Ch 11 Gender and Sex 10 29 2013 Gender vs Sex Gender Roles Gender is the perception of being male or female Sex refers to sexual anatomy and behavior The set of expectations that indicate what is appropriate behavior for men and women o Gender roles differ by culture o The clothing that each gender is expected to wear Gender Roles and Prejudice Expectations based on gender can lead to stereotyping o Judging a person based on group membership We expect women to be warm and gentle and then judge them based on those expectations Sexism gender and gentle Stereotypes and Inequalities o Negative attitudes and behavior toward a person based on Negatively evaluating a woman because she isn t warm Stereotypes can lead us to fulfill the stereotypes which is associated with different status levels lead to inequality Sexism in the Workplace For every dollar men earn o White women earn 80 o Black women earn 69 o Hispanic and Latino women earn 62 Women who ve recently become mothers face benevolent sexism o Being perceived as warm but less competent Workplace sexism leads women to face unstated barriers to promotion at work called the glass ceiling Sexual Harassment Unwanted sexual attention the creation of a hostile or abusive environment or coercion to engage in sexual activity o 20 of women and 10 of men have been sexually harassed o estimates suggest 50 of women will be harassed at some at work point Causes and Consequences of Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment is more about power than sex o The perpetrator demonstrating power over the victim Consequences o Shame embarrassment o Helplessness and powerlessness from fear of supervisors o Reduced confidence and work quality Gender Differences Personality tendencies NOT concrete o Males are more aggressive o Males derive self esteem from independence females from interdependence o Males have higher opinions of their abilities o Males use more assertive speech patterns Males say it s warm today Females say it s warm today isn t it o Males make more eye contact o Males are worse at decoding facial expressions Cognitive abilities SAT o Males tend to score higher on the quantitative section of the o Both sexes are comparable in terms of quantitative and verbal abilities Sources of gender differences o Are differences biological or learned o Biological factors Androgen and estrogen Female embryos exposed to androgen preferred more male toys as children Females excel at stereotypical female behaviors when estrogen levels are higher o Evolutionary factors Females are more upset by emotional infidelity Females need emotionally attached males so that they ll provide resources Males are more upset by sexual infidelity Males need to be sure their children are their own o Social factors Socialization is the process by which an individual learns the rules and norms of appropriate behavior Boys and girls are socialized very differently o In the media o In school Boys are portrayed in physical and action oriented roles Girls are portrayed in nurturing roles Boys receive more attention praise and help This may explain why boys pride themselves on distinctiveness o Socialization produces a gender schema which is a mental framework that organizes understanding of gender relevant information We evaluate behaviors in terms whether they re compatible with the schema Ch 11 Human Sexual Reproduction 10 29 2013 Basic Biology of Sexual Behavior Male sexual maturation o At puberty male testes release androgens which are male sex hormones and sex drive male sex drive Androgens cause growth of pubic hair voice deepening Androgen production levels are constant and thus so is 54 of men think about sex every day Female Sexual Maturation o At puberty ovaries release estrogen and progesterone which o Hormone production peaks during ovulation when an egg is are female sex hormones released from the ovaries Women have a higher sex drive during ovulation 19 of women think about sex every day sexual arousal what do we find sexually arousing o That which is sexually arousing is often learned When erogenous zones areas of the body that have more nerves and are more sensitive are touched our brains can perceive the stimulation as sexual or non sexual In western cultures we learn females with large breasts are appealing o Fantasies increase arousal 60 of people fantasize during sexual intercourse phases of sexual response in the excitement phase sex organs swell o the penis becomes erect o the clitoris swells and the vagina lubricates in the plateau phase the body prepares for orgasm o sex organs continue swelling o heart rate blood pressure and tension increase in the orgasm phase orgasm occurs o rhythmic muscular contractions occur in the genitals every 8 10 of a second o ejaculation occurs o it is very difficult to describe an orgasm in the resolution stage the body returns to its resting state o males experience a refractory period during which they can t develop an erection controversy over female circumcision in female circumcision the clitoris is removed preventing the woman from experiencing sexual pleasure proponents argue it o increases fidelity and beauty o isn t very different from male circumcision critics argue it s o just mutilation o physically traumatizing because it s not performed with anesthetic Ch 11 Diversity and Sexual Behavior 10 29 2013 o approaches to sexual normality rate of occurrence o something can be rare but be perfectly okay preferring larger partners even though the usual person likes smaller partners but no one is getting hurt by the action having sex in the dining room violation of some standard o standards vary and none are universally accepted in the United Arab Emirates rape victims can go to prison does it produce harm to the individual or someone else o Does it produce distress anxiety or guilt If the answer is yes the behavior can be construed as abnormal o Surveying sexual behavior Alfred Kinsey was the first to systematically survey large samples regarding sexual behavior o His samples were all volunteers raising questions about the behavior of people who refused to participate o Some criticize the accuracy of his respondents reports o Masturbation Sexual self stimulation of the genitals often with the hand o Masturbation is taboo despite its high frequency 94 of all males and 63 of all females have masturbated males masturbate more than females male masturbation peaks in the early teens whereas female masturbation peaks later African