Gender

• Sex


  Whether an individual is biologically female or male, based on genes and hormones
• Gender


  The difference between the ways that men and women behave and the concepts of masculinity and femininity, this is psychological
• Androgyny


  A psychological term that describes an individual who has both masculine and feminine traits
• Sex-role stereotypes


  Types of qualities and characteristics seen as appropriate for each sex
• Gender dysphoria


  A mismatch between biological sex and gender identity. Commonly described as "feeling trapped in the wrong body"
• Whether you are male or female is a biological fact, but the way we behave is due to sex-role stereotypes which are psychological
• Sex-role beliefs are the qualities and behaviours expected by members of each sex
• Sex-role stereotypes become "rules" of society that are to be followed by everyone
• Sex-role stereotypes become seen as the norm and the "expected" masculine and feminine way to behave, as a result people feel pressured to conform to them
• Development of sex-role stereotypes


  1. Learned from a very early age when children are exposed to attitudes of adults

  2. Toys boys and girls are given

  3. Pressure from peers to conform
• At school boys and girls experience pressure to study "gender appropriate" subjects
• Certain careers are seen as more appropriate for different genders
• The media portray males and females in ways that are very powerful and influential sources of sex-role stereotyping
• Culture also plays a strong role in socialising sex-role stereotypes, with many stereotypes being consistent across cultures
• Supporting research for sex-role stereotypes

  • Only 12% of British primary school teachers and 3% of nursery teachers are male due to early years teaching being seen as a female profession
  • Males are seen as unsuitable due to their image of being intimidating and threatening
• Categorising occupations as either masculine or feminine

  Places significant restrictive barriers on what males or females could contribute to society
• Sex-role stereotypes are hard to break down as "typical" differences are then seen as "natural" differences, further reinforcing the stereotypes
• Supporting research for parental influence on sex-role stereotypes


  • Mothers treat sons and daughters differently based on perceived sex
  • Male peers make fun of and even hit boys who play with girls' toys
• Androgyny

  The idea that an individual can have both masculine and feminine characteristics
• Bem believed that it is psychologically healthier to avoid fixed sex-role stereotypes and that men and women should adopt a range of feminine and masculine behaviours that suit their individual personality
• Young people's views about sex roles are so rigid that it is very rare to see any signs of androgyny among children before the age of nine
• Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI)


  A test developed by Sandra Bem in 1975 to measure androgyny
• Filling in the BSRI

  1. Participants rate themselves on a 7 point Likert scale for masculine and feminine traits

  2. Scores for masculinity, femininity and androgyny are calculated
• Categorisation of BSRI results

  • Masculine (high masculine, low feminine)
  • Feminine (low masculine, high feminine)
  • Androgynous (high masculinity and high femininity)
  • Undifferentiated (low scores for both masculine and feminine)
• Evaluation of the BSRI

  • Good test-retest reliability
  • Issues with validity as it was developed from 1970s American data
• Research suggests that being androgynous has a positive effect on mental health and wellbeing
• More recent attempts to measure androgyny have measured not just personality characteristics but additional aspects of gender-related behaviour such as interests and abilities
• Chromosomes


  The x-shaped bodies that carry all the genetic information (DNA) for an organism
• Hormones


  The body's chemical messengers. They travel through the bloodstream from the glands. They influence our mood, stress response and bonding between baby and mother
• Testosterone


  A male hormone that is released by the testes
• Oestrogen


  A female hormone that is released by the ovaries
• Oxytocin


  Is known as the "love hormone"
• Many secondary schools actively encourage students to pick certain G.C.S.E subjects based on their sex
• Oxytocin


  Is known as the "love hormone" as it makes you feel content and calm. It is produced by the pituitary gland and is released in both men and women
• Intersex


  A term used to describe an individual who is neither male nor female because of a mismatch between chromosomes and genitals
• Biological sex determination


  1. Fertilising sperm carries X chromosome -> female (XX)

  2. Fertilising sperm carries Y chromosome -> male (XY)
• There is usually a link between an individual's chromosomal sex and their genitalia (penis and vagina) and their gonads (testes and ovaries)
• Sex chromosomes contain genetic material that controls our development as a male or as a female
• Genes/chromosomes originally determine an individual's sex and they also determine which hormones are produced
• Testosterone


  • Produced in larger quantities in males (females have 10% of that found in males)
  • Affects the development of a males genitalia
  • Can cause masculinisation of the brain and male-type behaviours