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Sex Roles: physiological status of being Sex vs. Gender Roles???? Gender Roles: ways of behaving thought to be typical of the sex to which a person belongs. Set by society norms Sex Roles: physiological status of being male or female.
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Sex vs. Gender Roles????Gender Roles: ways of
behaving thought to be typical of the sex to
which a person belongs.
Set by society norms
Sex Roles: physiological status of
being male or female.
First thing parents want to know
about child is gender.
Even in womb
gender becomes most
important characteristic of baby.
Gender of person is determined
by which sex organs
As child grows he or she will form attitudes and ideas about their gender. Their gender role will be influenced by both biological and social factors.
Times change
gender roles are becoming less
strict. Women are being
accepted in roles
traditionally male dominated.
Men enjoy
things once
considered feminine,
like
caring for children.
Gender Roles in United States and Other Western Cultures
• Women• Gentle• Dependent• Emotional• Weak
• Men• Aggressive• Independent• Dominant• Strong
Even newborns, who show no gender differences at all
are described with these terms.
Gender Identity Formation
• Complex process through which children incorporate biological and social factors of gender into their behaviors, attitudes, and self-understanding.
• Includes two processes: Gender-Identity Development & Sex-Typing or Gender Role Acquisition.
Sex Typing or Gender-Role Acquisition
Process through which children learn what society expects based on gender
Come to exhibit personality traits, behaviors, interests, and attitudes related to their gender.
Boys more rigidly sex-typed than Girls
Gender stereotypes are socially determined
models which contain cultural beliefs about
what gender roles should be. Each
society has its own stereotypes of what “perfect” gender role
is.
Gender Constancy
• Understanding that gender is permanent characteristic
• Can’t be altered by changing clothing or cutting hair.
Gender Identity Disorder• Any disorder in which
there is conflict between actual sex of person and sex which he or she identifies.
• Relates to transgender people - people who bend or challenge gender roles.
Do Gender Roles Have Biological or Social Roots?
Heated topic among psychologists & sociologists. Seem to agree that both biology & society play part in gender identity, but how much is still debatable.
Nature Nurture
Biological View• Testosterone and estrogen are hormones that
occur naturally in both sexes. • Higher levels of testosterone create aggressive
tendencies. Since males produce more testosterone, may be why males often more aggressive than females.
Testosterone Aggression
• Changes in estrogen levels throughout month can cause mood swings, which contributes to stereotype
women are more emotional.
Estrogen Mood Swings
Body structure is another biological difference. Males tend to have larger body builds and more muscle tissue than females, though females tolerate more pain than males. Females has larger limbic systems, controlling emotion. Females have larger temporal lobes, controlling language. Males have more grey matter in brain.