Gender, sex ( with using CAUSE AND EFFECT style) - Essay Example

Gender and Sex Introduction Often the term sex and gender are used interchangeably. Often this usage has lead to confusion therefore we have to begin by attempting to draw a division between the terms for discussing psychological perspectives in this paper. Traditionally, this word ‘gender’ has been used to reflect the cultural aspect of what it is to be man or woman. Womanly or manly and masculine or feminine are viewed as not being connected with a persons biological sex, but more in terms of psychological characteristics shaped by individuals experience.

Causes and Effects Our first and foremost structural influence is the family. A child will learn from its parents the difference between man and woman, boy and girl and identify the attributes that are associated with each term. In this respect, a childs idea of a man would be different in a household where the male is the breadwinner as opposed to the female, and vice versa. Although these gender categories are highly stereotypical, they form the basis for the childs basic understanding of gender and what it means to be female or male.

Secondly, cultural beliefs play a large part also, with the views of the parents a strong factor. For instance, in Saudi Arabia, a number of people may believe that women were born only in order to serve a men or for giving birth to a child and then to raise him. In the same vein, and to use an extreme example, Eskimo men exploit their wives in order to set up trading associations with other Eskimos. They frequently present their wives sexual services in front of other Eskimo man just to strengthen the hunting or business relationship.

In an Eskimo household, imagine how a young girl would see herself after being bared to these ideas over her first 5 years at home. Of course, this is an extreme example but it substantiates the point. Another aspect is media, media also uses interpellation as a form of recruitment that can inspire individuals to recreate their gender identity, presenting issues in a light that encourage people to join up or take a stand thus aiding the expansion of a collective identity amongst a specific gender.

Phrases such as: "It was recognized that people label someone a feminist when someone expresses emotions that distinguish women from doormats," are designed to incite people into joining a shared individuality in the form of a group, in this case feminism. Lastly, our peers are a huge influence on the way that we see gender, and identify with the requirements of the same. The boys in a childs school may all play football, and therefore it is considered a boys game, as netball is predominantly seen as a girls game.

This is often also acted out later in life with men pumping iron to look more like a particular group of masculine men, and women shedding the pounds to get that supermodel look, or look more like a friend or colleague who they see as being pretty or sexy - predominantly feminine characteristics. Social class and occupation are also linked to gender identity as certain occupations are labeled as womens work and activities stereotyped as sissified.Conclusion Thus identity is the connection between the individual and the community, it really matters the way one sees themselves and the way others see them, collection of societal structures influence gender development and the development of our identities.

The main link between the personal and the social is that the social controls the personal through the structures we encounter from the day we are born, until the day we die.Works CitedDorothy Miell and Graham Pike (2003) Social Sciences, ASIN B000Z5R72Y The Open University, 2-12Leman, J and Duveen, G (2003) Gender identity, social influence and children’s conversations. ISSN 1421-0185, Swiss Journal of Psychology, pp. 118-250.