Sex, Gender, and Gender Identity

Sex, Gender, and Gender Identity

• Sex is a label (male or female) assigned at birth based on genitals and chromosomes, and recorded on the birth certificate
• Gender is a complex social and legal status with societal expectations regarding actions, features, and attitudes; different cultures have different gender-based guidelines
• Gender identity is how you feel inside and display yourself through dress, conduct, and appearance, starting at a young age
• Assigned sex is based on medical variables like hormones, chromosomes, and genitals
• The term "biological sex" is inadequate because it does not describe the wide range of biological, anatomical, and chromosomal differences.
• Instead of "biological sex," some use "assigned male at birth" or "assigned female at birth," acknowledging a decision made by someone else.
• Ascribed sex is determined by characteristics that begin at fertilization
• Sperm contains an X or Y chromosome, while eggs contain only an X chromosome
• XX chromosomes typically result in female sex and reproductive organs, thus physiological femininity
• XY chromosomes typically result in male sex and reproductive organs, thus physiological masculinity
• Intersex is when sexual and reproductive anatomy doesn't fit traditional male/female classifications.
• Understanding male, female, trans, queer, or intersex is important because gender is the first thing we notice about someone
• Knowing someone's gender influences interactions and expectations
• Gender is a key piece of information on application forms
• All cultures distinguish people based on gender
• Gender is important to self-identity, as people expect others to correctly identify their gender
• There are expectations that the two genders are different
• Theories provide different ways of looking at these differences
• Understanding gender helps avoid gender stereotyping

The Biology of Sexes: Chromosomes and Hormones

• The biological perspective equates sex and gender, viewing biological sex as the cause of gendered behavior
• Hormones and chromosomes are the biological components that determine gender

Hormones

• Hormones are chemical molecules secreted by glands and circulated in the bloodstream
• Men and women have the same sex hormones, but in different amounts with varying effects
• Testosterone is a sex hormone affecting development and behavior before and after birth, more common in men
• Testosterone in the womb causes the hypothalamus to become masculinized, leading to male sex organ development at 7 weeks
• Testosterone produces masculine traits: aggression, competitiveness, visuospatial abilities, and enhanced sexual drive
• The sexually dimorphic nucleus, part of the hypothalamus, is larger in males than in females
• Testosterone affects the developing brain, which has left and right hemispheres
• The left brain is more specialized for language, while the right brain is for nonverbal and spatial skills
• An MRI study found women use both brain hemispheres during linguistic tasks, while men use only one
• Male and female brain hemispheres work more independently, and testosterone influences brain lateralization

Chromosomes and Genes

• Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes
• A chromosome contains hundreds of genes controlling a person's development
• The 23rd chromosome pair determines biological sex
• Males = XY
• Females = XX

SRY Gene

• The SRY gene on the Y chromosome leads to testes development in embryos at 6 weeks
• Without a Y chromosome and SRY gene, gonads develop into ovaries
• The SRY gene may be absent or non-functional, resulting in an XY individual who develops as female
• Insertion of the SRY gene into female mice led to male mice development
• Detection can be used as gender verification

Atypical Chromosomes

• Individuals with atypical chromosomes develop differently than those with typical chromosomes
• Studying Turner's and Klinefelter's syndromes helps understand genetic influences on behavior
• Turner's syndrome (XO): females with one X chromosome on chromosome 23, leading to a lack of puberty maturation and a webbing of the neck, affect about 1 in 5000
• Turner's syndrome is further characterized by cognitive and behavioral variations and physical differences
• Turner's syndrome affects people, who have above-average verbal abilities but below-average spatial, visual memory, and mathematical abilities, along with poor social adjustment
• Klinefelter's syndrome (XXY): males with an extra X chromosome on the 23rd chromosome, affects about 1 in 750
• XXY results in men with less body hair and underdeveloped genitals
• Klinefelter's syndrome can cause childhood speech delays that impact later reading in school
• Klinefelter's syndrome causes babies and people to be passive

Sex vs. Gender Identity

• Gender is a broader concept than sex with more diverse and complex roles
• It encompasses gender roles, societal expectations and beliefs of behaviors, attributes, feelings
• Gender is shaped by how society expects men and women to behave, dress, and communicate
• As girls, boys, men, and women, gender is also a reflection of social positioning
• Biological and assigned sex are about biology, anatomy, and chromosomes
• Gender is the collection of the qualities that society has for you
• Gender can be expressed through external presentation and feelings

Gender Identity

• Most people identify as male or female, but some identify as a masculine female or feminine male, or neither
• Non-binary individuals may use labels like "genderqueer," "gender variant," or "gender fluid"
• Gender identification can begin as early as age 2 or 3

Intersex

• Cisgender individuals have aligned sex and gender identities
• Transgender individuals have a different gender identity from assigned sex
• Not every trans person has had the same identification

The Nature of "Intersex"

• Intersex is a catch-all term for bodies not fitting neatly into the male/female dichotomy
• Intersex people are born with sex characteristics (genitals, gonads, chromosome patterns) not fitting typical binary notions
• Experts estimate 1.7% of the population is born with intersex traits
• Intersex has a variety of biological and physical variations
• Intersex persons are sometimes subjected to surgeries to conform them to the binary
• Doctors often assign a legal sex, but it doesn't guarantee gender identity alignment
• It is debated to perform medical procedures when they are not required for health
• Being intersex is natural, so medical procedures are unnecessary; intersex people should choose therapy/surgery when older
• Human rights abuses against intersex people include infanticide, forced medical interventions, and discrimination
• Intersex babies may have atypical genitals, a large clitoris, or a small penis
• A baby may have no vaginal opening, a penis lacking a urethral opening, or closed labia
• Babies' genitalia may appear fully male/female, where internal and external anatomy do not aligned
• Intersex status may become obvious at puberty when hormone production doesn't match assigned sex
• Puberty milestones may reflect a different gender than anticipated, or someone may not even know
• Intersex is present from birth, displaying a variety of ways such as ovarian and testicular tissues

The Psychological Perspectives on Gender

• Gender discussions often assume "natural" gender roles dictated by biological sex
• Judith Butler considers gender as an activity, a series of repeated acts solidifying over time
• Butler views gender as performance rather than actuality, culture painting representations of gender on the body

Social Learning Theory

• Emphasizes the interactions we learn from rolemodels
• Provides an account on the significance of consistency, with active attempts to make sense of the environment
• Young child may follow and mirror patterns of play that they witness in those older than them
• If a child sees consistent patterns that they internalize that impact how they act
• Over time people learn what actions are more accepted
• Social cognitive theory blends social learning with cognitive theories, explaining certain phenomena that influence who we learn from
• A child may act differently toward a toy and receive feedback that alters the course of their actions

Cognitive Developmental Theory

• Mental structures shift as children develop and interact with the outside world through developmental stages, from the basic to the complex
• Beliefs change as cognitive gaps narrow until gender constancy, stability, and consistency are achieved
• Gender identity is multifaceted and may shift with language; boys prioritize their gender more, fitting the theory that boys exert more effort in developing

Gender Schema Theory

• Gender schema theory can be a cognitive theory. schemas are more like cognitive templates that can be followed
• Children create schemas about gender by keeping or discarding information from their surroundings and act accordingly
• Superordinate schemas provide information for gender groupings, while own-sex schemas provide information about one's own actions
• Schemas simplify gendered behavior decision-making
• Children develop schemas via learning, and understanding these are either very flexible, grey or white and not flexible for sometime, particularly between 5-7
• Children then Gravitate through what is categorized themselves

Sociological Views

• Sociology states human behavior is shaped by group affiliations and interactions
• Sociology understands society as a transient product made by humans

Functionalist Perspective

• Gender determines proper behavior standards of men and women with established views
• Female sociologists showed our stratification has equal parts in gender; however this was only subtle
• Gender stratification is a high unequal access given to different genders, and commonly anthropologists measure the degree of importance a culture places.
• Division of labor is used as cooperative labor into specifically tasks, gender studies researches this labor and analyzes
• Society has inequalities that are used to produce labor and shape the whole of society and shape

The Conflict Theory

• Social problems occur where groups do not align socially
• Society is defined by social groups that compete in struggles of dominatino, and in this case men are the dominating group
• Feminists view inequality is universal

The Feminist Perspective

• First Wave Feminism focused on many suffragist views and what this promoted with views of discrimination of color
• Second Wave Focuses on equality, rights, abuse and the goal here was to include racial justice although less of a priority
• Third Wave Feminists are diverse in class and sexual orientation, and the main challenge is too promote equality with a common goal for women
• Fourth Wave Feminists challenge the norms even more in #METoo that target the norms and injustices between the sexes.

Symbolic Interactions

• Gender is constructed in encounters through interaction and meaning
• Gender is a function of performance and not a trait- and femininity and masculinity is a perception and expression of what entails as a gender
• Society influences the way we act and our interactions give meaning

Gender Stereotypes

• Perceptions of personality traits can be different because of what others expect
• Behaviors are limited as some are expected to handle different behaviors or activities
• Stereotypes apply for occupations and appearance with certain perceptions and limitations
• When overdone and performed, exaggeration of stereotypes can make things more feminine with welcoming, or Masculine to be intimidating
• Negative stereotypes should be rejected and pointed out and should provide information, support, and encouragement