THEOR IE S A N D V IE WS O F

G E N DE R
LET’S REVIEW FIRST!
Gender Constancy: The knowledge that gender is
permanent characteristic and will not change with
superficial alterations.
Gender Identity: Individual identification of self as female
or male.
Gender labeling: the ability to label self and others as
male or female.
Gender: a set of socially significant activities associated
with being male and female.
COMPARISON OF THEORIES OF GENDER DEVELOPMENT
• The interactions with
parents – early
childhood
GENDER • Reinforcement &
Observation
DIFFERENCES • Cognitive development
• Gender –specific
DEVELOP schemata
• Learning gender
THROUGH scripts
BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Role of Gene – 20% to 48 %

Role of environment – 52 % to 80 %

Role of Gene – 20% to 48 %

Role of environment – 52 % to 80 %
SEXUAL DEVIANCE
• DENYS- DRASH SYNDROME – IN MALE-GONADAL
DYSGENESIS AND TESTES ARE UNDESCENDED

• TESTICULAR FEMINIZATION SYNDROME OR

COMPLETE ANDROGEN INSENSITIVITY SYNDROME-
XY FETUSES INSENSITIVE TO ANDROGENS

• KLINEFELTER’S SYNDROME – XXY

• TURNER’S SYNDROME - XO
 PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY
This theory sees the role of the family , the mother in
particular, as crucial in shaping one’s gender identity.
Boys and girls shape their identity in relation to that of
their mother. Because girls are like their mother’s
biologically they see themselves as connected to
her. Because boys are biologically different or
separate from their mother , they construct their
gender identity in contrast to their mother.
PSYCHODYNAMIC
• PHALLIC STAGE – 3-6 YEARS
• BY AGE 5 DEVELOP GENDER IDENTITY
FANTASIZE ABOUT GENITAL AND PARENTS – RESOLUTION OF FEELING – START
IDENTIFYING WITH ONE OF THE PARENT- INTERNALIZE VALUES OF THAT PARENT-
EXHIBIT SAME BEHAVIOR

• GENDER IDENTITY IS GENITAL IDENTITY (DICHOTOMOUS)

PSYCHODYNAMIC
• PHALLIC STAGE – 3-6 YEARS
• BY AGE 5 DEVELOP GENDER IDENTITY
FANTASIZE ABOUT GENITAL AND PARENTS –
RESOLUTION OF FEELING – START IDENTIFYING
WITH ONE OF THE PARENT- INTERNALIZE VALUES OF
THAT PARENT- EXHIBIT SAME BEHAVIOR

• GENDER IDENTITY IS GENITAL IDENTITY

(DICHOTOMOUS)
 PSYCHODYNAMIC
• IF THE CHILD FAILS TO ACCEPT HIS/HER
GENITALS --- WILL FAIL TO ACCEPT BEING
MALE OR FEMALE
CRITICISM --- BLIND CHILD CANNOT GENITALS
AND SEE SOCIAL ASPECTS OF GENDER

• UNCONSCIOUS AND SEMICONSCIOUS

FANTASIES IS THE PROCESS OF LINKING
GENDER IDENTITY WITH GENDER ROLE
PSYCHODYNAMIC
• CASTRATION ANXIETY – IDENTIFY WITH FATHER
• OBJECTIVE CHOICE (WANTING SOMEONE,
MOTHER) CHANGES TO OBJECT IDENTITY
(WANTING TO BE LIKE SOMEONE, FATHER)

• BECOMING LIKE FATHER IS LIKE ACHIEVING

MOTHER

• EARLIER IDENTIFY BOTH- MORE WITH MOTHERS

 SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
It is based on outward motivational
factors that argue, that if children
receive positive reinforcement they
are motivated to continue a particular
behavior. If they receive punishment or
other indicators of disapproval they are
more motivated to stop that behavior.
 SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
• MODELING OF A BEHAVIOR DEPENDS UPON
-POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH MODEL
-POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES OF MODEL’S BEHAVIOR
-MODEL IS POWERFUL
-SAME SEX MODEL AND HAVE GENDER ROLE
CONGRUENCE

• MODELS CHANGE WITH CHANGE IN NORMS

 COGNITIVE LEARNING THEORY
Kohlberg asserts that children recognize their
gender identity around age three but do not see it
as relatively fixed until the ages of 5-7.
This identity marker provides children with a
schema ( a set of observed or spoken rules of how
social or cultural interactions should happen) in
which to organize much of their behavior and that
of others. Thus they look for models to emulate
maleness or femaleness.
 COGNITIVE LEARNING THEORY
• ACCORDING TO PIAGET’S THEORY OF COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT AS IT PROPOSES THAT CHILDREN PASS
THOUGH A FIXED SERIES OF STAGES AS THEY MATURE INTO
ADULTHOOD.

• THE THINKING OF YOUNG CHILDREN IS QUALITATIVELY

DIFFERENT FROM THE THINKING OF OLDER CHILDREN E.G.
YOUNG CHILDREN BELIEVE THAT A ROW OF M&M ‘S HAS
MORE CANDY IF IS STRETCHED OUT THAN IF IT IS COMPACT.

• YOUNGER CHILDREN RELY STRONGLY ON OUTWARD

PHYSICAL APPEARANCES WHEN MAKING JUDGMENTS.
• FIRST STEP TOWARDS GENDER TYPING IS
-DEVELOPMENT OF GENDER IDENTITY, OR THEIR ABILITY TO LABEL
-GENDER STABILITY IS FOLLOWED BY GENDER CONSISTENCY I.E IT REMAINS
SAME ACROSS SITUATIONS
-FINAL STAGE IS GENDER CONSTANCY IS ACHIEVED WHEN BIOLOGY
DETERMINES WHETHER SOME ONE IS MALE OR FEMALE. THEY WOULD BE ABLE
TO UNDERSTAND THAT BY CUTTING THE HAIRS & WEARING JEANS WOMEN
WOULD NOR BECOME MEN
GENDER SCHEMA THEORY
• GENDER SCHEMA THEORY ACCORDING TO SANDRA BEM(1981, 1983,
1985) PROPOSES THAT CHILDREN USES GENDER AS A COGNITIVE
ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE IN ORDER TO STRUCTURE AND GUIDE THEIR
PERCEPTIONS ABOUT REALITY.

• IN OTHER WORDS, THEY ARE LIKELY TO OF THE WORLD

ACCORDING TO THE DEFINITIONS OF MALENESS AND FEMALENESS
IN A PARTICULAR SOCIETY.

• THE THEORY PROPOSES THAT GENDER-TYPING IS THE RESULT OF

THE CHILD’S READINESS TO BLEND HIS OR HER OWN SELF –
CONCEPT INTO THE GENDER SCHEMA.
 SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
Is based specifically on communication.
Because gender is learned through communication
in cultural contexts, communication is vital for the
transformation of such messages.

For example the word gay, once meant “cheerful”

but by 1960s it carried the primary meaning of
“homosexual”
 CONFLICT THEORY
According to conflict theory, society is
defined by a struggle for dominance among
social groups that compete for scarce
resources. In the context of gender, conflict
theory argues that gender is best
understood as men attempting to
maintain power and privilege the
detriment of women
FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE
Suggests that gender roles exist to maximize social
efficiency. This theory suggests that gender inequalities
exist as an efficient way to create a division of labor, or as
a social system in which particular segments are clearly
responsible for certain respective acts of labor. A
structural functionalist view of gender inequality
applies the division of labor to view predefined
gender roles as complementary: women take care of
home, men work for family.
LOOKING THE GLASS SELF
An individual’s perception of
him/herself is based primarily how
society views him/her.