What Is Gender?
Biological Influences Social Influences Psychoanalytical and Social Cognitive Theories Parental Influences Peer Influences Cognitive Influences What Is Gender? Sex – the biological dimension of being male or female. Gender – the social dimensions of being male or female. Gender identity – the sense of being male or female. Gender role – a set of expectations that prescribe how males or females should think, act, and feel. Biological Influences The 23rd pair of chromosomes in humans either contains two X chromosomes to produce a female, or an X and a Y chromosome to produce a male. Estrogens influence the development of female physical sex characteristics. Androgens promote the development of male physical sex characteristics. Social Influences In the U.S., adults discriminate between the sexes shortly after an infants birth (e.g. blue/pink treatment) Adults and peers reward the continued differences (hairstyle, clothes, toys, etc.) throughout development. Boys and girls learn gender ro
