Gender

1
Gender Social Roles
2
Definitions

• Sex anatomical physiological attributes of
  males and females

• Gender cultural and psychological attributes
  children learn as appropriate for the sexes
• Gender is socio-culturally defined

3
The Five SexesFausto-Sterling (1993)

• 1- Male testes
• 2- Female ovaries
• 3- Hermaphrodites 1 testes 1 ovary
• 4- Merms Male pseudohermaphrodites i.e.,
  testes some aspect of female genitalia
• 5- Ferms Female pseudohermaphrodites i.e.,
  ovaries some aspect of male
• genitalia

4
The Issue of Sex Roles

• Approximately 4 of births may be intersexuals
  e.g., approximately 560 of the 14,000 students at
  WSU
• Cultures may have clearly defined roles for men
  or women, but not for both e.g., Berdache,
  Levines in Nepal

5
WeWha (1849-1896) (Two Spirit or lhamana)

• Zuni lhamana
• Lakota wintkes
• Mohave alyha
• Navajo nadleeh
• México ira muxe
• Berdache Persian term for lover or boyfriend
  colonized and seen as offensive by some American
  Indians

6
Sexual Attitudes BehaviorBaron Byrne (1994)

• Sexual attitudes beliefs about and evaluations
  of various aspects of human sexuality
• Blacks- more positive attitudes and more open
  about sexuality than whites or Latinos more apt
  to have had premarital intercourse before
  European Americans Similar to European
  Americans in attitudes toward oral sex,
  masturbation, and homosexuality

7

• Unlike popular stereotypes about them, Latino
  college students express more conservative sexual
  attitudes and are less sexually active than
  European Americans Cultural stress of Marianismo
  Machismo may contribute to Latino sexual
  attitudes Changes in attitude may be found in
  Hispanic Americans toward sexuality, abortion,
  and family planning

8
Whats Appropriate Moral?

• Cultural differences in sexual behavior
• Erotic differences i.e., breasts, feet,
  armpits...
• Orgasms for women and men Mangaian vs Innis Beag
• Same sex vs heterosexual sex encounters
• Sexual practices
• Dating/sexual scripts

9
Developing CompetenceFagot (1994)

• Maccoby Jacklin physical aggression V
  nurturing actvities
• Gender segregation
• Distance from adults
• Building Master skills
• Title IX

10
Gender Segregation ConsequencesLeaper (1994)

• Creation of gender cultures
• Assertion V Affiliation
• Toys, Play, Power
• Independence/task orientation V intimacy
• Physical aggression V Nurturance/Affection
• Competition/dominance/social sensitivity Glass
  Ceiling
• Appearance