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Chapter 10. Sex and Gender. Quote for the day. Man is more courageous, pugnacious, and energetic than woman, and has a more inventive genius….Woman seems to differ from man….chiefly in her greater tenderness and less selfishness. - Darwin, 1936. Some terms. Sex = anatomy of male or female
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Chapter 10 Sex and Gender
Quote for the day Man is more courageous, pugnacious, and energetic than woman, and has a more inventive genius….Woman seems to differ from man….chiefly in her greater tenderness and less selfishness. - Darwin, 1936
Some terms • Sex = anatomy of male or female • Gender identity = inner sense of being male or female • Gender role = public image of being male or female that a person presents to others
Intersexuals • Those who are neither male nor female, but have both male and female traits • Also referred to as hermaphrodites • 1-2 in every 1,000 births • Three major categories: • True hermaphrodites • Male pseudohermaphrodites • Female pseudohermaphrodites
Sexual Differentiation • Prenatal Sexual Differentiation • Embryos are indistinguishable (male/female) in the first few weeks • H-Y antigen, a chemical substance, must be present to create maleness- it triggers production of testes and testosterone • If H-Y antigen: Wolffian ducts develop into the epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, and ejaculatory duct. • If no H-T antigen: Mullerian ducts develop into fallopian tubes, uterus, and inner 2/3rds of vagina.
Undifferentiated External Sex Organs of the Human Embryo and Fetus
Sexual Differentiation • Prenatal Sexual Differentiation • As the fetus develops, sexual differentiation occurs at three different levels: • The internal sexual structures • The external genitalia • The brain • These developmental processes are controlled by the interaction between: • The individual’s genetic blueprint • The production of hormones
Abnormalities of Prenatal Differentiation • Chromosomal Abnormalities • Turner’s Syndrome • Klinefelter’s Syndrome • Hormonal Abnormalities • Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome • Female Adrenogenital Syndrome • DHT-Deficiency
Characteristics of Klinefelter’s Syndrome and Turner’s Syndrome
Ambiguous Sex Characteristics Resulting from Hormone Abnormalities
Males and Females:More Alike or Different? • Social Differences • Experts believe differences are due to both innate basic tendencies and socialization into different roles. • Division of labor • Implications for sexuality
Males and Females:More Alike or Different? • Social Differences • Physical Differences • Brain differences • Hormones • Other physical differences
Males and Females:More Alike or Different? • Social Differences • Physical Differences • Cognitive Differences • Verbal skills • Math-based tasks • Visual-spacial
Males and Females:More Alike or Different? • Social Differences • Physical Differences • Cognitive Differences • Personality Differences • Communal traits • Agentic traits
Males and Females:More Alike or Different? • Social Differences • Physical Differences • Cognitive Differences • Personality Differences • Communication Differences • Women use conversation to indicate involvement and signal support • Men tend to talk to preserve independence and negotiate status and position
Gender Roles • Theories on why gender roles developed • Gender Schema: • Gender identity • Gender stability • Gender constancy
Gender Roles • The Effects of Gender on Sexual Behavior • Oliver & Hyde (1993) summarized 177 studies • Men were more likely to masturbate • Men were much more favorable toward casual sex • Older versus newer studies: gender differences have become smaller
Gender Roles • Gender Differences in Sex Drive • A review of the research reveals that the desire for sex is typically stronger for males than for females: • Men have a higher sex drive than women • Men want sex more often than women. • Men masturbate more than women • Men find it more difficult to live without sex
Gender Roles • Gender Differences in Sex Drive • Erotic Plasticity • The degree to which innate sexual responses are shaped and altered by social, cultural, and situational factors. • Promiscuity • Men tend to desire more partners • Limitations of Sexual Activity • Women are responsible for limiting sexual activity.
Transgender Roles • In some culture a third gender exists that is neither male nor female, but a blend: • Byzantine Empire’s eunuchs • Gujarat, India’s hijras • Balkan sworn virgin • North American berdache or two-spirit
Gender Identity • The nature versus nurture debate • The Case of Bruce/Brenda/David Reimer • Pseudohermaphrodites • DHT-deficiency
Gender Identity Disorder • Gender dysphoria • Transsexuals: When Sex and Gender Identity Don’t Match • Unlike Transvestites • Prevalence: 1:100,000 male; 1:130,000 females • Theoretical explanations • Gender Reassignment