Gender Role Development

Gender development

Happens before birth or right at birth, a person’s gender determines

• Name

• Clothing colors (pink, blue)

• How parents speak to them

• How infant is perceived by others

Masculine-feminine dichotomy

A person is either masculine or feminine

Gender identity

Identifying with either male or female, both, or neither

• Children show consistent gender identity at 2.5 years

• Typically consistent with biological sex

Gender dysphoria

When a person is uncomfortable identifying with their biological sex and prefers to identify with the other sex

Children’s understanding of gender

• 1 year old: differentiate between female/male

• 2 year old: using gender labels to label people

• 2-3 years old: acquire gender stereotypes esp w/ toys

• 4-5 years: activities and occupations

Genes

genetic material is contained on 23 pairs of chromosomes (46 total)

• 22 pairs of autosomes

• 1 pair of sex chromosomes

• XX for female, XY for male

Genotype

Genetic make-up

Phenotype

Observable characteristic, product of interaction between genotype and environment

Allele

Different variations of the same gene (from mother and father)

• Can have additive effects or unequal effects (dominant/recessive)

X linked inheritance

Males only have 1 X

• Recessive genes more likely to express in males

Gene expression

Some genes on autosomes cannot be expressed unless a pre-requisite is met, found on sex chromosomes

• Ex: gene for baldness is on autosome but needs high levels of testosterone to be expressed

Disorders of Sex Development (DSDs)

3 categories:

1. sex chromosome DSDs

2. 46, XX DSDs

3. 46 XY DSDs

Aneuploidy (Sex chromosome DSD)

Zygote does not have 2 sex chromosomes

• 1 X or more than 1 X and 1 Y (XXY, XYY)

• Cannot be Y only —> not enough to survive

• Results from error in sperm/egg/division of cells after conception

• Such errors are less likely to result in miscarricages than errors in autosomes

Turner syndrome (Sex chromosome DSD)

Abnormalities in physical development: short stature, cardiac problem, gonadal dysgensis

• Estrogen replacement therapy starts in adolescence

Klinefelter syndrome

• 47, XXY

• Undervilirization: reduced physical masculinization

46, XX, DSD

Genetically female but physical appearance is masculinized because of exposure to hormones

• Ex: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) where high levels of androgens are produced and main cause of ambigous genitalia

46, XY, DSDs

Genetically male but do not develop completely male-typical appearance

• Ex: Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), problem w/ androgen receptor because body does not respond to testosterone

• Ex: 5-α-reductase deficiency (5-α-RD), enzyme required to produce hormone for masculinization of external genitalia is missing