Gender and Sexuality PDF

Gender and Sexuality Sex: the biological category of male or female as defined by physical differences and genetic composition and reproduction anatomy. Gender: the cultural social and psychological meanings that are associated with masculinity and femininity. What motivates sexual behavior? Te...

Gender and Sexuality Sex: the biological category of male or female as defined by physical differences and genetic composition and reproduction anatomy. Gender: the cultural social and psychological meanings that are associated with masculinity and femininity. What motivates sexual behavior? Testosterone: sex hormone that plays a part in sexual activity and motivation in both men and women. Gender-role stereotypes: the beliefs and expectation people hold about the typical characteristics, preferences, and behavior of men and women.  Topics of Research Between the Sexes 1. Personality Differences 2. Cognitive Differences 3. Social Differences 4. Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors Findings regarding the differences between the sexes: 1. No differences exist across the board between the sexes. 2. Differences that do exist do not reflect cause and such differences are not “natural”, “inevitable” or “unchangeable”. 3. Men and women are very similar in social, personality, and cognitive factors. Gender-Role Development Two influential theories: 1. Social Learning Theory (of gender-role development): theory that gender roles are acquired through the basic processes of learning, including reinforcement, punishment, and modeling. 2. Gender Schema Theory: theory that gender-role development is influenced by the information of schemes or mental representations of masculinity and femininity. Evolutionary theories The most prominent of the biological explanations are those that cite evolution as the primary cause of many gender differences. David Buss: psychologist, surveyed more than 10,000 people in 37 different cultures. Men: value youth and attractiveness. Women: financial security, material resources, high status and education, financial prospects. Buss interprets these gender differences as reflecting different “mating strategies” of men and women. The adaptive problem for men is to identify and mate with women who are likely to be successful at bearing their children. Women want offspring to survive. Human Sexuality Master’s and Johnson: the Sexual Response Cycle. 1. Excitement phase 2. Plateau phase 3. Orgasm 4. Resolution phase (Know the order.) Sexual Disorders and Problems Sexual dysfunction: a consistent disturbance in sexual desire, arousal, or release that causes psychological distress and interpersonal difficulties. Clinicians rate sexual dysfunction based on whether it is lifelong or acquired and generalized or situational. Lifelong: since sexually active Acquired: at some point prior asymptomatic Generalized: all sexual situations Situational: only occur with certain types of sexual stimulation, situations or partners  Sexual Orientation Sexual Orientation: the direction of a person’s emotional and erotic attraction toward members of the opposite sex, same sex, or both sexes. Gender Identity: Once sense of masculinity or femininity. Gender Dysphoria: Gender dysphoria is a condition where a person experiences discomfort or distress because there's a mismatch between their biological sex and gender identity. Present research regarding issues related to gender focus on the following: Genetics, environmental factors, biological factors, and differences in brain function and structure. Some research indicates that birth order plays a role. The Paraphilias: any of several forms of nontraditional sexual behavior in which a person’s sexual gratification depends on an unusual sexual experience, object, or fantasy. para meaning “faulty” or “abnormal” philia meaning “attraction” There is no scientific consensus for any precise border between unusual sexual interests and paraphilic ones. (1) nonhuman objects (2) children (4) nonconsenting persons (5) the suffering or humiliation of self or partner. Essential feature of a paraphilic disorder: individual becomes psychologically dependent on the target of desire and are unable to experience sexual arousal unless this target is present in some form. Must experience the condition for at least 6 months and cause personal distress to self or others. Exhibitionism Frotteurism Fetishism Transvestic fetishism Pedophilia Voyeurism (Most common paraphilia.) Sexual sadism Sexual masochism Theories Biological: genetic, hormonal and sensory factors. Issues with the temporal lobe which is believed to alter sexual arousal combined with early physical or sexual abuse. Psychological/Social: maladaptive responses to traumatic events Treatment CBT Empathy training Impulse control training Relapse prevention Most effective: combination of hormonal drugs intended to reduce androgens (male sex hormone levels) and psychotherapy Castration: intended to destroy the body’s production of testosterone through surgical castration (removal of the testes) or chemical castration (medication that suppress the production of testosterone). Medication that alters neurotransmitter levels, esp. some antidepressants and those that involve GABA or glutamate receptors which decrease the activity of dopamine (neurotransmitter involved in sexual arousal)