Chapter 2

Gender Identity, Role & Development

1. Biological ---- Differences of Male and Females

“All men were once women” - While both male and female embryos begin with a shared "female" starting point in their
development, the presence of the SRY gene in males is what ultimately steers them towards male reproductive
development. This means all men were once in a developmental stage that could be considered "female" before the male
pathway was activated, but they did not transform from female to male.

Chromosomes: The Fundamental Cause of Gender

 A chromosome is a package of DNA containing part or all of the genetic material of an organism
 a threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic
information in the form of genes.
 23 paired chromosomes (total 46)
 ● Chromosomes are made by our DNA
 ● the DNA that decides whether a newly fertilized ovum (egg cells) becomes a male or female is found.
 ● 23rd pair of chromosomes identify the sex of the individual
 XX – FEMALE
 XY – MALE

 Fundamental - being the most basic or most important thing on which other things
depend
 Biological - of or relating to biology or to life and living things.
- connected by a relationship involving heredity rather than by one involving adoption or marriage.
 Gonads - are the primary sex organs that produce gametes (sperm or eggs) and secrete sex hormones. In males,
the gonads are the testes, and in females, they are the ovaries.

Hormones: The Biological Cause of Gender

Hormones are chemicals in the body that regulate changes in our cells including our growth. Hormones are very important
in explaining our gender differences.

Testostorone- produced by the testes; responsible for sexual activity, increased muscle and bone mass, appearance of
hair, deepening of voice, etc

Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone, crucial for developing male characteristics -and reproductive
function. While primarily produced in the testicles, women also produce small amounts of testosterone, which is essential for
various bodily functions, including mood, energy levels, and bone density. Low testosterone levels can lead to a range of
issues, including decreased sex drive, muscle loss, fatigue, and mood changes, affecting both men and women.

Functions:
Male development: Promotes development of male reproductive organs, secondary sexual characteristics like
body and facial hair, and muscle mass.

Reproductive function: Essential for sperm production and sexual function.

Overall health: Plays a role in bone density, red blood cell production, mood, energy levels, and more.
Estrogen- produced in the ovaries; responsible for the development of female reproductive system, regulating the
menstrual cycle, maintains pregnancy, etc

Estrogens are a group of steroid hormones, primarily associated with female reproductive health, but also produced in
smaller amounts by men. They play a crucial role in development, reproduction, and various other bodily functions in both
sexes.

Key Functions of Estrogens:

Female Reproductive Development: Estrogens are essential for the development of secondary sexual characteristics in
females, such as breast development, pubic and armpit hair, and changes in body fat distribution.

Menstrual Cycle: They regulate the menstrual cycle, preparing the uterus for potential pregnancy and triggering
menstruation if fertilization does not occur.

Pregnancy: Estrogen levels rise significantly during pregnancy, supporting the growth and development of the fetus and
preparing the body for childbirth.

Bone Health: Estrogen plays a vital role in bone growth and maintenance, helping to prevent osteoporosis.

Cardiovascular Health: Some research suggests that estrogen may offer some cardiovascular benefits, such as lower
cholesterol levels and improved blood vessel health.

Brain Function: Estrogens influence brain function, affecting mood, memory, and cognitive

2. Psychological and Social Influences on Gender Identity

Gender Socialization - Gender identity is ultimately derived from chromosomal makeup and physical appearance, but this
derivation of gender identity does not mean that psychosocial influences are missing. Gender socialization, or the process
whereby a child learns the norms and roles that society has created for his or her gender , plays a significant role in the
establishment of his/her sense of “femaleness” or “maleness”.

 the process by which individuals internalize societal expectations, norms, and roles associated with their
gender, starting from birth and continuing throughout life. This process influences how people understand their
gender and how they behave in various social situations. It's influenced by various factors, including family,
peers, media, and education

Beginning at birth, most parents treat their children according to the appearance of their genitals. Parents even
handle their baby girls less aggressively than their baby boys. Children quickly develop a clear understanding that
they are either female or male, as well as a strong desire to adopt gender-appropriate mannerisms and behaviors.
This understanding normally occurs within 2 years of age, according to many authorities. In short, biology sets the
stage, but children's interactions with social environments determine the nature of gender identity.

Gender Roles
 Gender roles are both cultural and personal. These roles determine how males and females think, speak, dress,
and interact within the context of society. Learning plays a role in this process of shaping gender roles. These gender
schemas are deeply embedded cognitive frameworks regarding what defines masculine and feminine.

3. Psychoanalytic, Social-Learning Theory, & Cognitive-Developmental Theories

Psychoanalytic - Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychological development explained that children satisfy their basic
biological motivations which were discovered through a treatment known as psychoanalysis, the examining of the
unconscious.

-The id, ego, and superego are three components of personality in psychoanalytic theory, developed by Sigmund
Freud.

o ID. It operates on the pleasure principle. Every wishful impulse should be satisfied immediately, regardless
of the consequences. When the id achieves its demands, you experience pleasure; when it is denied, you
experience “unpleasure” or tension.
o The id is the part of your personality that's all about basic instincts and desires. It's the
part that wants what it wants, right now, without thinking about consequences or social
rules.
 Instinct- natural ability that helps you decide what to do or how to act without
thinking:

 This is the most primitive part of the personality, existing in the unconscious and driven by the pleasure
principle. It seeks immediate gratification/satisfaction of needs and desires, such as hunger, thirst, and
sexual urges. The id is impulsive and irrational, focusing on immediate gratification without regard for
consequences.
Here are some examples of the id in action:

A baby crying when hungry - The infant's id immediately demands satisfaction of its need for food.
Impulsive behavior- Someone who acts on a sudden urge to eat a piece of cake, even if they are on a diet, is exhibiting
id-driven behavior.
Extreme anger or frustration - Reacting with immediate aggression or destructive behavior to a frustrating situation is an
example of the id taking over.
Instant gratification - Seeking immediate pleasure or satisfaction of desires without considering the consequences or
social implications.
Ignoring social norms:
Behaving in a way that is considered inappropriate or rude, without regard for others' feelings or
social expectations.
Addictive behaviors- Continuing to engage in addictive behaviors despite negative consequences
is an example of the id prioritizing pleasure over other considerations.
Daydreaming - Engaging in fantasies or daydreams as a way to escape from reality and satisfy
desires, even if those desires are unrealistic.
 o EGO. It operates according to the reality principle. It works out realistic ways of satisfying the id’s
demands (often compromising or postponing satisfaction to avoid negative consequences of society). The
ego considers social realities and norms, etiquette, and rules in deciding how to behave.

 The ego develops in childhood and operates on the reality principle. It mediates between the id's demands
and the constraints of reality and the superego. The ego is conscious and responsible for making decisions,
problem-solving, and managing conflicts between the id and the superego.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

The Ego as a Mediator:

The ego acts as a bridge between the id's primal urges and the superego's moral constraints, striving for a realistic
balance between them.
Functions of the Ego:
The ego is involved in decision-making, perception (the process of how individuals organize, interpret, and
make sense of sensory information to understand the world around them) , judgment, planning, and
problem-solving.
Ego Strength:
A strong ego means a well-developed sense of self, the ability to deal with reality effectively, and a capacity to manage
impulses in a socially appropriate manner.
Weak Ego:
A weak ego can lead to difficulties in managing impulses (desires, urges), dealing with reality, and maintaining a sense of
self.

 SUPEREGO. It incorporates the values and morals of society. The superego’s function is to control the id’s
impulses. It persuades the ego to choose moralistic goals and to strive for perfection rather than simply realistic
ones.

 Guilt, morality, conscience

- The superego emerges from internalizing societal rules and morals during childhood, often through
parental guidance and modeling. It acts as the conscience, judging actions as right or wrong and
imposing feelings of guilt or pride. The superego strives for perfection and moral ideals, sometimes
leading to unrealistic expectations.

Examples of superego in action include feeling guilt after doing something wrong, resisting urges that conflict
with moral values, and striving for perfection or moral ideals.
Examples:

 Feeling guilty after cheating on a test: Even if no one sees you, your superego recognizes the action as wrong and
punishes you with guilt.
 Returning money to a store after being given too much change: This demonstrates a strong sense of right and wrong,
driven by your superego.
 Resisting the urge to eat a piece of cake when you're trying to lose weight: The superego can suppress desires that
conflict with your goals or moral values.
 Feeling ashamed after lying: Even if the lie seems harmless, your superego may make you feel bad about it.
 Pushing yourself to study hard for an exam, even when you'd rather relax: This demonstrates a striving for moral and
intellectual perfection.
 A person who always does what is "right" even when it's inconvenient: This could be an example of a strong
superego that prioritizes moral correctness over personal comfort or convenience.
 A person who feels excessive guilt or self-criticism: This might indicate a harsh or overly demanding superego.

 Scenario:
Imagine you're in a long, boring meeting at work, and you're getting hungry.
 Id's impulse:
The id might urge you to grab a snack immediately, regardless of the situation.
 Ego's response:
The ego recognizes that disrupting the meeting to get food isn't appropriate. It might suggest waiting until the meeting is
over, perhaps imagining the snack to satisfy the urge temporarily.
 Superego's input:
The superego might reinforce the idea that it's important to be respectful of others and follow workplace rules.

 Making Practical Decisions:

 Scenario: You're walking past a café, and you're very hungry.

 Id's impulse: The id might want you to grab food from someone's plate.
 Ego's response: The ego knows this is not socially acceptable and that it's more reasonable to wait
until you can get your own food.
 Superego's input: The superego might remind you that stealing is wrong.

Psychosexual Theory - Sigmund Freud's psychosexual theory proposes that personality develops through five
distinct stages of development, each characterized by a focus on a particular erogenous zone and a specific
type of pleasure-seeking behavior.
 Stage Age Erogeno Behavioral Focus
Range us Zone
(area of
the
body)
Oral 0-2 years Mouth, Focus is on the mouth, with pleasure derived from
lips and sucking, biting, and chewing. Unresolved conflicts
tongue during this stage can lead to fixations (obsessive
interest) like smoking, nail-biting, overeating in
adulthood.
Anal 2-4 years Anus Pleasure is derived from bowel and bladder control,
and the focus is on mastering toilet
training. Unresolved conflicts can lead to fixations like
being overly neat or messy, and issues with control.

Phallic 5-6 years Genitals Genital stimulation, attraction to opposite-sex

parent, imitation of same-sex parent. Focus shifts
to the genitals, and children experience the Oedipus
(boys) or Electra (girls) complex, involving attraction to
the opposite-sex parent and rivalry with the same-sex
parent. Resolving this stage involves identifying with the
same-sex parent.

Latency 6 years- None Cognitive and social development. Sexual energy is

puberty suppressed, and children focus on developing social
skills and interests with peers. This stage allows for a
period of relative peace before the genital stage.

Genital Puberty- Genitals Development of sexual and intimate adult

adulthood relationships. Mature sexual interests and
relationships emerge, and individuals are capable of
experiencing sexual pleasure and developing
relationships.

Freud believed that fixation at any stage due to unresolved conflicts or excessive gratification
could lead to personality issues or psychological problems in adulthood.
Psychoanalytic Theory
 Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of gender development suggests that gender
development takes place during the third stage of his psychosexual theory of personality
development. He called this the phallic stage, which occurs between three and six years
old. During this stage, the child’s libido is focused on his or her genitals. Development of
gender in psychoanalytic theory is different for boys and for girls: boys experience the
Oedipus complex and identify with their father and take on a male gender role; girls
experience the Electra complex and identify with their mother and take on a female gender
role.

Social-Learning Theory
The Social Learning Theory was proposed by Bandura as a way of explaining how
children acquire their gender identity based on the influence of other people (particularly their
parents).

There are four stages that a child goes through when they develop gender behavior. These
are:
 Attention- behavior is noticed and observed
 Memory- behavior is memorized and committed to memory
 Imitation- behavior is “reproduced”
 Motivation- behavior is based on the desired consequences (praised: encouraged to do
behavior; punished: discouraged to do behavior)

In terms of gender development, children receive praise if they engage in culturally

appropriate gender displays, and receive punishment if they do not. When
aggressiveness in boys is met with acceptance, or a “boys will be boys” attitude, but a girl’s
aggressiveness earns them little attention, the two children learn different meanings for
aggressiveness as it relates to their gender development. Thus, boys may continue being
aggressive while girls may drop it out of their repertoire. Socialization of children is one of the
major causes of gender differences between boys and girls. Children are encouraged to do
the appropriate sex-typed activities by the parents, media, and school.

Cognitive-Developmental Theory

This approach focuses upon the thought processes underlying learning. This theory
gives importance to the internal states of the person as well as the environmental events;
however, it is the thinking and perception that is the key factor. The term cognition refers to
"knowledge" as well as "the process of knowing“.

The cognitive approach focuses upon the child’s "understanding“

Information about gender is organized into sets of beliefs about the sexes.
 Cognitive Learning states that children develop gender at their own levels. The
model, formulated by Kohlberg, asserts that children recognize their gender identity
around age three but do not see it as relatively fixed until the ages of five to seven.
This identity marker provides children with a schema (A set of observed or spoken rules for
how social or cultural interactions should happen.) in which to organize much of their
behavior and that of others. Thus, they look for role models to emulate maleness or
femaleness as they grow older.

Children’s own cognitions are primarily responsible for gender role development.
xample 1:
Information about which toys are for girls and which toys are for boys form a schema that
guides behavior.

Example 2:
If a son sees his mother and sisters respected in the family, he will perceive women as
respectable beings; and if he has seen his mother being battered and maltreated by his
father he will perceive that women are taken as less valued individuals.

Summary
1. Hormones play a huge role in gender differences. Biological aspects create a critical
interplay with the gender roles pursued by an individual
2. Biological make up may play a major part on an individuals gender identity, however,
psychosocial and societal factors still influence an individual’s view of himself/herself
3. Gender roles are both cultural and personal. It maybe derived from the environment
directly affecting the individual, however the personal experiences of the person plays a
crucial part in one’s gender role discovery.