Title: Gender | Boundless Psychology
Headings: Gender
Gender
Gender and Sociology
Learning Objectives
Key Takeaways
Key Points
Key Terms
Gender Roles
Gender Socialization
Sexism and Gender-Role Enforcement
Gender as a Spectrum and Transgender Identities
Learning Objectives
Key Takeaways
Key Points
Key Terms
The Gender Spectrum and Gender Continuum
Transgender Identities
Development of Gender Identity
Learning Objectives
Key Takeaways
Key Points
Key Terms
Gender Identity
Gender Identity Development
Factors that Influence Gender Identity
Gender-Schema Theory
Queer Theory

Content: Gender | Boundless Psychology
Gender
Gender and Sociology
From birth, children are assigned a gender and are socialized to conform to certain gender roles based on their biological sex. Learning Objectives
Explain how gender roles shape individual behavior and how society punishes those who don’t conform
Key Takeaways
Key Points
Gender roles are based on norms, or standards, created by society. In the U.S., masculine roles are usually associated with strength, aggression, and dominance, while feminine roles are associated with passivity, nurturing, and subordination. Gender socialization begins at birth and occurs through four major agents of socialization: family, education, peer groups, and mass media. Repeated socialization over time leads men and women into a false sense that they are acting naturally, rather than following a socially constructed role. The attitudes and expectations surrounding gender roles are typically based not on any inherent or natural gender differences, but on stereotypes about the attitudes, traits, or behavior patterns of women or men. Gender stereotypes form the basis of sexism, or the prejudiced beliefs that value males over females. Transgender, genderqueer, and other nonconforming-gender people face discrimination, oppression, and violence for not adhering to society’s traditional gender roles. Key Terms
gender roles: