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Gender
Chapter 5
“The differences that we see between boys and girls, men and women,
are often differences that we, not nature, create”
The families role in gender development…
Sex and Gender
What’s the difference?
• Sexual and Gender identity
• Gender expression
• Do sexual identity, gender identity, and gender expression always
correspond?
• Gender dysphoria
Are Gendered behaviors Biological
or Social?
1. Biological Basis for Gender Roles:
a. Males and females are different from the moment of conception.
b. Chromosomal, hormonal, and reproductive differences may influence behaviors
and abilities
• If gender is completely biological, the suggestion is that these biological differences explain the
domination of women by men.
• I.e.: Why has America never had a female president? Why do men make more $$$ than women?
• A sexist notion-A belief in innate superiority/inferiority
Gender Differences
• Sociologists contend that gender differences are rooted in how a society treats
gender and how men and women are socialized differently
 2. Social
Bases for Gender Roles: Gender is socially constructed
a. Cross-cultural evidence shows a wide variation of behaviors for the sexes.
• The work of Margaret Mead
b. Society transforms females and males into socially interacting women and men.
Nature-Nurture Debate
• Biologists tend to focus on the role of heredity in human development—
emphasizing the role of nature.
• Social scientists focus on
the role of learning,
socialization, and culture,
emphasizing the role of
nurture.
Biological determinism vs. differential socialization
I.e.: Mead’s work on
Gender differences
The Social Construction of Gender
• Gender Role Socialization -The process by which…
Femininity and masculinity is learned
• Through what agents do boys and girls/men and women learn proper gender
behavior?
• Social Learning Theory
• Imitation/observational learning
• Rewards and Punishments
• I.e.: Do boys and girls learn to express emotion differently?
Group Discussion
• In your own experience, do you believe that gendered behavior is more natural or
learned?
• What are some examples of how and when gender behavior can be
taught/learned?
• Are there positive aspects to gender differences? Are there negative aspects to
boys and girls/men and women being taught to act traditionally male or female?
• If and when you have a child, will you raise you child/children in ways that foster
traditional gender behavior?
• What is androgyny? Is it possible that society is becoming more androgynous?
Are men really the stronger sex? What does strength mean? How can
strength be measured in many ways?
Sexual Diversity
• Intersexed
• The dichotomization of sex and gender
• Transgender
• The case of Thomas Beatie
• “The murder rate (and violence towards) of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, queer, and HIV-affected (LGBTQH) is at its highest, according to a recently
released 2011 report from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP).
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNkZhcmorOw
Feminist Perspective Towards Gender
• Gender inequality is central to family life, and family structure and
inequality is socially constructed, not natural or inevitable
• Rigid gender categories and roles serve male dominated societies
because women are often and have historically been subjugated to
positions in family and society with less power and privilege backed
by cultural beliefs and many religions
• Once again, this is not natural or innate, but constructed by society