...Internal and External Factors Influencing the Development of Gender Identity Lanita Doub Liberty University COUN 502-Human Growth & Development Laura Rolen August 11, 2012 Internal and External Factors Influencing the Development of Gender Identity Gender identity is defined as "the perception of oneself as male or female", ( Feldman, 2011). Gender is established by the time a child reaches his or her preschool years. "By the age of two, children consistently label themselves and those around them as male or female" (Feldman, 2011). Preschoolers are very rigid in their beliefs about gender-appropriate behavior. These beliefs become more pronounced by the age of five years. By age seven years the beliefs are still there, although less rigid. Preschooler's ideas of stereotypical behavior are compared to those of traditional adults. Preschoolers develop a gender schema, "a cognitive framework that organizes information relevant to gender"(Feldman, 2011). For example, a preschool boy may refuse to wear makeup in a school play because he knows that makeup is for girls only. In 1966, Lawrence Kohlberg proposed a cognitive-developmental theory, which explains the rigidity of preschoolers as their understanding of gender, and gender appropriate behavior (Feldman, 2011). Shuvo Ghosh states that the development of gender identity "clearly begins in the intrauterine stage". He attributes this to hormone production...
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...curious to know what controls a human beings sexual orientation. There has been an ongoing debate about nature versus nurture and its connection to human sexual orientation. The are also other influences that has an affect on sexual differentiation and gender idenity. This paper will explain the interaction between hormones and behavior, and how these interactions affect the the determination of gender identiy. The sexual behavior of humans are shaped and influenced by cultural factors that leads human sexuality to be expressed in various ways through many cultures historically. The biological factors in sexual differentiation are very important to the human because it allows a person to grasp and understand the complexities and problems that are involved in human sexual conditions. The premature stages of sexual differentiation after birth are influenced by environmental factors. Once the child advance from childhood and into young adulthood the influences of biological, environmetal, and culture has an effect on sexual differentiation. According to Ault and Brzuzy (2009), gender identity is a multifaceted system of ideas surrounding masculinity and femininity, in terms of the roles prescribed to men and women by society, and how they relate to maleness and femaleness in relation to the self. Gender identity is presented through behavioral expressions of masculinity and femininity, feelings surrounding the body as a sexual, and individual perceptions regarding how others...
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...Gender Identity Psy/340 Gender Identity Introduction The endocrine system is made up of several glands that secrete different hormones. These glands are the: Pituitary, Pineal, Thyroid, Parathyroid, Thymus, Pancreas, and Adrenal Glands as well as the ovaries and testes. All of these glands have a hand in generating hormones responsible for different behaviors either directly or indirectly. “Gender identity is how we feel about and express our gender and gender roles — clothing, behavior, and personal appearance. It is a feeling that we have as early as age two or three” ("Gender And Gender Identity", 2001). While there is much to say about the brain and its relationship to personal gender identity it is also very evident that the interaction between hormones and behavior is a deciding factor as well. Biological Factors & Gender Identity Our personal biology is what we are born with, things that are distinctive to us. Whether someone has red or blonde hair, brown or blue eyes, or light or dark skin is part of their biology. More specifically our sexual organs are perhaps the most distinctive parts of our biology because they set the groundwork for how we will be viewed by society, whether we personally feel that way or not. I say this because our sexual organs will inevitably determine our appearance. Having male organs causes boys/men secrete more androgens or male hormones (testosterone) than girls. Because they secrete a larger amount of these hormones they will...
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...controversial artists of this century is Yasumasa Morimura, who shed light on issues of sexual and gender identities, as well as ethnic background in the late twentieth century art world. Portrait (Futago) created in 1988 is a color photograph by Morimura. At first glance we see a close resemblance to a famous and traditional painting by Edouard Manet, Olympia (1863). In the original painting Manet portrayed a nude French prostitute with a black servant standing next to her. Over a century later, Morimura takes the setting of this painting and changes a few details. First, he replaces the French woman with a picture of himself. It is obvious that the nude body is of a...
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...Gender Identity When the word gender is brought up, the first thought that comes to mind is weither the person is male or female. This is not necessarily correct. The term sex is a biological term that refers to the physical differences between males and females. If sex is the term that encompasses male or female, then what exactly is gender? Gender is a psychological term that refers to the awareness and reaction to the biological term of sex. It also is a term that can construe more than one meaning. Gender is determined by biological, psychological, and sociological factors. Gender consists of three elements: gender role, gender identity, and sexual orientation or preference (Kenyon, 1994-2006). Gender role, is defined as the outward manifestations of personality that reflect the gender identity. Basically, it occurs when someone adopts the masculine or feminine behavioral traits that are associated with each sex. Gender role is manifested within society by observable factors such as behavior and appearance (Ghosh, 2009). Gender identity refers to a person’s personal sense of whether he or she are male or female (or rarely, both or neither). Gender identity, in nearly all instances, is self-identified, as a result of a combination of inherent and extrinsic or environmental factors (Ghosh, 2009). And sexual orientation or preference is whom a person is physically and sexually attracted to. In this paper the topics of discussion will be the interaction between hormones and...
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...Amy Montelongo Professor Merritt English 1302 April 20, 2014 An Analysis of the Different Effects of Sexual Orientation Issues The authors of, Mental Health of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth and Young Adults: Differential Effects of Age, Gender, Religiosity, and Sexual Orientation, explain the issues that adolescents, of a different sexual orientation, face. Problems have occurred in LGBT youth community from depression, suicide, to substance abuse since the nineteen-ninety. All these illnesses are caused by distress from the homophobic society. LGBT ,Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, youths struggle with acceptance of their sexuality from friends and friends, school, society, violence, the work force, religion, suicide. The choice of turning all those subjects away has been a solution to many of the cases on these people. Depending on the family of the individual, they may be turned down for the rest of their lives or given the chance to still be involved with them. It all depends on whether the family is traditional. Tradition is when all the sons, daughters, aunts, and uncles that have a straight orientation. Everyday Life The LGBT community faces many challenges in their everyday life like voting, sexual talks, and segregation. In the early nineteen hundreds, the people who campaigned for elections did not let the LGBT community vote because they did to feel that they were equal to the heterosexual man. Equality is what everyone wants like the next guy but do...
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...Nature vs. Nurture in Gender Development The interest in the Interaction between hormones and behavior is not new there has long been a question of whether an individual is born with a specific identity or whether they are nurtured or pushed into a certain role, and how well they can adapt to and assimilate into a specific gender. First it is important to understand that gender is complicated and consists primarily of of three elements. The Gender role, this is the assumption of behavioral traits which are either masculine or feminine and considered to be correct or characteristic of a specific sex. The second element of gender is gender identity; this is a individuals private and personal sense of their sex. Third is an individual’s sexual orientation, which encompasses is individual’s desire for other individuals of similar or different genders from themselves. Sex is a biological term and it is used to distinguish the gender referring to the actual functional differences between males and females, an individual’s sex is the genetic difference an individual’s sex is encoded their chromosomes. Gender is a psychological term encompassing several different elements, this is a person’s psychological, biological, and sociological factors and the individuals feelings about sex. Gender role is the assumption of behavioral traits that are markedly masculine or feminine, and typically the traits are what are socially deemed to be appropriate or characteristic of a certain sex...
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...Gender Identity Paper Brandie Thurman PSY/340 May 25, 2013 Dr. Stephanie Sencil-White There are many biological, psychological, and sociological factors involved in the formation of gender identity. Gender identity is not completely understood as it is much more complex than the joining of a sperm and an egg. For many people, the terms “gender” and “sex” are interchangeable. Biological sex and gender are different; gender is not inherently connected to one’s physical anatomy as biological sex is. When one thinks’ of the term “gender”, we are referring to the role and personalities one assumes within society, for example in American culture females tend to be perceived as more nurturing and males are aggressive and dominant. Hormones and behavior affect gender identity in significant ways each with a distinct purpose. To understand the difference of biological sex and gender, nature versus nurture, and how the environment has an effect this paper will review and explain the interactions between hormones and behaviors and how those interactions affect the determination of gender identity. Gender development starts at the point one is conceived. Gender identity is defined as an individual’s self conception of being either male or female, as distinguished from actual biological sex (Britannica, 2013). Gender differences exist in nearly every social phenomena and for most persons, gender identity and biological characteristics are the same however there are some circumstances...
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...themselves is a journey in itself. It was in 1892 that the term homosexuality was first used. A homosexual (2011), according to Merriam Webster Online, “of or having sexual desire for those of the same sex.” In order to understand the development of identity of homosexuals, it is first important to be mindful of the framework of sexuality in general. The term homosexuality is used to depict the comprehension of sexuality however; in today’s society; the preferred verbiage to define individuals is being gay or lesbian. Homosexuality and Life-span Development Sullivan and Schneider (1987) argue that homosexual coming out in youth has to be seen from a non-derogatory developmental perspective. In an attempt to react to the unique pressures found in adolescents showing an increasing gay or lesbian identity, psychologists and counselors must become familiar with the distinctive development of gay and lesbian adolescents, in addition to the sexual identity development literature in general. Reviewing the developmental issues of gay and lesbian adolescents creates thoughts concerning developing services to assist them. Often times, adults are hesitant to pay attention to adolescent communications concerning sexuality. These feelings begin to arise during what Erik Erikson has defined as stage 5: Ego Development Outcome: Identity vs. Role Confusion and more often than not, when adolescents refer to themselves as gay or lesbian, it is written off as experimentation, an adjustment reaction...
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...Gender Identity Gender Identity Gender identity is a complex and multi-dimensional element of a person (Egan & Perry, 2001). Gender identity is the self – identification as male or female. Gender identity, however, is not the same as sexual orientation (Sue, Sue, & Sue, 2010). Both biological and environmental factors contribute to one’s gender identity. Many people have the assumption that there are male and female hormones that determine gender identity (Pinel, 2009). However, this is not the case. In this paper, I will discuss how hormones, as well as environment, affect one’s gender identity and behavior. Biological Factors and Sexual Differentiation The human body consists of many hormones. Among them are androgens, estrogens, and progestins. Androgens and estrogens are both the most common classes of gonadal hormones. A third class of gonadal hormones is progestins. The most common progestin is progesterone. Progesterone prepares the uterus and breasts for pregnancy in females; however it is unclear of its purpose in males (Pinel, 2009). Although it is widely assumed that androgens are “male” hormones and estrogens are “female” hormones. In actuality, men and women have the same hormones although at different levels. These hormones also do not perform the same functions in both sexes. Males and females are both exposed to high levels of estrogens during the fetal stage. However, males are exposed to high androgen levels during the same...
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...Social stratification- is systematic inequalities among groups of people 1. Wealth and income (social class) 2. Racial inequality 3. Gender inequality. Equality/inequality -Ontological equality -Equality of opportunity -Equality of condition -Equality of outcome Why inequality exists? Inequality in wealth and access to resources is generated by three processes: 1.) Unequal division of labor and/or low mobility across occupations. 2.) Surplus or abundance of resources 3.) The desire to accumulate wealth and assets Types of social mobility: mobility refers to movement between different position within a system of social stratification 1. Horizontal 2. Vertical 3. Structural 4. Exchange Why the class structure is changing -Massive growth in inequality between the rich and the poor. Called the “Great U-Turn” -Shrinking of the working class, with some growth in middle class and working poor. -Growth of poverty and the “underclass” -Rate of poverty is increasing twice as fast as population growth Why income inequality is increasing -Largely due to the increasing concentration of wealth at the very top of the income distribution. consequences of income inequality -High levels of income inequality reduces social cohesion, overall health, overall wealth, and education -Increases crime, debt, and political polarization Social construction of race -Instead, social scientists argue that “race” is socially constructed. Racial...
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...Nature vs. Nurture Homosexuality, Addictions and Intelligence There have always been disputes on whether the decision to be homosexual or heterosexual was based on biological or environmental factors. These disputes are known as the Nature vs. Nurture argument. The two sides argue over how gender is chosen within a person. Based on reproductive organs, sex is easily determined at birth: male or female. Gender, however; is the sexual identity an individual takes on. It is possible for sex and gender to be different. For an example of nurture children who were both born with an injured or damaged reproductive organ, males usually can be raised successfully as females. In order to understand which factor is the deciding factor of a person’s gender, both sides of the case must be fully evaluated. DNA studies which appear to prove that gender is a genetic trait. Researchers have analyzed the makeup of the human brain of homosexuals and heterosexuals seeking a connection between gender and the brains physiology. They found when studying the part of the brain directly related to a persons’ sexual drive, that homosexuals had an enlarged hypothalamus, whereas heterosexuals had a normal one indicating a direct correlation between the brain and gender selections (AllPsych). In researching DNA’s role in gender identity, some scientist have identified the gene that determines a person’s sexual preference. Although there are mounting evidence of the existence of a “gay...
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...While some differences between Lesbian, and Gays (Homosexuals) and Heterosexuals are evident, the similarities are striking. A recent survey of 121,000 Americans has shown that 3.4 percent of American citizens readily identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Although getting an exact measure of sexual orientation and gender identity in a poll is extremely difficult because the majority of Americans who are in the “closet” would not claim their sexual orientation in a survey. At one stage or another, every man woman or child will be faced with the issue of heterosexual vs. homosexual. Heterosexuals have no issue with owning their “straightness”. Everyone comes into this world the same way as everyone else. There are no other ways to come into this world. People can't just appear out of thin air and be alive. All people die and leave this world just like everyone else. The main issue being, are there any real differences or likenesses in these types of people? Here begins an in-depth analysis of the controversial subject of heterosexual vs. homosexual. Heterosexuals are people who are attracted to the opposite gender and have a sexual attraction between two people of the opposite sex. Years ago heterosexuals made up most of the world percentage and heterosexuals are meant to procreate. The straight community are heterosexuals who have the belief that people in relationships should be a man and a woman. Straight people’s view on their lives is mostly a man...
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...Chapter 4: Gender and Sexuality * What is sex? What is gender? How do they differ? * Summarize the main physical differences between females and males (not genitalia), such as life expectancy * Summarize the main psychological differences between females and males (such as aggression, social power, and social connections) * How do chromosomes determine sex? What role does the Y chromosome play? * What is intersexuality? What causes it? * What is gender identity? * Define transgender * What are gender roles? How do they develop? * Social learning theory * Gender schema theory * How do hormones influence our sexuality? * What are the four stages of the human sexual response cycle? * What are STIs, and how can they be prevented? * What factors influence adolescents' sexual activity and contraceptive use? * Discuss the roles of external and internal stimuli in sexual arousal * What is sexual orientation? * How do nature and nurture work together to create sexual orientation? * What is evolutionary psychology, and how does it explain human sexuality and gender roles? * Summarize the arguments against evolutionary psychology's explanations Chapter 5: Sensation and Perception * What is sensation? What is perception? How do they differ? * What is the process of transduction? * What is psychophysics? * What are absolute thresholds and difference...
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...Case #1 Webb vs. City of Philadelphia This case involves Kimberlie Webb and the City of Philadelphia (mainly the police department). The case was heard by the United States court of appeals, third circuit in 2009. The suit was filed because Webb believed her religious rights were being decimated against. Webb is a Muslim woman who servers on the Philadelphia Police Department. Webb asked permission to wear a headdress that would not cover her face or ears due to her religious beliefs. She was disciplined for failing to comply with Police Department Directive 78 (which basically states that all officers must wear a certain uniform and dress in a certain way in order to appear uniform and unbiased). The Philadelphia Police Department stated that in order to obtain their overall collectiveness could not allow Webb to wear her headdress because it would be obvious what her religious beliefs were and would allow citizens to see that the Police Department is impartial, meaning they could lose the trust and respect of the community. The Judges in this case dismiss the case because for a group of people to be uniform (collectively similar) their cannot be any appearance of religion and that all those who serve must appear neutral to better server the community. Anything to separate identity could be costly when it comes to the overall good of protection. The Judge(s) decide this because if it seems that the police department is partial then citizens may not or will not...
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