gender binary

Examples of gender binary in the following topics:

• Gender as a Spectrum and Transgender Identities

  • Most Western societies operate on the idea that gender is a binary—that there are essentially only two genders (men and women) based on two sexes (male and female), and that everyone must fit one or the other.
  • This social dichotomy enforces conformance to the ideals of masculinity and femininity in all aspects of gender and sex—gender identity, gender expression, and biological sex.
  • In the United States, the gender spectrum was formed as an extension of the limiting gender binary that viewed man and woman as the only two gender options.
  • The gender continuum (sometimes referred to as the gender matrix) is an extension of this gender spectrum that includes additional gender identities.
  • "Genderqueer" and "gender fluid" typically signify gender experiences that do not fit into binary concepts; they suggest nonconformity and challenge existing constructions and identities.

• Development of Gender Identity

  • Gender identity is a person's subjective experience of their own gender; how it develops is a topic of much debate.
  • Gender identity is the extent to which one identifies with a particular gender; it is a person's individual sense and subjective experience of being a man, a woman, or another gender.
  • Recent terms such as "genderqueer," "genderfluid," "gender variant," "androgynous," "agender," and "gender nonconforming" are used by individuals who do not identify within the gender binary as either a man or a woman; instead they identify as existing somewhere along a spectrum or continuum of genders, or outside of the spectrum altogether, often in a way that is continuously evolving.
  • However, many transgender, genderqueer, or genderfluid individuals are not able to embrace their true gender identity until much later in life, largely due to both societal pressure to conform to the gender binary and the societal stigma associated with transgender identities.
  • Apply social-learning theory and gender-schema theory to the context of gender identity development and the gender spectrum

• Gender Dysphoria

  • Gender dysphoria is a controversial diagnosis characterized by a person's discontent with the sex and gender they were assigned at birth.
  • Many people who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria identify as transgender, genderfluid, or otherwise gender non-conforming in some way; however not everyone who identifies as transgender or gender non-conforming experiences gender dysphoria.
  • Many transgender people and researchers supported the declassification of GID, arguing that the diagnosis pathologizes a natural form of gender variance, reinforces the binary model of gender (i.e., the idea that there are only two genders and that everyone must fit neatly into one of these two genders), and can result in stigmatization of transgender individuals.
  • Gender dysphoria exists when a person suffers discontent due to gender identity, causing them emotional distress.
  • Some authors have suggested that people with gender dysphoria suffer because they are stigmatized and victimized by society; if the society was more accepting of transgender identities and non-binary expressions of gender, they would suffer less and/or may not experience dysphoria at all.

• Defining Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

  • But have you ever been asked to provide your sex and your gender?
  • Biological sex has traditionally been conceptualized as a binary in Western medicine, typically divided into male and female.
  • Because our society operates in a binary system when it comes to gender (in other words, seeing gender as only having two options), many children who are born intersex are forcibly assigned as either a boy or a girl and even surgically "corrected" to fit a particular gender.
  • Gender identity is a person's sense of self as a member of a particular gender.
  • Modern scholars such as Anne Fausto-Sterling and Bonnie Spanier criticize the standard binaries of sex and gender, arguing that sex and gender are both fluid concepts that exist along a spectrum, rather than as binaries.

• Sexual Orientation

  • A person's sexual orientation is their emotional and sexual attraction to a particular sex or gender.
  • "Bisexuality" was a term traditionally used to refer to attraction to individuals of either male or female sex, but it has recently been used in a less binary model of sex and gender (i.e., a model that does not assume there are only two sexes or two genders) to refer to attraction to any sex or gender.
  • Alternative terms such as "pansexuality" and "polysexuality" have also been developed, referring to attraction to all sexes/genders and attraction to multiple sexes/genders, respectively.
  • "Asexuality" refers to having no sexual attraction to any sex/gender.
  • In recent decades the term "queer" has been embraced as a non-binary view of gender and sexuality, embracing a spectrum and/or a fluidity of concepts that have previously been defined as having only two (binary) options (e.g., male/female, straight/gay, woman/man).

• Sexual Orientation

  • In recent decades, the term queer has been embraced as a non-binary view of gender and sexuality, embracing a spectrum and/or a fluidity of these concepts that have previously been defined as having only two (binary) options (ex: male/female, straight/gay, women/men).
  • Homosexual women (also referred to as lesbians), homosexual men (also referred to as gays), and bisexuals or queer people of all genders, may have very different experiences of discovering and accepting their sexual orientation.

• Gender and Sociology

  • From birth, children are assigned a gender and are socialized to conform to certain gender roles based on their biological sex.
  • From birth, children are socialized to conform to certain gender roles based on their biological sex and the gender to which they are assigned.
  • Gender roles are based on norms, or standards, created by society.
  • Each agent reinforces gender roles by creating and maintaining normative expectations for gender-specific behavior.
  • The attitudes and expectations surrounding gender roles are not typically based on any inherent or natural gender differences, but on gender stereotypes, or oversimplified notions about the attitudes, traits, and behavior patterns of males and females.

• Discrimination Based on Sex and Gender

  • Discrimination based on sex and gender contributes to harassment, unequal treatment, and violence against women, girls, and transgender and gender non-conforming people.
  • Sexism or gender discrimination is prejudice or discrimination based on a person's sex or gender.
  • It has been linked to stereotypes and gender roles and includes the belief that males are intrinsically superior to other sexes and genders.
  • Currently, transgender individuals are not protected in 33 U.S. states from being fired for being transgender or not conforming to gender norms.
  • Describe the forms of gender-based discrimination that exist in society today

• Influences of Culture and Gender in Psychotherapy

  • Cultural and gender norms significantly shape how mental illness as well as therapy and various other treatment methods are perceived.
  • A number of psychologists argue for integrating cultural and gender sensitivity into the therapy process because of the significant influence that such factors can have on therapy.
  • Culture  and gender can influence the therapy process in a number of ways.
  • A number of research studies have also found gender to be an important factor in how an individual communicates.
  • Due to gender socialization, men and women may express depression differently, which is an important consideration when planning a course of therapy.

• Influences of Culture and Gender on Personality

  • Both culture and gender are important factors that influence the development of personality.
  • In much the same manner that cultural norms can influence personality and behavior, gender norms (the behaviors that males and females are expected to conform to in a given society) can also influence personality by emphasizing different traits between different genders.
  • Ideas of appropriate behavior for each gender (masculine and feminine) vary among cultures and tend to change over time.
  • While many gender roles remain the same, others change over time.
  • Gender roles can determine which traits are considered positive or desirable.