Adolescence Part 2: Gender Identity

1. Adolescence Part 2: Gender Identity Later Years Development Lecture 5

2. Adolescent mini-series Next three lectures: - the importance of gender identity in adolescence - the developing sense of ‘self’ - adolescent morality

3. Sex versus Gender Sex = biologically determined usually clear-cut Gender = socially driven prescriptions on how the different sexes should behave/think/feel Less clear - boundaries are sometimes blurred Process of social ‘genderization’ started from birth (before birth?). Adolescence is a particularly formative period in the development of gender identity

4. Gender Identity and Adolescence Why is adolescence so important for gender identity? Answer: Puberty Onset of puberty = hormones

5. Social cues to Gender How does the social world influence gender stereotyping? [1] parents treat boys/girls differently e.g., parents allow girls less freedom to stay out late more conflict/arguments over sexual behaviour/dress/choice of friends (Papini & Sebby, 1988)

6. Social cues to Gender How does the social world influence gender stereotyping? [1] parents treat boys/girls differently e.g., parents allow girls less freedom to stay out late more conflict/arguments over sexual behaviour/dress/choice of friends (Papini & Sebby, 1988)

7. Social cues to Gender How does the social world influence gender stereotyping? [2] Media current examples: Hollyoaks; The OC Girls more likely to be depicted as being more interested in: their appearance, dating, shopping. (Campbell, 1988)

8. Social cues to Gender How does the social world influence gender stereotyping? [2] Media What about Music? women more likely to be provocatively (un?)dressed than men in videos. Gender myths perpetuated in music videos

9. Can we measure gender? According to Bem, the answer is ‘Yes’ Devised the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (1977) Responses on Inventory classified people as having one of four gender-role orientations: [1] Masculine [2] Feminine [3] Androgynous [4] Undifferentiated

10. Bem Sex-Role Inventory Responses to each question are marked as representing one of two traits: [1] instrumental (pragmatic rather than emotional) [2] expressive (more emotional)

11. What type is ‘best’? Androgynous sex-type considered the best. Undifferentiated considered the worst. Why?

12. Sex = Gender? During the onset of adolescence/puberty, sex-drive appears. Sexual ‘scripts’ script= stereotyped patterns of behaviour that are adhered to. How you read the script influences your sexual/gender identity

13. ‘Don’t you know that it’s different for girls’ Female scripts? - girls more likely to equate sex with love (Michael et al., 1994) - girls more likely to cite love as the reason for early sexual activity (Cassell, 1984) Are boys ‘wise’ to female psychology? ‘If you really love me, you would”

14. And for boys..... Boys experience more pressure to be sexually active by their peers than girls (Michael et al., 1994) i.e., gender identity is partly grounded in sexual ‘conquests’ for boys more than girls. So what?

15. Vulnerable adolescents Vulnerable adolescents (esp. those who ‘feel’ the pressure most keenly) are likely to submit to peer pressure. Consequences? Irresponsible/inappropriate sexual liaisons Pregnancy? STD?

16. Consequences? The association between gender-identity and social deviancy Pleck et al. (1993) Questioned over 1500 males between 15 and 19 years old Problem behaviours correlated with how ‘masculine’ boys perceived themselves to be. Young men who believe that “it’s important to get respect from other boys”, or “Men should be tough” more likely to: have problems at school engage in alcohol/drug abuse commit felony be promiscuous

17. And modern girls? The recent emergence of the ‘ladettes’ here in UK. Abandoning of traditional gender stereotypes...rapid rise in problem behaviour. 1/3 of 15-16 year old girls admitted to binge drinking compared to 1/4 boys same age (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Drugs (ESPAD) (2004) % Binge drinking Boys Girls 1999 2003

18. Gender Identity and Coping Strategies Some evidence that: Masculinity - associated with ‘problem-focused’ coping strategies - active response to stressors - ‘calculate’ problem space and estimate ability to solve Femininity - emotional response to stressors

19. Renk & Creasey (2003) Examined the interplay between: [1] gender [2] gender identity [3] coping strategies 169 adolescents (Mean age 19) completed Bem’s Sex-Role Inventory Males scored higher on ‘Masculinity’ scales Females scored higher on ‘Femininity’ scales

20. Renk & Creasey (2003) After completing BSRI, filled in COPE scales (Carver, Scheier & Weintraub, 1989) COPE scales measure the types of coping strategies that adolescents use when faced with stressors Factor analysis revealed 3 distinct coping styles [1] Active Problem-Focused coping (i.e., problem evaluation and planning etc) [2] Active Emotion-Focused coping (i.e., seeking social support) [3] Avoidant coping (i.e., denial, behavioural/mental ‘disengagement’)

21. Renk & Creasey (2003) Association between gender (Male vs Female), gender-identity (Masculinity vs Femininity) and coping? Problem-Focused Coping High Masculinity = significantly greater problem-focused coping (than low masculinity) - p < .001 High Femininity = marginally greater problem-focused coping (than low femininity) - p = .06 No Gender differences

22. Renk & Creasey (2003) Association between gender (Male vs Female), gender-identity (Masculinity vs Femininity) and coping? Emotion-Focused Coping High Femininity = significantly greater emotion-focused coping (than low femininity) - p < .001 High Masculinity = marginally greater emotion-focused coping (than low masculinity) - p = .06 Significant Gender difference - F > M (p < .01) (NOTE: No effects for Avoidant coping)

23. Renk & Creasey (2003) Conclusions? Female adolescents adopting more problem-focused coping strategies (than in the past). Female adolescents not conforming to stereotype? So, within gender, the degree of masculinity/femininity influenced how adolescents responded to stressors. Gender Identity better predictor of coping strategy than gender.

24. Reading General Santrock, J. W. (1998). Adolescence (Chap 11). NY. McGraw-Hill. Specific Renk, K., & Creasey, G. (2003), The relationship of gender, gender identity, and coping strategies in late adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 26, 159 - 168. AVAILABLE FROM SCIENCE DIRECT.