Psychology
Dr. Maha Younis
Lecture 14Gender and sexuality
Gender role and sexuality
Definition of gender roleGender identity : sexual role of the child in which it feels it belongs-either that of a man or woman
Gender identification : how the child through modeling social learning ) is taught to act whether masculine or feminine . it’s the public expression of the person sexuality .
Sexual behavior during late childhood and early adolescence is considered normal or abnormal according to the cultural beliefs and expectations
Gender identity and gender role
It is personal conception of oneself as male or female (or rarely, both or neither). This concept is intimately related to the concept of gender role, which identity. Gender identity, in nearly all instances, is self-identified, as a result of a combination of inherent and extrinsic or environmental factors; gender role, on the other hand, is manifested within society by observable factors such as behavior and appearance. For example, if a person considers himself a male and is most comfortable referring to his personal gender in masculine terms, then his gender identity is male. However, his gender role is male only if he demonstrates typically male characteristics in behavior, dress, and/or mannerisms.
Sexuality
A person's sex is a primary state of anatomic or physiologic parameters. A person's gender is a conclusion reached in a broad sense when individual gender identity and gender role are expressed. An often-used phrase to point out the difference, while an oversimplification, has some merit when dealing with these definitions:
Sexuality and gender
Sexual identity is in the perineum; gender identity is in the cerebrum. Increasingly, the more subjective sense of gender identity takes precedence in evaluating patients’ needs. In instances when a discrepancy exists between sex and gender, compassion and empathy are essential to foster better understanding and an appropriate relationship between the physician and the patient. Conceptually, professionals dealing with development may fairly state that sex is biologically determined, whereas gender is culturally determined.
Gender and sexuality
Gender and sex are not interchangeable terms, neither are gender development and sexual development interchangeable. Physiologic sexual development progresses through distinct stages from the neonatal period through infancy, childhood, puberty and adolescence, and adulthood. Such physiologic change is distinguishable from gender-related behaviors during each of these stages
Difference of the concept
The sexual identity beyond childhood is very clearly a separate entity from gender identity. Aspects of physical sexual growth, eroticism, and eventual sexuality, although closely related to gender, should not necessarily be used to draw conclusions about a patient's gender definitions
The human sexual response cycle
is biologically stable and associated with normal biochemical physiological functioning ,dysfunction can occur at any or all of the stages of the cycle in male or female ,if there is no under lying organic pathology ,the etiology of these dysfunction can be traced to in adequate education and social programming
Disorders of normal sexuality
1-male erectile failure-50% because of physical problems or medications,psychogenic impotence are usually situational and temporary in addition to negative history and young age,performance anxiety
2-frigidity-lack of female response
Factors affecting the normal sexual response
many medical illnesses ,surgical condition ,gynecological problem or even aging can produce sexual dysfunction, beside psychiatric disorders and its drug treatment is known to be the first causes of sexual dysfunction both in male and female most commonly depression and anxiety .
Disorders of normal sexuality
exclusively homosexual- homosexuality : sexual contact ,relationship ,or even fantasy between persons of the same sex
exclusively heterosexual
bi sexual
the first two in transient phases of life
other sexual abnormalities is not related to normal sexual functioning ,its related to deviation from normality
Paraphilias
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV), paraphilias are recurrent, intense, sexually-arousing fantasies, sexual urges or behaviors generally involving nonhuman objects, the suffering or humiliation of oneself or one’s partner, or children or other non-consenting persons.
Sexual perversions-perihelia
pedophilia : sexual interest in pre pubertal child 9male or female) one adult ,one child
voyeurism : sexual gratification from watching sexual acts or nude bodies
Exhibitionism :compulsive need to expose ones genital usually male to strange females in public ,the sexual gratification is obtained from the reaction of the discussed or panic females ,usually the man run away and does not advance any further
Incest : universal taboo ,sexual activity between close family members –alcohol ,drug abuse, low socioeconomic status ,poverty and over crowdedness, are usually associated factors ,sometimes psychotic features .
Both voyeurism and exhibitionism are considered paraphilias. Voyeurism involves the act of observing an unsuspecting person in the process of disrobing or engaging in sexual activity. Exhibitionism involves the exposure of one’s genitals to an unsuspecting stranger. Each of these would be present for at least six months, and the person would have acted on these sexual urges, or had the urges or fantasies cause a marked distress or interpersonal difficulty to earn a diagnosis.
Often, consent plays an important role in whether people get turned on, turned off, angry, excited, or get in trouble with the law. For some, the idea of not having consent is what sexually arouses them, which can be a dangerous game to play., there are a number of ways people express their voyeuristic/exhibitionist desires, and they range from the harmless to the harmful.
Disorders of gender identity
Transsexualism is an individual's identification with a gender inconsistent or not culturally associated with his or her assigned sex. Simply put, it defines a person whose assigned sex at birth conflicts with his or her psychological gender. A medical diagnosis can be made if a person experiences discomfort as a result of a desire to be a member of the opposite sex,] or if a person experiences impaired functioning or distress as a result of that gender identification.] Transsexualism is stigmatized in many parts of the world but has become more widely known in Western culture in the mid to late 20th century.
Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothing and other accoutrement commonly associated with the opposite sex within a particular society.
Cross-dressing has been used for disguise, performance art and as a literary trope in modern times and throughout history.
People have a set of norms, views, guidelines, or even laws defining what type of clothing is appropriate for each gender. It does not, however, necessarily indicatetransgender identity; a person who cross-dresses does not always identify as being of a gender
