gender

Examples of gender in the following topics:

• Gender as a Spectrum and Transgender Identities

  • Viewing gender as a spectrum allows us to perceive the rich diversity of genders, from trans- and cisgender to genderqueer and agender.
  • 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.
  • A continuum is multidimensional, allowing third gender, fourth gender, fifth gender, agender, or genderless options, as well as many other possibilities and combinations; it is thus a more accurate reflection of the true diversity of human genders.

• 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.
  • According to social-learning theory, children develop their gender identity through observing and imitating the gender-linked behaviors of others; they are then rewarded for imitating the behaviors of people of the same gender and punished for imitating the behaviors of another gender.
  • Competition for economic and social power can also influence one's gender identity, as gender is highly stratified (with men having more societal and economic power and privilege than women and other genders) in our culture.
  • 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.
  • In 2013, the diagnosis was renamed from "gender identity disorder" to "gender dysphoria" after criticisms that the former term was stigmatizing.
  • In order to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a person must experience, for at least 6 months, a noticeable difference between how they experience/express their own gender and the gender which they were assigned at birth.
  • Gender dysphoria exists when a person suffers discontent due to gender identity, causing them emotional distress.

• 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.

• Defining Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

  • But have you ever been asked to provide your sex and your gender?
  • It may not have occurred to you that sex and gender are not the same.
  • A person's sex, as determined by his or her biology, does not always correspond with their gender; therefore, the terms "sex" and "gender" are not interchangeable.
  • Gender identity is a person's sense of self as a member of a particular gender.
  • In an effort to clarify usage of the terms "sex" and "gender," U.S.

• 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

• 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.
  • Research done over several decades supports this idea that sexual orientation ranges along a continuum, from exclusive attraction to the opposite sex/gender to exclusive attraction to the same sex/gender.

• 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.

• Human Sexuality and Culture

  • Sexuality is also separate from gender identity, which is a person's sense of their own gender, or sociocultural classification (i.e., man, woman, or another gender) based on biological sex (i.e., male or female).
  • It is also distinct from—although it shapes—sexual orientation, or one's emotional and sexual attraction to a particular sex or gender.
  • With the advent of patriarchal societies, gender roles around sexuality became much more stringent, and sexual norms began focusing on sexual possessiveness and the control of female sexuality.
  • Different cultures, however, have established distinctive approaches to gender.
  • The American researcher Alfred Kinsey was also a major influence in changing 20th-century attitudes about sex, and the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction continues to be a major center for the study of human sexuality today.