social explanation

• social constructionism

  gender identity not reflect underlying bio differences between ppl instead concepts invented by society. individuals experience this due to being forced to choose. gender dysphoria not pathological condition but social phenomena which arises when ppl forced to choose from 2 paths. mcclintock 2015 cases of individuals with genetic condition in sambia causes some males to be classified as females as have labia and clitoris during puberty changes to penis. genetic variation common kwolu aatmwol
• psychoanalytic theory

  ovesey and person 1973 social relationship in family cause gender dysphoria. argue gender dysphoria in males caused by increased experience seperation anxiety before gender identity. boy fantasises symbiotic fusion mother to relieve anxiety danger of seperation removed consequence boy adopts women gender identity. stoller 1973 reports in interviews gender dysphoria bio males close relationship with mother suggestijg strong female identification conflict gender identity in future
• +social constructionism not all cultures have two genders. some cultures recognise more than two genders such as fa afafine of samoa challenges traditional binary classifications of male and female. indeed, the fact that increasing numbers of people now describe themselves as non binary suggests that cultural understanding is only now beginning to catch up with lived experience of many. this suggests that gender identity and dysphoria best seen as social construction rather than biological fact
• -issues with psychoanalytic theory of gender development. ovesey and persons explanation not an adequate explanation of gender dysphoria in biological females as the theory only applies to transgender women. in any case, rekers 1986 found that gender dysphoria in those assigned male at birth is more likely to be associated with the absence of the father rather than the fear of seperation from the mother. this suggests that psychoanalytic theory does not provide a comprehensive account of gender dysphoria