Explanations of Gender Development

Explanations of Gender Development

1. Biological explanations

   • Biological theories focus on the biology behind sex and gender.
     • Evolution provides an explanation for gender differences as it would say that men and women have evolved to pass on genes, e.g. women are carers

2. The effect of chromosomes

   • Each cell in the human body has 23 pairs of chromosomes. Sex is determined by the combination of chromosomes for the 23rd pair.
   • Typical chromosome patterns, male=XY and female=XX
   • Atypical Chromosome patterns
     • Any chromosome patterns other than XX and XY are seen as atypical.
       • It is good to study people with atypical chromosome patterns as they can compare typical and atypical behaviours to see if chromosomes effect gender
     • Turners Syndrome
       • Higher than average verbal ability, lower than average spatial ability, visual memory and maths skills. Difficulty relating to peers
     • Klinefelter's syndrome
       • Lack of interest in sexual activity, shy, passive, poor lang. skills/reading ability, higher than normal level of gender identity confusion

3. The effect of hormones

   • Hormones; chemical substances produced by the body that control/regulate the activity of certain cells/organs
   • Male hormone; testosterone, female hormone; oestrogen
   • Van Goozen et al.
     • Aim; To investigate the effect of sex hormones on adult behaviour
       • Method; used experimental method, studied transexuals of both sexes who were going under hormone treatment, injected with hormones of opposite sex.
         • Given a range of treatments before treatment and then again three months later
           • Results; male to female transexuals show decreases in aggression and increases in verbal fluency. Female to male show the opposite
             • Conclusion; Sex hormones effect gender behaviours
               • Evaluation; not controlled experiment, changes may have been due to uncontrolled variables e..g. transexuals own expectations
   • CAH
     • Female born with normal XX chromosomes but exposed to excessive androgens in the womb. Have male like genitals but most identified as girls at birth.
       • Many studies show that most identify themselves as tomboys

4. Brain differences

   • Hypothalmus
     • Larger in men than women, makes women coy and men promiscious
   • Cerebral Hemispheres
     • Differences in the structure, women have superior language and men have superior visual spatial and mathematical skills

5. Evaluation of Biological Explanations

   • Some evidence supports the view that biological differences between males and females affects gender behaviour
   • The biological approach cannot explain why gender behaviours change over time
   • This is a reductionist view, reduces gender to biological factors and ignores the environment
   • The biological view is deterministic as it states that biology determines how we act and we have no choice