Social explanations
Cards (5)
- Social Constructionism
- Argues that gender identity doesn't reflect underlying biological differences between people and instead that these concepts are created by society.
- Also, that individuals that experience 'gender dysphoria' feel that way because society forces people to be either a man or a woman
- Social Constructionism (Study)Martha McClintock found individuals with a genetic condition causing biological males to be categorised as female at birth because they have a labia and a clitoris. At puberty their genitals change because of an increase in testosterone. This genetic variation is common amongst these people and it was routinely accepted that within this culture there was males, females, and females->males.
- Social Constructionism A03Strength) Not all cultures have two genders.The cultures that recognise more than two genders challenge the traditional binary classifications of male and female. Also, the increasing number of people identfying themselves as 'non-binary' suggests that the culturual understanding is beggining to catch up with the lived experiences of many.->Suggests that gender identity and dysphoria is a social construction rather than a biological fact.
- Psychoanalytic theory
- States that gender dysphoria in biological males is caused by a boy experiencing extreme separation anxiety before gender identity has been established. As a result of this, the boy fantasises about a symbiotic fusion with his mother to relieve anxiety. This causes the boy to essentially 'become' his mother and thus adopts a womans gender identity.
- Psychoanalytic theory A03Limitation) Doesn't provide an account of gender dysphoria in biological females as it only applies to transgender women. It was found that gender dysphoria in those assigned male at birth is more likely to be associated with the absence of the farther than the fear of seperation from the mother.->Suggests that the psychoanalytic theory does not provide a comprehensive account of gender dysphoria.