Sex

Biological traits

Example: Hormones / Chemicals

Gender

Learned attitudes and behaviors associated with one sex or the other

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Male Expectations: Men don’t cry, are breadwinners, and should be athletic

Female Expectations: Women are domestic, do chores, look after children, are more emotional, and are pretty

Nature vs Nurture

(Nature's Influence)

Bio Differences: Health / Hormones / Brain Functions

Unsucessful Sex Reassignment: Often, patience admit they regret the change

Example: David Reimer - John/Joan Case

Nature vs Nurture

(Nurture's Influence)

1. Cultures differ on what's masculine and feminine

Example: In some cultures, women are breadwinners and more aggressive

2. Male agression differs between cultures

Example: In some cultures, men are nurturers

3. Successful Sex Reassignment

Example: Hermaphrodites born with both are turned into women because it's scientifically easier to make women than men

Sociobiology

Evolution and genetics influence how men and women act differently

1. Men aggressive or they'd die out

2. Women nurture, or babies wouldn't survive

Social Learning Theory

We learn gender through:

1. Reinforcement: 'Punished' for gender-inappropriate behavior

Example: Men get more negative feedback

2. Observing / Immitating Same-Sex Others

Example: Men model after fathers

Cognitive Development Theory

Children acquire gender on their own, by reasoning

1. Identify with people of their sex

2. Child more active in gender-identity

Feminist Theories 

How do we learn gender roles?

(Parents)

1. Talk more to daughters (especially moms)

2. Expectations:

Example: You're my daughter, you'll be in spelling-B

Example: You're my son, you'll be in science fair

3. Opportunities Provided:

Example: Have son help on projects

How do we learn gender roles?

(Play / Peers)

Gender-Oriented toys

1. Girls: Barbie-Doll

2. Boys: Tonka Trucks

How do we learn gender roles?

(School)

Boys:

1. Called on more in class

2. Get more positive AND negative feedback

Girls:

1. Women earn more college degrees

**Note: Men go right into work, or a tradeschool right after college

2. Role Models in Teachers

Example: Fewer male 1st grade teachers

How do we learn gender roles?

(Media)

1. Advertisements / Magazines

2. TV Shows

3. Internet

Example: Facebook

Traditional Views of Gender

Men providers

Women keep house

Benefit: Provides stability / Both parents know their roles

Costs:

1. Pressure on men to provide

2. Pressure on men to be masculine

3. Women admit housework is boring

4. Women feel taken for granted

**Note: Some families work this way, and it's alright if both parties agree, and aren't oppressed

Roles (2)

Instrumental: Male

1. Protector

2. Provider

3. Procreator

Expressive: Female

1. Emotional Support

2. Kin-Keeper

Example: Holiday, women usually send cards and call relatives

Gender Roles

(Home)

Moms and dads share more child-care and housework

1. Women still do most of the housework

2. Dads spend more time with kids than before

Gender Roles

(Workplace)

Sex segregated jobs

1. Construction Workers

2. Nurses / Hospitality / Day Care

Sexual Harassment: Unwanted sexual advances or requests for sexual favors that make one uncomfortable

Gender Roles

(Politics)

1. Women more likely to vote than men

2. Men more likely to hold political office

Gender Roles

(Education)

1. Women more likely to finish college and earn a masters degree

**Note: This includes all racial groups

**Note: Men with a BA earn as much as women with a masters

2. Men in higher paying feilds of study

Example: Doctors / Architects

Gender Roles

(Religion)

1. Women more religious

2. Men more likely to hold leadership positions in religion

Gender Roles

(Interactions)

1. Women: Build closeness through verbal communication

-Smile more

-Sit in (legs crossed)

2. Men: Use more conversational dominance

-Speak more frequently in public

-More forceful

-Men Sprawl / Take up more space

Gender

(Globally)

1. No country has gender equality

2. US not even TOP 20 in gender equality

Love

Involves:

1. Caring / Emotional Support

2. Intimacy: Feelings of Closeness

-Self Disclosure: Tell other person about yourself

3. Commitment: Decision to stay in relationship

Biological Perspective

Attachment Theory

Attachment to mother and other experiences influence romantic attachments

1. Secure Attachment

2. Avoidance Attachment

3. Anxious Attachment

Wheel Theory of Love

(Reiss - 4 Stages)

1. Rapport: Feel at ease

2. Self-Revelation: Talk about yourself (more in depth history)

3. Mutual Dependency: Spend more time with each other / schedules more entwined

4. Personality Need Fulfillment: Emotional needs met

-Can intensify

-Can go backwards

Triangle Theory of Love

(P.I.C.)

1. Passion: Physical attraction

-First to come

-First to go

2. Intimacy: Closeness / Bonding

3. Commitment: Stay in relationship

-Work through problems

-There for each other

-Most predictive of marital happiness

-Could be long or short term

Consummate Love

Complete love

All 3 parts of triangle

Hard to get

Hard to maintain

Lee's 6 Styles of Loving

(S.A.M.P.L.E.)

1. Storge: Affectionate Companions / Friends

2. Agape: Unselfish / Patient

3. Mania: Obsessed / Jealous / Emotionally depentent on partner

4. Pragma: Practical / Rational / Compatible

-Pros / Cons

-Get along reasonably well

-Example: Arranged Marriage

5. Ludus: Carefree / Casual

-Player

-No strong commitment

-Flirtatious

-Heartbreaker

6. Eros: Intense emotional attachment and physical attraction

-Example: Romeo x Juliet

Functions of Love

1. Makes parents care for babies

2. Prolong life / Good for health and happiness

**Proven by research

Gender and Love

1. Women: Verbal expression of love

Example: "How was your day?"

2. Men: Actions to express love

Example: Making breakfast in bed

Narcissist 

1. Sees self as better than partner

2. Seen mainly in Ludus

Jealously

1. Stems from insecurity

2. Not Universal

3. Controlling Behaviors

-"If you loved me, you'd..."

-Physical / Emotional abuse

Unrequited Love

1. Love is not returned

2. Most in our society experience it at least once

Romantic Love

1. Passionate

2. Melodramatic

3. Short - Lived

4. Focused on how one's self feels

Long Term Love

1. Put partner first

-Example: When they're upset, you're upset

2. Companionship is KEY

-Like spending time with that person

3. Shared Values / Interests

Love across cultures

1. Some cultures don't understand dating, or getting married for love

-Romantic love less important in familistic cultures

Arranged Marriages

Parents / Relatives involved in the choosing of a child's mate (Child = Adult Child)

1. Last longer than marriages begun out of love

2. More support from elders

3. Children DO have some say in decision

Sexual Orientation

Prefers:

Same Sex

Other Sex

Both

Continuum

Some believe preferences can be put on a line

Hetero < Bi > Homo

Asexual

Doesn't experience sexual attraction

1. Can appreciate aspects of a person without being attracted

2. Only the individual can really decide if they're asexual or not

Transgender

Transexuals

Believe they were born in wrong body

Intersexuals

Born with ambiguous genitalia

1. Not sure if penis or clitorous

2. Some born this way were turned female, because it was easier than making them male

Cross Dressers / Transvestites

Wears clothes of opposite sex

Don't necessarily WANT to be the other sex

What determines sexual orientation?

Biology: Sex hormones in utero

Society/Culture: If society more accepting, it's socially easier

Both: Our sexual orientation is biological, but how we show it is cultural

Gender more influencial than sexual orientation

-A gay man and a straight man have more in common than a gay man and a gay woman

Sexual Double Standard

Hymenoplasty

FGM / Female CIrcumcision

Removal of all or part of external female genitalia

1. Usually unsanitary

2. Done primarily in smaller countries

3. Not necessary for health

Who influences our sexual behavior?

(Parents)

Best combo to delay teen sex

a. Daily interaction with teen

-Actually know what's going on in teen's lfie

b. Open communication about sex

-Let teen know they can talk to you

c. Share activities with teen

-Eat meals together

d. Monitor who with / Set curfew

-Know where teen is

-Know who with

-Know when back

**More likely to talk to daughter about birth control / abstinence

Who influences sexual behavior?

(Peers)

Most common source of sex info

-Except asians

-Usually wrong

-Example: Sex Myths

What influences Sexual Behavior?

(Religion)

Affects attitudes more than behavior

-More likely to use birth control

-Abstinence over birth control

What Influences Sexual Behavior?

(Media)

-Commercials

-TV Shows

-Internet

Sex Education

90% of adults approve of comprehensive sex education in school

1. Comprehensive sex ed programs

-Focus on specifics, instead of broad spectrum

2. Abstinence Only Programs

-Far less effective

-Seen a lot in the south

-Little research to support effectiveness of AOPs

Autoeroticism

1. Sexual arousal by ones self

-Fantasies: W plot / M less plot more partners

2. Masturbation: Sexual self-pleasuring

Oral/Anal/Vaginal Sex

Sexual Intercourse

1. ANY sexual coupling

-Oral sex still counts

2. Coitus: Penis / vagina intercourse

3. Number of teens who've had ORAL but not VAGINAL sex has increased

-Some believe if it's not vaginal, it's not sex, so it's ok