Meanings of Gender (Leaving Cert Religious Education): Revision Notes
Meanings of Gender
What is gender?
Understanding gender requires us to look beyond simple biological differences. There is no single, universally accepted definition of gender, but it's crucial to distinguish it from the concept of sex.
The term 'gender' emerged in behavioural and social sciences specifically to separate it from biological sex, allowing researchers to study the social and cultural aspects of male and female roles independently from physical characteristics.
Key distinction:
- Sex = biologically determined characteristics
- Gender = culturally and socially constructed characteristics
While sex refers to physical characteristics, gender encompasses the social roles, behaviours, and expectations that societies associate with being male or female.
Official definition
The Irish government defines gender as:
"A concept that refers to the social differences, as opposed to the biological ones, between men and women that have been learned, are changeable over time and have wide variations both within and between cultures."
This definition highlights three important features of gender:
- It is learned through socialisation
- It can change over time
- It varies between different cultures and societies
Understanding gender through different perspectives
Biological perspective
The biological approach focuses on physical differences and evolutionary factors that may influence gender roles.
Physical characteristics:
- Basic biological differences include male and female reproductive organs
- However, scientists have identified at least 5-6 factors that determine biological sex: genes, chromosomes, sex glands, hormones, and brain structure
Brain research: Early studies suggested differences in how male and female brains process information:
- Female brains were thought to be stronger in language processing (left hemisphere)
- Male brains were thought to be more oriented towards spatial skills (right hemisphere)
Modern neuroscience has found no decisive, consistent differences between male and female brains. A large 2008 analysis disproved earlier claims about significant brain differences, challenging long-held assumptions about biological gender differences.
Sociobiology: This field, developed by Edward Wilson, explores how evolutionary pressures may have shaped different behaviours in males and females. The theory suggests that traditional gender roles developed because:
- Women needed to stay close to home to care for infants during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Men became responsible for hunting and providing food for the family
- These roles emerged from practical evolutionary necessities rather than inherent superiority of either gender
Sociological perspective
Sociology emphasises the 'nurture' side of the nature versus nurture debate, arguing that environment and culture shape gender roles more than biology.
Key principles:
- Gender roles are socially constructed rather than biologically determined
- Different cultures have different expectations for male and female behaviour
- Gender roles can and do change over time
The variation in gender roles across cultures provides strong evidence for the sociological view. For example, in ancient Greece, teaching was considered a male profession, whilst today it is predominantly female in many societies.
Irish context: Research by Irish sociologists like Hilary Tovey and Perry Share suggests that despite positive changes in women's public profile, many women still face limitations. Factors like economics, race, and social class intersect with gender to determine someone's role in society.
Psychological perspective
Psychology examines how individuals develop their understanding of gender and how this affects their behaviour.
Historical issues: Early psychological research (particularly in the 1800s) was biassed towards studying male psychology and then applying findings to both genders. This led to incorrect conclusions about male superiority and was used to deny women access to education, voting, and other rights.
Modern psychology recognises that most stereotypes about psychological differences between males and females lack substantial research support. This represents a significant shift from earlier, biassed research approaches.
Current understanding: Studies from the 1990s identified only four consistent differences:
- Verbal ability (slight advantage for girls)
- Mathematical ability (slight advantage for boys)
- Visual-spatial ability (slight advantage for boys)
- Aggression patterns (slight difference for boys)
Social learning theory: This theory explains how children learn gender roles through:
- Observation of others in their environment
- Encouragement or discouragement of certain behaviours
- Recognition as belonging to one gender group or another
Gender schemas
Current psychological research focuses on gender schemas - mental maps that children develop about gender differences as soon as they notice distinctions between males and females.
Sandra Lipsitz Bem identified three 'lenses' through which cultures view gender concepts:
- Gender polarisation - provides a script for how to be male or female
- Androcentrism - assumes men are the norm for being human and therefore the superior sex
- Biological essentialism - maintains that male/female differences and male superiority are natural
Bem argues that understanding gender requires examining all these cultural lenses to see how they shape our perceptions of masculinity and femininity. These lenses work together to create and maintain gender expectations in society.
Current consensus
Modern research suggests that:
- Gender can be treated as independent traits rather than opposite categories
- Men and women have far more in common than they differ
- Most gender differences are learned through social processes rather than determined by biology
- Gender identity develops through a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors
The study of gender often has a woman-centred focus because women have been historically silenced and are working to reclaim equal rights and recognition in society.
Key Points to Remember:
- Gender is socially constructed, while sex is biologically determined
- Different cultures have different gender expectations, proving these roles are learned rather than natural
- Early research was biassed towards male psychology, leading to incorrect conclusions about gender differences
- Modern studies show men and women are more similar than different in most psychological traits
- Children develop gender understanding through schemas that are influenced by cultural lenses around polarisation, male-centredness, and biological assumptions