Gender Roles And Gender Development - 1598 Words

Gender and sex are not synonymous, although they are often used interchangeably. Sex is a biological term and defined as â€Å"the categories of male or female of the sum total of biological attributes on which this distinction is based within a species† (Colman, 2009). Gender, however is a social construct and consists of gender role, gender identity and sexual orientation / preference. Gender identity is â€Å"a sense of awareness, usually beginning in infancy, continuing through childhood, and reaching maturing in adolescence, of being male or female, or of the gender associated with one’s biological sex†. Gender role is defined as â€Å"a set of behaviour patterns, attitudes, and personality characteristics stereotypically perceived as masculine or feminine within a culture† (Colman, 2009). Understanding gender development is important because the perception of gender identity affects the roles individuals play in society. If the reason behind the gend er differences can be understood, they can be minimised to develop a more gender equal society. Also, research into gender development has real world applications. In many aspects of psychological research, gender differences can affect results. This can be reduced through gender equality. This essay will focus on the development of gender identity and the role nature and nurture play in it; specifically the role of genetics and cognitive gender development / social learning theory. The nature-nurture debate is one of the oldest issues inShow MoreRelatedEssay on Gender Role Development787 Words   |  4 PagesGender Role Development I am a man, or maybe Im a male, no wait I am a guy, although my parents still call me a boy, unless you ask an old person then I am a young man. Frankly, I dont know, understand, or care what I am because most importantly Im me. My generation has numerous problems and some of the most pressing issues involve sex and gender. It appears we have some confusion on whos what and why, and I can see why this confusion exists we have some males wearing womens apparelRead MoreThe Role Of Roles Of The Formation And Development Of Gender Roles959 Words   |  4 Pages Although environment does play an important role in the formation and development of gender roles, it is not the only influence of gender roles. Biology also plays an important part in the determination of gender roles. In 1978, Braggio et al gathered data on the topic of cross specie observational study on the comparisons of the behavior of children, juvenile chimpanzees, and juvenile orangutans (Jarvis 269). The results showed a consistency of males performing a higher RT (physically vigorousRead MoreGender Roles Of Early Childhood Development932 Words   |  4 PagesGender Roles in Early Childhood Development In a society filled with gender stereotypes, children often adopt gender roles as they move from childhood to adolescence because of the many factors that influence their views to the point they will deny certain roles because it does not fit the gender bias. During the early years, boys and girls will usually be drawn towards gender specific activities. Playing house for example, they little boy will imitate going to work, while the little girl will imitateRead MoreDiscuss the Role of Hormones and/or Genes in Gender Development809 Words   |  4 PagesDiscuss the role of hormones and/or genes in gender development. (8 + 16 marks) Biological sex is determined by genes, which are on chromosomes. Humans generally have 23 pairs of chromosomes, one pair of which determines sex. Females have an XX pair while males have an XY pair. Chromosomal sex largely controls how masculine or feminine the eggs development will be. Chromosomal sex controls whether an embryo will develop ovaries or testes. The SRY gene on the Y chromosome which only malesRead MoreDescribe the Role of Genes and Hormones in Gender Development794 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Ã¢â‚¬Å"Describe the role of genes and hormones in gender development† Biological sex is determined by chromosomes in your genes. At prenatal development, only a few weeks after conception, there is no notable difference between male and female structure until the Gonadal Ridges, the structure which develops either female or male sex organs, grows to determine the sex of the baby. All prenatal babies have genitalia that appears distinctly feminine until at three months, hormones- testosterone if theRead MoreVictorian Era Gender Roles and the Development of Women’s Football in England1054 Words   |  5 PagesThe development of women’s football in Britain during the 19th century illustrates the transformation of gender roles in British culture in the context of Victorian era values and women’s football: â€Å"‘The Cultures of sport in Britain have been distinctively male, rooted in masculine values and patriarchal exclusiveness’† Through the introduction of female football into British society the system of Vict orian values were challenged by expanding gender roles. The institution of women’s soccer in theRead MoreThe Role Of Parental Sexual Orientation On Children s Gender Development1767 Words   |  8 Pagesstructure on children’s development. Findings are presented on a sample of 20 gay father families, 20 lesbian mother families and 20 heterosexual parent families who have a child of age 4-6 years. Natural observations in a lab environment recorded children’s tendency to choose gender specific, non-gender specific or neutral toys. Comparisons in toy choice were made between children of gay-, lesbian- and same-sex parents. Overall, children from heterosexual families showed greater gender stereotyping thanRead MoreEssay about Compare and Contrast Two Theories of Gender Role Development1379 Words   |  6 Pagescontrast two theories of gender role development A dominant debate in current psychological research is one on gender development. Psychologists try to understand relative importance of social and cognitive factors. Various theories are brought up in this field and in this essay two of the most standard theory in this field are going to be explained. The theories covered in this essay relate to aspects of children’s thinking that are central to their gender development. This will include, Kohlberg‘sRead MoreGender Socialization Of Children : Gendered Toys, Media, And Parental Affects Child Development1289 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract Gender role expectations are inescapable in our society as we naturally tend to sort humans into categories, the easiest one being gender. Upon first meeting a person, most people automatically classify the other’s gender. With this classification come the inevitable gender role expectations. Even for those who consciously try their hardest not to cloud their perceptions of others based on â€Å"traditional† gender role expectations, it is almost impossible not to subconsciously succumb to theseRead MoreGender Development: Social or Biological1658 Words   |  7 PagesIn a variety of contexts, the word gender is used to describe the masculinity or femininity of words, persons, characteristics, or non-human organisms (Wikipedia, 2006). More specific to psychology, gender role is a term used to describe the normal behavior associated with a given gender status. Those that do not follow this customary role given to their particular gender are said to have an atypical gend er role. A person who has normal male genitalia and identifies himself as a man will usually