Compare and contrast the different perspectives in shaping one’s gender.
PERSPECTIVE PROPONENT HOW IS GENDER DEVELOPED?
The Biological Perspective explains gender development through
biological processes. These developments can be seen physiologically and
anatomically. Males’ genitals, and hormones develop, the same goes with
1. Biological females. Males have penis, testosterone which is associated with sex drive
Perspective - and aggression, and have high concentration on androgen hormones.
Whereas females have vagina, and have high concentration on estrogen and
progesterones which are associated with lactation, menstruation and such.
In short, a person’s sex from birth is his/her gender until maturity.
Freud believed that everything we do is driven by a sexual need hence
why it's called psychosexual perspective. Freud's theory claims that as we
grow up we pass through five critical phases. The phases are called Oral,
Anal, Phallic, Latency and Genital. During the Oral Phase, our oral senses
allow us to learn about the outside world. Sucking on our mother's breast or a
bottle is our main source of satisfaction. In the Anal Phase, the primary
focus of our libido at this age is the control of the bladder and bowel
movements. The Phallic Phase follows, during which we start to notice the
2. Psychosexual Sigmund distinctions between the male and female genitalia and our libido shifts
Perspective Freud accordingly. During the Latent Phase, we conceal our libido as our sexual
energy is channeled toward learning practical life skills. Our Superego gets
stronger when we identify closely with friends, same-sex people, and social
beliefs. Lastly, the Genital Phase, puberty to death. Once we reach puberty
our libido starts to become active again and we develop an interest in sexual
partners. From these experiences, they unconsciously influence our behavior
and even gender.
Erikson believed that everything we do is related to the social
environment. His theory identifies eight stages in which a healthy individual
should pass through from birth to death. At each stage we encounter different
needs, ask new questions and meet people who influence our behaviour and
values. Stage 1 "Basic Trust vs. Mistrust". As infants we ask ourselves if we
can trust the world and we wonder if it's safe. Stage 2 "Autonomy vs. Shame
& Doubt". In our early childhood, we experience ourselves and discover our
3. Psychosocial body. Stage 3 "Initiative [Link]". Here, we take initiative, try out new
Erik Erikson things, and learn basic principles. If we are held back or told that what we do
Perspective
is silly, we can develop guilt. Stage 4 "Industry vs. Inferiority". Now we
discover our own interests and realize that we are different from others.
Stage 5 "Identity vs. Role Confusion". During adolescence we learn that we
have different social roles. However, many experience an identity crises at
this stage. Stage 6 "Intimacy vs. Isolation". As young adults we slowly
understand who we are and we start to let go of the relationships we had built
earlier in order to fit in. If we cannot form intimate relationships, we might
end up feeling isolated and lonely. Stage 7 "Generativity vs. Stagnation". We
reach our forties and become comfortable, use our leisure time creatively and
maybe begin contributing to society. Lastly, Stage 8 "Ego Integrity vs.
Despair". As we grow older we tend to slow down and begin to look back
over our lives. From these critical stages, we define who we are and what we
are, as affected by our social environment.
Horney’s Psychoanalytic Social Theory believes that social and cultural
4. Psychoanalytic conditions, especially childhood experiences, shape our personality and
Social Karen Horney characteristics. When people experience lack of love and affection from
Perspective others, they develop basic anxiety. This anxiety affects the behavior,
characteristics, and personality of a person as they grow.