4.8 • +11k Ratings
Save
Print
Edit
This is an introduction to gender. We will briefly look into the topics set as part of the A-Level syllabus. These include sex and gender, androgyny, the BSRI, and the role of chromosomes and hormones, including atypical sex chromosome patterns. We will move on to cognitive, psychodynamic, and social learning explanations of gender. Finally, we will explore the influence of culture on gender roles and atypical gender development.
Since this topic is called ‘gender’ it will primarily focus on the societal conception of gender rather than biological differences between men and women (sex).
Gender is the cultural expression of our biological sex. Often, this is governed by societal stereotypes.
For example, in western societies, men are often expected to be more aggressive and women are expected to be more caring. In some cases, people do not feel that their sex matches the gender they are assigned by society, this is known as gender dysphoria.
Let’s take a look at what A-Level psychology can teach us about sex, gender, and androgyny.
Sex refers to the biological differences between males and females. This includes differences in chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy.
Difference between sex and gender, YB - StudySmarter Original
Gender refers to the psychological and cultural differences between males and females. This includes attitudes, behaviours, and social roles. These are often stereotypical and do not necessarily fit with someone’s personal experience of gender.
In this topic, we will explore the different explanations of gender development, including biological, cognitive, social, and psychodynamic explanations.
Androgyny is an expression of gender characterized by a balance of typically male and female characteristics. The key here is that androgyny implies an equal balance between both genders.
For example, a highly masculine woman would not be considered androgynous.
Bem’s 1974 Sex Role Inventory was developed to measure this. It consisted of 40 characteristics commonly identified as either ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’. Participants had to rate themselves on a 1-7 scale to identify if they were more masculine, feminine, or androgynous.
It is important to note that, although Bem’s study is called the ‘Sex Role Inventory’, he was actually studying what we understand today as gender. This is because he was not studying the biological differences between men and women, but the differences in their expression of gender stereotypes.
Sex refers to the biological differences between men and women. These differences take many forms:
Chromosomes: chromosomal structure differs in men (XY) and women (XX).
Hormones: these influence the development of reproductive organs and sexual characteristics, for example:
Testosterone: the hormone which controls the development of male sex organs
Estrogen: the hormone which controls the development of female sex organs.
Oxytocin: a hormone produced in much higher amounts by women and used in reproduction and birth.
Although most people conform to the XY / XX chromosome patterns, some people have atypical chromosomes. Two examples of this are Klinefelter's syndrome and Turner’s syndrome.
A syndrome affecting men, Klinefelter’s syndrome is when a person has an extra X chromosome. This is characterized by a lanky physique, small, infertile testes, and enlarged breasts. The syndrome affects one in every 660 males.
This is when women have only one X chromosome. This causes developmental abnormalities such as underdeveloped ovaries, shortness, and infertility.
Turner’s syndrome, YB - StudySmarter Originals
There are two cognitive approaches to gender that we’ll look at, Kohlberg’s theory and the gender schema theory.
One of the first explanations of gender development, Kohlberg’s theory states that gender develops in three stages:
Stage one - gender identity: at around two years old, the child begins to recognize their gender and the gender of others.
Stage two - gender stability: at around four years old, the child now understands that their gender is ‘fixed’ and that they will grow up to be a boy or a girl.
Stage three - gender constancy: at around six or seven years old, the child realizes their gender is consistent over time and situations. As such, they begin to behave in ‘gender appropriate’ ways and identify with people of the same gender.
A schema is a cognitive framework derived from experience which helps us to process information. Therefore, gender schemas are a set of beliefs and expectations about gender derived from experience. Gender schemas direct someone’s understanding of their own gender and gender-appropriate behaviour in general.
Gender norms, YB - StudySmarter Originals
The psychodynamic theory of gender is probably one of the most famous theories to come out of psychology. Freud’s Oedipus complex and Electra complex state that gender is a result of attraction to one parent and fear/jealousy of the other. This fear leads to identification and internalization, wherein children internalize the behaviours of their parents, essentially inheriting gender identity.
In the module, we discussed how social learning approaches combines learning theory with cognitive factors to explain behaviour. For example, using indirect and direct reinforcement to explain thoughts and behaviour.
Social learning theory explains gender by stating that ‘gender-appropriate’ behaviour, or behaviour that conforms to gender stereotypes, is likely to be rewarded and thus, reinforced. Indirect reinforcement of gender-conforming behaviour also takes place when children see it rewarded in others, such as on TV. Finally, children also identify with the people around them and model the gender roles they display in an attempt to ‘be like’ them.
As previously mentioned, culture and media can play a big role in gender formation. In this section on gender, we will explore the cultural differences in gender roles as well as the media’s influence on gender roles. This will include discussions surrounding the categorisation of gender in western media, where swaying from one of the ‘accepted’ gender roles will earn scorn, compared to others.
We will also discuss the role of media in gender roles, for instance, children watching ‘gender specific’ cartoons.
Gender is a social construct.
Sex is the biological difference between men and women.
Androgyny refers to a balance between ‘male’ and ‘female’ characteristics.
Men have XY chromosomes and women have XX chromosomes.
Examples of atypical sexual development include Klinefelter’s syndrome and Turner’s syndrome.
Cognitive explanations of gender include Kohlberg’s theory and gender schema theory.
The psychodynamic approach, pioneered by Freud, views gender development as the result of a child’s jealousy/fear towards their parent of the same sex.
Social learning theory states that gender is the result of learning and identification.
This is a contested issue in psychology and beyond. Psychologists recognise that gender is a social construct, meaning that many genders may be constructed and that gender can change over time. However, socially, the majority of people think there are two genders: male and female.
According to psychologists, gender affects our behavior through the social expectations attached to gender.
Gender development refers to the way gender is socially learned through reinforcement. Gender develops when people begin to adopt the socially established behaviour associated with their sex.
Gender is the cultural expression of our biological sex.
Androgyny is an expression of gender characterised by a balance of typically male and female characteristics.
Be perfectly prepared on time with an individual plan.
Test your knowledge with gamified quizzes.
Create and find flashcards in record time.
Create beautiful notes faster than ever before.
Have all your study materials in one place.
Upload unlimited documents and save them online.
Identify your study strength and weaknesses.
Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them.
Stop procrastinating with our study reminders.
Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying.
Create flashcards in notes completely automatically.
Create the most beautiful study materials using our templates.
Sign up to highlight and take notes. It’s 100% free.
