Social Identity, Social Identity, Personality, and Personality, and

GenderGender

Part IIPart II

Alternative Gender Models Alternative Gender Models from a Cross-cultural from a Cross-cultural

PerspectivePerspective

Gender roles are the cultural Gender roles are the cultural expectations of men and women in a expectations of men and women in a particular society. particular society.

Binary Gender Standards, the 23Binary Gender Standards, the 23rdrd Chromosome:Chromosome:

Alternative Gender Models Alternative Gender Models from a Cross-cultural from a Cross-cultural

Perspective (cont)Perspective (cont) Intersexuals are people born with Intersexuals are people born with

reproductive organs, genitalia, reproductive organs, genitalia, and/or sex chromosomes that are not and/or sex chromosomes that are not exclusively male or female.exclusively male or female.– Turner Syndrome Turner Syndrome – Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) – Hermaphrodites Hermaphrodites

Alternative Gender Models Alternative Gender Models from a Cross-cultural from a Cross-cultural

Perspective (cont)Perspective (cont) Corrective Surgery:Corrective Surgery:

– corrective surgery may not be necessary corrective surgery may not be necessary for protection of life or health, but purely for protection of life or health, but purely for aesthetic or social purposes for aesthetic or social purposes

– genital surgery may lead to negative genital surgery may lead to negative consequences for sexual functioning in consequences for sexual functioning in later life later life

Alternative Gender Models Alternative Gender Models from a Cross-cultural from a Cross-cultural

Perspective (cont)Perspective (cont)

Transgender: a person who crosses Transgender: a person who crosses over or occupies a culturally over or occupies a culturally accepted position in the binary male-accepted position in the binary male-female gender construction.female gender construction.

Alternative Gender Models Alternative Gender Models from a Cross-cultural from a Cross-cultural

Perspective (cont)Perspective (cont) Gender bender is Gender bender is

an informal term an informal term used to refer to a used to refer to a person who person who actively actively transgresses, or transgresses, or "bends," expected "bends," expected gender roles. gender roles.

Normal and Abnormal Normal and Abnormal Personality in Social Context Personality in Social Context

In Hinduism, In Hinduism, sadhusadhu is is a common term for an a common term for an ascetic or practitioner ascetic or practitioner of yoga (of yoga (yogiyogi) who has ) who has given up pursuit of the given up pursuit of the first three Hindu goals first three Hindu goals of life: kama, artha of life: kama, artha and even dharma. and even dharma.

The The sadhusadhu is solely is solely dedicated to achieving dedicated to achieving moksha. moksha.

Normal and Abnormal Normal and Abnormal Personality in Social Context Personality in Social Context

(cont)(cont) The recognition and understanding of The recognition and understanding of

mental disorders have changed over mental disorders have changed over time and across cultures. time and across cultures.

Cultural variation can suggest that the Cultural variation can suggest that the very construct of "mental disorder" is very construct of "mental disorder" is in fact culture-bound. in fact culture-bound.

Ethnic Psychoses are mental disorders Ethnic Psychoses are mental disorders specific to particular cultural groups. specific to particular cultural groups.

Normal and Abnormal Normal and Abnormal Personality in Social Context Personality in Social Context

(cont)(cont) Anthropologists view all mental health Anthropologists view all mental health

issues in their cultural context, in issues in their cultural context, in recognition of the fact hat each recognition of the fact hat each individual’ social identity, unique individual’ social identity, unique personality, and overall sense of personality, and overall sense of mental health is molded by the a mental health is molded by the a particular culture within which the particular culture within which the person is born and raised to function person is born and raised to function as valued members of the community.as valued members of the community.

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