The Psychology of Gender 4th Edition

Introduction 27

Discussion Questions

1. What is the distinction betweensex
   andgender? How do you think this
   distinction should be employed in
   practice?


2. Describe a personal experience of
   intrarole or interrole conflict with
   respect to gender.


3. What are some of the advantages
   and disadvantages of the way
   that gender is portrayed in other
   cultures?
   4. How can we determine whether
   men have higher status than women
   in a given culture?
   5. Do you think we should be
   comparing women and men? Why
   or why not?
   6. Why hasn’t any one men’s move-
   ment gained the strength of the
   women’s movement?
   7. How can the use of sexist language
   be harmful?

Suggested Reading

Eagly, A. (1995). The science and politics of

comparing women and men.American

Psychologist, 50, 145–158.

Hyde, J. S. (2005). The gender similarities

hypothesis.American Psychologist, 60,

581–592.

Marecek, J., Crawford, M., & Popp, D.

(2004). On the construction of gender,

sex, and sexualities. In A. Eagly, A. E.

Beall, & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.),The psy-

chology of gender (2nd ed.), pp. 192–216.

New York: Guilford Press.

Key Terms

Androgynous—Term describing one who

incorporates both masculine and feminine

qualities.

Bisexuals—Individuals who accept other-

sex and same-sex individuals as sexual

partners.

Constructionists—People with the

perspective that gender cannot be divorced

from its context.

Cross-sex-typed—Condition of possessing

the biological traits of one sex but exhibiting

the psychological traits that correspond

with the other sex.

Feminine—Description of trait, behavior, or

interest assigned to the female gender role.

Feminism—Belief that men and women

should be treated equally.

Gender—Term used to refer to the social

categories of male and female.

Gender culture—Each society’s or culture’s

conceptualization of gender roles.

Gender identity/gender-role

identity—One’s perception of oneself as

psychologically male or female.

Gender role—Expectations that go along

with being male or female.

Gender-role attitude—One’s personal view

about how men and women should behave.

Heterosexuals—Individuals who prefer

other-sex sexual partners.

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