socialize themselves with same-sex models and a range of information about how to act like a boy or a girl

Kohlberg gender role development

- believes children progress through 3 steps to acquire gender constancy:

1. basic gender identity

2. gender stability

3. gender consistency

basic gender identity

established by 2 or 2 1/2 years old

gender stability

around age 3

gender consistency

age 5-7, children realize that their sex is also stable across situations

Gender schemata theory

1. children are intrinsically motivated to acquire values, interests, and behavior consistent with cognitive judgments about self (similar to kohlberg)

2. self-socialization begins as soon as children acquire a basic gender identity (different than kohlberg)

Adhering to gender roles: Adolescents

- become highly intolerant of role violations

- stereotyped in their thinking about the proper roles of males and females in adolescence

Adhering to gender roles: Gender intensification

process where gender differences may be magnified by:

1. hormonal changes of puberty

2. increased pressure to conform to gender roles

transgender youth

transgender refers to individuals who identity with a gender other than their biological one

- multifaceted construct

- does not determine sexual orientation

transgender youth challenges

- 2/3 report bullying, harassment, and verbal abuse (may be abused by parents)

attaining sexual maturity

adolescents must:

- incorporate into their identities concepts of themselves as sexual males or females

- figure out how to express their sexuality in relationships

- become aware of one's sexual orientation

Sexuality: women

- women with higher rates of casual sex are more likely than men to experience:

1. depression

2. guilt/remorse following casual sex

sexuality: men

- men with higher rates of casual sex have some of the lowest levels of depression

sexuality: double standard

sexual behavior viewed as appropriate for males and is considered inappropriate for females

changes in sexuality

- 9/10 americans marry

- most have 1 sexual partner at a time

- married women report somewhat less satisfaction with their sex lives

- 75 to 85 year old men were twice as likely to be sexually active than women

- there's a decline in sexual desire with age

What can change sexuality in elders?

1. disease, disabilities, & drugs prescribed can limit sexual functioning

2. social attitudes that view sex in old age as ridiculous or inappropriate

3. lack of partner

Transgender

identifying with a gender other than your biological one

Non-binary

Gender nonconforming, does not fit into one of the two genders most societies have prescribed

Communality

an orientation that emphasizes connectedness to others and includes traits of emotionality and sensitivity to others

Agency

An orientation toward individual action and achievement that emphasizes traits of dominance, independence, assertiveness, and competitiveness; considered masculine.

Gender similarities hypothesis

males and females are more similar to one another than different

Females gsh research:

more likely to develop anxiety, depression, and eating disorders, greater verbal abilities on some verbal tasks, and greater memory ability of tasks including episodic and associative memory

Male gsh research:

outperform females on many tests of spatial abilities, more physical and verbal aggression, more active, and more likely to display antisocial behavior and drug/alcohol abuse

Social role theory

a theory that gender differences result from the contrasting roles men and women play in society

Biosocial theory

early biological developments influence how people react to a child, and these social reactions have much to do with children's assuming gender roles

androgenized females

girls prenatally exposed to excess androgens

gender constancy

understanding that our genders remain the same throughout our lives despite changes in appearance (3 steps)

gender stability

come to understand that their sex is stable over time (preschool age children)

gender consistency

come to understand that their sex is stable across situations (5-7 years old)

gender schemata

organized sets of beliefs and expectations about males and females that influence the kinds of information they will attend to and remember

sexual orientation

preference for sexual partners of the same or opposite sex or both

childhood gender nonconformity (CGN)

not adhering to the typical gender-role norms expected for members of one's assigned gender group

hookup

a casual, often brief, sexual encounter between two people who have often just met at a party and have little expectation of forming a romantic relationship

double standard

a rule or principle that is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups.

parental imperative

the requirement that mothers and fathers adopt different roles to raise children successfully

Androgyny

having both masculine and feminine characteristics

post traumatic stress disorder

clinical disorder involving nightmares, flashbacks, and feelings of helplessness and anxiety in the face of danger