GENDER

1. GENDER

2. Group Process: Trends in Adolescent Gender and Sexuality • “Dead-Beat” parenting is an occurrence that is increasing in our society. Discuss the potential impact that this could have on adolescent gender identity development and the types of choices that they make about dating and sexual expression.

3. Group Process: Trends in Adolescent Gender and Sexuality • As a group, you have been asked to give insight to parents and teachers on the issue of what they can do help children make positive decisions about sex. • Identify 5 key points that you would emphasize.

4. Pubertal Change and Sexuality • Variations in hormone levels (androgen) have been found to increase behaviors associated with stereotyped masculine and feminine behaviors. • Sexuality and expression, especially in boys • While associated with sexuality in girls, peer pressure was more influential to sexual expression • Gender differences…Nature or Nurture

5. Social Influences • Parents tend to place greater restrictions on their daughters than sons. • Families with daughters report more conflict with parents: • Regarding sex • Choice of friends • Curfews • Parents place different academic expectations on sons and daughters

6. Social Cognitive Theory of Gender • This theory emphasizes that children’s and adolescents’ gender development occurs through observations and imitation of gender behavior, and through rewards and punishments and inappropriate behaviors. • The family. Adolescents with working moms have fewer stereotypes about gender roles. • Daughters of employed mothers have higher educational and occupational aspirations than do daughters of homemakers (Learning is often diffused through the mom—the type of initiative that mother possesses has significant impact on development of children). • The peer. Adolescents get enormous socialization on gender roles from their peer groups.

7. School and Teacher Influences • Concerning Issues on gender differences: • Girls’ learning problems are not identified as often as boys’ learning problems • Boys are given the lion’s share of attention in schools • Girls start school testing higher than boys in every academic subject, yet they graduate from high school scoring lower than boys do in the SAT exam • Pressure to achieve is more likely to be heaped on boys than on girls • Studies have indicated that in classrooms (all grades), males tend to dominate discussion in groups & open discussions. Especially when the class is majority male. • Other studies have purported that females tend to be quite assertive in classes where females are the majority.

8. Mass-Media Influences • Points of concern: • Media projects females to be concerned mostly about dating, shopping, and their appearance. • Attractive girls are shown as airheads and intelligent girls are shown as unattractive • Females more likely to be dressed provocatively • Cognitive Influences: • Cognitive developmental theory of gender. Children’s gender-typing occurs after they have developed a concept of gender. Once they begin to consistently conceive themselves as male or females, children often organize their world on the basis of gender. • Gender schema theory. An individuals attention and behavior are guided by an internal motivation to conform to gender-based sociocultural standards and stereotypes.

9. Gender Stereotyping • Gender stereotyping are broad categories that reflect our impressions and beliefs about females and males. Are they pervasive in our society today? • Males. Dominant, independent, aggressive, achievement oriented, and enduring • Females. Nurturant, affiliative, less esteemed, and more helpful in times of distress • Sexism. Prejudice and discrimination against an individual because of her or his sex. Prevalence? • Sexism on the job? Women on average have lower incomes than men for the same job task • Sexism in social expression? Referring to mature women as girls. • Sexism in education? Women are sometimes given communication that certain occupations are not for women (i.e., natural science, math, military, politics). 96% registered nurses are female. No major league baseball players are female.

10. Gender Similarities and Differences Enormous research suggests that cognitive differences between males and females are insignificant (pp. 327). • Deborah Tannen distinguishes between rapport talk and report talk: • Rapport talk. The language of conversation, establishing connections, and negotiating relationships. • Females tend to dominate more in this area. Trait of relationship building. • Report talk. Talk tat gives information; public speaking is an example. • Males tend to dominate in report talk (public lecturing, telling jokes, story telling).

11. PLAY • Boys tend to play and interact in larger groups and there is competition and hierarchal ordering (there typically is a leader). Play involves a goal of winning and there is much discussion as to who is the best. • Boys tend to play more aggressively than girls • More active • Less likely to regulate their emotions • Girls tend to play in smaller groups and there tends to be less competition. Turn taking is often associated with play and more communication skills through play. • According to Carol Gilligan, girls are more relationship oriented.

12. ADOLESCENCE AND SEXUALITY

13. COMMON MYTHS ABOUT SEXUALITY • If intercourse stops before the male ejaculates then pregnancy will not occur. • If I have intercourse while standing, no one will get pregnant. • I cannot get pregnant if one of us uses a condom or some form of contraception. • I cannot get pregnant on the first time of intercourse. • If I do not discuss sex with my children, perhaps they will not have sex or know nothing about it. • Douching is an effective means of contraception. • My children are not having sex because they are good kids and I raised them to know better. • The responsibility for birth control falls in the hands of the female, after all, boys will be boys.

14. Important Notes About Sexuality and Expression • 80% of adolescents have had intercourse by age 19. • 80% of males living in the inner-city and in low SES communities report having had intercourse by age 14. • Adolescent females report being in love as the main motivation for sexual behavior. • Youth engaging in intercourse before age 16 tend to demonstrate risky behavior including poor use of contraceptives, excessive drinking, drug use, delinquency, and school-related problems. • Risk factors for problems related to sexual activity include SEC, parenting strategies, modeling sexual behavior, pregnancy by siblings.

15. IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT TEENAGE PREGNANCY • 30,000 pregnancies occur annually in the us among girls under the age of 15. • 1 out of 12 unmarried female American teenagers become pregnant each year; about half of them will carry the pregnancy to term. • Half of all first pregnancies occur within the first 6 months of becoming sexually active. • 6 out of 10 teenage females who have a child before age 17 will be pregnant again before age 19. • America’s teenage birth rate is the highest in the Western hemisphere; it is double the rate of Sweden, and is an astonishing 17 times higher than Japan. • 4 out of 10 girls now 14 years old will get pregnant in their teens.

16. IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT TEENAGE PREGNANCY • Adolescent pregnancy and unwed mothers continue to be a serious problem in the US even though the rate is lower than it was in the 1940’s. • Adolescent pregnancy rate is 4 times the rate of Western European countries; even though it has declined by 22%. • Teen pregnancy currently costs the US more than $7 billion per year. • About half of all teenage mothers and 75% of unmarried teenage moms receive welfare within five years of giving birth of their first child. • 45% of 1st born children and 33% of all children in the US have mothers who are unmarried, teenagers, or mothers without a high school degree. • The number of girls who become pregnant between the ages of 15 and 19 years will increase by 2.2 million between 1995 and 2010.

17. IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT SEXUALITY AND EXPRESSION • Over 900,000 adolescents become pregnant annually. • About 33% of females aged 15 to 17 do not understand the human fertility cycle. • 12% of students believe the birth control pill protects against aids. • About 25% adolescents believe looking at a person can enable to identify whether or not someone has AIDS.

18. Risk Factors For Childbirth Before Age 17 • Health risks of pregnant teens/Infants with LBW. • Mothers dropping out of school/ Only 50% of mothers complete school by age 26. • Children with more behavior difficulties/ Children with neurological problems. • Children with lower intelligence scores. • Children with more illnesses. • Mothers and infants living in poverty. • Only 25% of adolescent fathers remain involved.

19. Adolescents and STDs • 25% of sexually active adolescents contract an STD every year. Most common STDs are as follows: • Gonorrhea. Bacterium; thrives in moist membranes; treated successfully with antibiotics. • Syphilis. Bacterium; prefers warm, moist areas; attacks CNS; treated with antibiotics. • Chlamydia. Bacterium; infects genitals; highly infectious; 25% if females become infertile. • Genital Herpes. Virus; many strains; recurring blisters and sores. • AIDS. Virus; destroys the immune system; death results from common illnesses.

20. SEX and CULTURE • Forcible sexual behavior and sexual harassment are unfortunate byproducts of a sensual culture. • Four key dynamics describe this occurrence: • Rape. Forced, non-consenting sexual intercourse. • Date rape. Coercive sexual activity with a know perpetrator. • Quid pro quo sexual harassment. Forced sexual compliance in exchange for protection from negative education outcomes. • Hostile environmental sexual harassment. Forced sexual contact that negatively impacts work.