PSYC of G ch. 1

who is more boring - men or women?

essentialist perspective

constructionist perspective

biosocial perspective

product of social construction

consistent across cultures

women provide care

men work 

2008

contends that men have become unbearably dull

cited statistic that women talk more than men

2008

accuses women of being even more dull

wishes that women do not talk more than men

• women's and men's brains have evolved in
• different ways that furnish modern humans

• some "essence", or underlying biological component, makes men
• and women different

• the differences
• between men and women are biological, fixed and invariant

2008

the gender stereotypes expressed by Durrant and Tweedie are boring

• those who take the position strive "to assert that men and women each have their own place and quite separate characteristics, and that these are defined not simply by
• social structures and norms, but by biology"

• women and men are born with biological differences that dictate the
• basis for different traits and behaviors

women are the "opposite sex" - at the opposite end of the spectrum of wherever men are

Kira Cochrane

draws from research in psychology, sociology, biology and anthropology

the differences between men and women is a complex puzzle with many pieces

• the belief that the differences between men and
• women are few

the belief that men and women are virtually different species

often coupled with essentialist view

• credited with founding modern psychology (in 1879 at University of
• Leipzig)

• wanted to establish a
• natural science of the mind to investigate the nature of human thought
• processes through experimentation

approach to psychology by Wundt and others

• used chemistry as the
• model to devise a psychology based on an analytical understanding of the
• structure of the conscious mind

created structuralist approach

• believed psychology
• could not be applied to children, the feebleminded, or species of nonhuman
• animals

interested in investigating the "generalized adult mind"

individual differences were of no concern

• generalization drawn
• from data collected from and by men

Germany

found it too limiting and impractical

• a school of psychology that emphasized how the mind functions rather
• than its structure

grew from German psychology into a more practical nature

• drew a wider variety of subjects into psychological research and
• theories

children

women

nonhuman animals

influenced by Darwin and theory of evolution

• tended to look for
• biologically determined differences

issues of adaptability

issues of intelligence

• prompted the
• development of intelligence testing and comparison of individual differences in
• mental abilities and personality traits

• demonstrate that women are less intelligent, benefit less from
• education, have strong maternal instincts, were unlikely to produce examples of
• success or eminence

• people not white were
• also considered less intelligent and less capable

1910

• contended that the
• research on sex differences was full of researchers' personal bias, prejudice
• and sentiments

took a stand against functionalist view of women

• said that women's
• potential would never be known until they had the opportunity to choose the
• lives they would like

1920's

gained prominence when functionalist view diminished

• emphasized observable behavior rather than thought processes or
• instincts

tough-minded and combative

interest in research on sex differences sharply decreased

interested in the areas of learning and memory

• concentrated on
• studies with rats as subjects

• an approach that failed to include women as participants or failed to
• examine gender-related factors when both men and women participated in research

• created when
• psychologists ignored gender

theorists with a psychodynamic orientation

• had an interest in
• sex differences during the time when behaviorism dominated

his work did not originate within psychology

psychodynamic theory of personality development

psychoanalytic approach to treatment

his approach gained popular interest in early 1920's

• acceptance by
• academicians came later

emphasized role of instinct and physiology in personality formation

hypothesized that instincts provide basic energy for personality

• hypothesized that the child's perception of anatomical differences
• between boys and girls is a pivotal event in personality formation

• looked to early childhood experiences within the family to explain how
• physiology interacts with experience to influence personality development

• held negative views
• about women; felt they were inferior to men both intellectually and morally

critical event for Freud

this knowledge forms the basis for personality differences

• lead to conflict in family, which is resolved through identification
• with same-sex parent

• believed boys
• experience more conflict and trauma during this development

women...

• inferior, less ethical, more concerned with personal appearance, more
• self-contemptuous, jealous of men's accomplishments, jealous of men's penises

• women must accept
• their femininity or were candidates for therapy

• boys must experience severe anxiety during early childhood and develop
• hatred for their father

• boy will be led to identify with his father out of fear and experience
• advantages of the male role

• must make a
• sufficiently complete break with their mothers to become fully masculine

continues to capture attention and imagination

• has been and remains
• a force in conceptions of sex and gender

understanding the structure of the human mind

• all minds are
• equivalent

comparative studies

developmental studies

Darwin and evolutionary theory

understanding the function of the mind

• sex differences are
• one type of individual difference

gender differences

ethnic differences

• european american
• male norm

studying behavior in a scientific way

• behavior varies with
• individual experience

studying normal and abnormal personality development and functioning

• biological sex
• differences and their recognition are motivating forces

as a result of political, social and intellectual developments

• began in 18th century
• and continue to present

1960s

prompted development of women's studies

the "second wave of feminism"

• grew from civil
• rights movement

early 20th century

began with campaign changes in women's roles and legal status

• focusing on voting
• rights for women, availability of birth control, ways to improve social and
• economic status

• women's entry into the workforce in record
• numbers

• included people who wanted to end discrimination
• based on sex and extend equal rights to women

• believed that women have been oppressed by men and that this oppression
• has served a s a model for racial and class oppression

• believed the entire
• social system required major change

advocates social change

• inspired by Carol Gilligan's In a
• Difference Voice

• advocate moving toward an acceptance and appreciation of tradiitonally
• feminine values

• believed that many of
• the world's problems would disappear if they were in charge

• developed when women went to universities and
• colleges to pursue interest in topics related to women

term used to describe their work

• objected by those who contend that it carries implications of
• biological basis for these differences

• said to have been
• used too extensively and with too many meanings

alternative term to "sex differences"

proposed by Rhoda Unger

• describes the traits and behaviors that are regarded by the culture as
• appropriate to women and men

social label (not a description of biology)

• consistent usage has
• not been used, confusion remains

biological differences between men and women

founded in 1941

to further the work of female psychologists in the war effort

became International Council of Women Psychologists in 1944

• rejected from
• American Psychological Association

• presented "Kinde, Kuche, Kirche' as Scientific Law: Psychology
• Constructs the Female"

• argued that psychological research had revealed almost nothing about
• women because research had been contaminated by biases, wishes and fantasies of
• male psychologists

• "present
• psychology is less than worthless in contributing to a vision which could truly
• liberate - men as well as women"

(most likely) influenced by their gender"

group that demonstrated against sex discrimination

• advocated for an
• increase in feminist psychological research

for the promotion of women in psychology

• for the advancement
• of research on women and issues related to gender

1975 men and masculinity conference

"men as men" rather than nongendered humans

began during the 19th century women's suffrage movement

• men felt threats to their masculinity, by women entering the work
• force, by increasing demands for education

• lacks cohesion, exists in many different versions with diverse goals
• and views

Pleck, Bly and Keen

2001

argued that societal roles constrain men

• explained that men
• are necessary for the reform of gender roles

men joined, proclaiming themselves to be feminists

profeminist men's organization

• works to obliterate
• racism and prejudice against gay men

Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity

joined 1955

promotes study of how gender roles shape and constrict men's lives

help men to experience their full human potential

• erode the definition
• of masculinity that has inhibited men's development and has contributed to the
• oppression of others

group that opposes sexism

sees feminist groups as sexist

• argue that sexism
• oppresses men more than women

feminism

promote a return of "the good old days"

to find a masculine identity

• to change laws such
• as those regarding divorce and child custody

• contend that modern society has left men with no easy way to form a
• masculine identity

• men lack models and
• become inappropriately aggressive and poorly fitted to live in society

sXe

• consist of young, single, white men who follow punk rock music but
• reject drug use, violence and sexual exploitation

• committed to creating an alternative masculinity that is more
• compassionate and accepting

• a version of the
• men's movement that has spread world wide

arose during 1990s

• men with a shared vision of godly manhood - part of neoconservative
• evangelical Christianity

urged men to reclaim their position as head of the family

rejects racism

• does not accept
• homosexuality or equal partnerships with women

modeled after the promise keepers

• supports men who
• attempt to become more nurturant, involved fathers

psychological characterization in early 20th century

comparing women to male norm

lack of diversity allowed men to be used as the standard

• this makes women
• appear deficient when they differ from that standard

white, privileged women have constituted the standard

• when women from other
• ethnic groups are included, they are compared to White women

• focused on ways that they experienced oppression
• and found routes to organize into groups and promote change

• women of different colors who oppose racism and
• sexism and interact with one another

• draws from the energy of hip-hop culture to lead
• young women to a critical analysis of the sexism and racism that continues in
• U.S. society

Latina women in US were important part

1960's

• many latina's did not
• join feminist groups as they were more interested in cultural and ethnic
• discrimination

1971

focus on gender issues rather than racism

• almost half of the
• people attended walked out - did not like the topic

faced racism, sexism and violence from men

• avoided the word feminist as
• they received criticism from men for speaking out

• form groups revolving
• around prevention of domestic violence and child welfare

difficulty identifying themselves as feminist

criticism of rejecting their heritage

experienced stereotyping

• "Feminist psychology is now beyond simply
• critiquing yesterday's findings. The challenge now is to build a knowledge base
• of theories, concepts, and methods to examine women's lives in all of their
• diversity."

value an inclusive psychology

• diversity is now a
• major focus for the women's movement and psychology

variability hypothesis

said the variability hypothesis is a bunch of crap

believes men and women to have same variability

• contradictory with
• Darwin (who believed men showed more variability)

• genetically, women have more variability because of having two X
• chromosomes, one from both parents

• men only have one X
• chromosome, from father

1963

1964

• race, religion,
• national origin, sex

liberal feminists

radical feminists

socialist feminists

cultural feminists

neglect power differentials (*sex is confounded with power)

assume homogeneity among men/women

ignore social context

liberal profeminist perspective

promasculinist perspective

socialist perspective

male spiritualist (mythopoetic) perspective

promise keepers

million man march