In this chapter in the text, Wood outlines the four approaches to gender development. These four approaches were not meant for any person to choose which one they believe to be true, but for the readers to appreciate their point of view to the attributions to the study of gender development. These approaches are all things that influence how we perceive gender in every situation. The four approaches are biological, interpersonal, cultural and critical.
The biological approach to gender development believes that biological characteristics are the basis of gender difference. This in turn would look at things like hormones, chromosomes and brain specialization as some characteristics that attribute to gender difference. The lack of testosterone in women and the lack of estrogen in men is an example that Wood brings from an anatomy standpoint to support this. These biological differences are all research based and can account for some of the gender differences we see daily. The next approach is interpersonal and this is the idea that interpersonal factors influences the development of masculinity and femininity.
This is broken into three different theories; Psychodynamic Theory, Social Learning Theory and the Cognitive Theory.
The Psychodynamic theory insists that the first family relationships we have influences our identity and gender. The example of a mother and daughter is given and shows how the closeness between the two has such an important role in molding the gender identity for a female infant while a male infant feels the need to distinguish himself from the mother because he knows he is different from her and this is the first sign of masculinity.
The Social Learning theory states that individuals learn to be masculine and feminine by imitating others and processing feedback. This imitation comes from family members, television, video games, etc. and the validation the sender receives tells what behavior is accepted and what is not.
The Cognitive theory states that children play active roles in developing their gender identities. This goes of the notion that children choose who to model themselves after and after a sense of acceptance, undergo gender constancy at about the ages of 3-6.
The Cultural approach to gender development assumes that societies influence gender. This has two components: Anthropology and Symbolic Interaction.
The Anthropology aspect believes that performances of gender vary across cultures. This notion looks at different cultures and explores the characteristics that males display and that females display and analyzes them coming to a conclusion that males in different societies do not have the same social expectations as males in our society.
The Symbolic Interaction aspect claims that through communication with others, we learn who we are. This is gives of the sense that the labels we are given at a young age, helps to form the self image of our self reinforced by actions and activities with others.
The last approach is the Critical one and this one directs our attention to the structures and practice by which societies accord more or less power to different groups.This is broken into two different theories.
- The first of which being the Standpoint Theory. This believes that being a member of a certain group uniquely shapes how individuals understand social life. Being apart of oppressed groups gives you a very different perspective of social life and dominant groups have the luxury of not having to learn others' perspectives in order to survive.
- The last theory is the Queer Performance Theory. This theory critiques conventional binary systems. This binary system does not explain what is different than what we are used to and thus meaning that it is automatically rejected. This theory allows us to accept and understand transgressive representations of self that is not therefore categorized by our preconceived social constructions.
These ideas are very important to developing a more gendered lens. You must first understand how we see gender and why we see it that way in order to change it. Throughout the reading I continued to wonder which approach I believed to be the most influential in my life. I came upon a consensus that in my opinion, the Cultural approach could answer more of the questions as to how I have grown up and adopted my preconceived notions of masculinity and femininity and the requirements for one to be a man and a woman. Nurture in my opinion has more of a bigger influence upon gender because as we can see through the readings gender is socialized therefore we come to learn act, behave and formulate opinions based on the genders we were raised as.
But I am very aware that all of these approaches work together to compliment one another. I have always been closer to my father than my mother. This could be for many different reasons but mainly I believe that I am because I identify with him more. I feel a stronger connection between us, just how my sisters and my mother have a stronger connection. The women in my life are all more closely bonded with other women in my life and it just seems to be a pattern.
Which approach would you attribute more to your development in understanding gender?
What are some ways you can challenge the binary system that has caused the queer performance theory?
