Premium Essay

The Impact of Gender Identity

In:

Submitted By hkidd1
Words 2680
Pages 11
The Impact of Gender Identity and Sexuality has on Adolescents
Holly Kidd
Liberty University

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to not only to identify how and why gender identity and sexuality has such a huge impact on many of the lives of adolescents but also how they tend to deal with each. The period of adolescence tends to be a difficult time for many teenagers because of all the physical and even some emotional changes they experience through the adolescence period and unfortunately some tend to keep experiences and are even affected long after the adolescence period. In order, to identify how and why gender identity and sexuality but also note all the possible affects each one has on adolescents and how to deal with each situation. Finally, offer suggestions (such as identify ways to love one's self to showing one how to express themselves in a positive ways but also by offering counseling sessions to continue to learn how to understand themselves) for better solutions, which would benefit the lives of adolescents for many years to come.

In the typical life of an adolescent it supposed to be the best years of that adolescent's life. But unfortunately that is not the case for many adolescents because many of them become victims of different types of bullying, which includes the impacts of Gender Identity and Sexuality. The word adolescent means becoming an adult (Isaacs, 2013 p.881), in which, all adolescents look forward too. However, some adolescents wish they could skip right over the adolescent years and enter into adulthood. In looking into the impacts of Gender Identity and Sexuality; many adolescents tend to face, the main focus for this paper; is to learn, understand, and finally offer solutions to help adolescents to love being who they are and who they are meant to be once they reach adulthood.
Gender Identity in adolescents

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Gender Identity

...Gender Identity Gender Identity Gender identity is a complex and multi-dimensional element of a person (Egan & Perry, 2001). Gender identity is the self – identification as male or female. Gender identity, however, is not the same as sexual orientation (Sue, Sue, & Sue, 2010). Both biological and environmental factors contribute to one’s gender identity. Many people have the assumption that there are male and female hormones that determine gender identity (Pinel, 2009). However, this is not the case. In this paper, I will discuss how hormones, as well as environment, affect one’s gender identity and behavior. Biological Factors and Sexual Differentiation The human body consists of many hormones. Among them are androgens, estrogens, and progestins. Androgens and estrogens are both the most common classes of gonadal hormones. A third class of gonadal hormones is progestins. The most common progestin is progesterone. Progesterone prepares the uterus and breasts for pregnancy in females; however it is unclear of its purpose in males (Pinel, 2009). Although it is widely assumed that androgens are “male” hormones and estrogens are “female” hormones. In actuality, men and women have the same hormones although at different levels. These hormones also do not perform the same functions in both sexes. Males and females are both exposed to high levels of estrogens during the fetal stage. However, males are exposed to high androgen levels during the same...

Words: 1073 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Media Languages

...CLT 209 Final Essay Discuss the impact of media on gender identity. Madalen Smith 11473441 Who are we? Who do we want to be? These are questions that have plagued people globally since the beginning of time. Our whole life is dedicated to developing our identity- one that we are happy with and feel reflects whom we are inside. But what influences our identity? And to what extent? We are constantly interacting with media. Subsequently we are continuously absorbing meaning and information whether we realise it or not. This essay focuses on gender identity and the impact the media can have on it. As individuals grow and seek to cultivate and define their identity, is media influencing their thoughts and views? This essay seeks to show that whilst media does in fact play a vital role in how individuals and society view gender the final decision regarding ones gender identity, is something that comes from within. Media both presents ideas and reflects societies already held values. Media does impact on what we view as acceptable for each gender, and what an individual may feel is the norm for their gender, but only to a certain extent. Ultimately gender is something that is felt within the individual and cannot be manipulated by outside things. Media plays a significant role in contemporary societies everyday life. The rapid technological developments that have taken place during the twentieth century has resulted in media becoming prevalent in almost all daily aspects of...

Words: 1450 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Gender and Education

...starts to understand her/his identity beyond the family, role that each one in the society assumes, through friends, teachers in school and most importantly books that they read in class room. A child's understanding of gender specific role gets almost fixed when schooling starts and get re-enforced every day by the behaviors towards them by the teachers, staff, member of the school. They start being actor of the patriarchal system and carry it along much after they have left school. School's ideological stance shapes up the stances of the children. The way children would look at gender relation and role, caste, class, history, etc are depended on how the schools look at these issues. The teachers at the school despite of being a separate identity outside school carry the same ideology of the school within the schools premises. So if a teacher is very caste biased then the children tent to see caste very differently, if a certain teacher has strong and traditional notion towards girls then the students' starts learning them and inculcating them in their life. But what is important is to see what influences the teachers to be what she / he are within the school when she/he might be a totally different person outside the school. The teacher is the figure of authority within the classroom. They have the power to create and control the environment in which the children exist – for good or bad. Not surprisingly, their influence on children’s gender identities should not be underestimated...

Words: 750 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Cross Cultural Influences on Workplace Behaviours

...communication have become more crucial for executives, business leaders, workplace managers, and standard employees. If they don’t have expertise to understand the difference of the cultures then it would become very difficult for the managers to properly manage the employees and get maximum output from their performances, as the level of communication between them would be very poor because of lesser expertise regarding different cultures. After critically the articles related to the topics I think as an HR practitioner, we need to look at the factors that impact cross-cultural communication. According to experts these factors include; cultural identity, racial identity, individual personality, age identity, roles identity & gender role identity (Paul Ecoggins, 2015). Now we should take a look at how each of the above mentioned factors impacts the cross-cultural behavior or communication. The Cultural Identity Factor Cultural identity is the first...

Words: 751 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Situating the Entrepreneur and Gender

...The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/1756-6266.htm Situating the subject: gender and entrepreneurship in international contexts Fidelma Ashe University of Ulster, Newtownabbey, UK, and Gender and entrepreneurship 185 Lorna Treanor Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer a perspective to further the understanding of gender entrepreneurship. This paper considers the situatedness of the gendered entrepreneur within diverse international contexts marked by different constitutions of gender identities and networks of power, both within the context of contributions within this special issue but also more broadly within the field of gender and entrepreneurship research. Design/methodology/approach – The authors adopt a feminist perspective and analyse the different framings of identity within gender and entrepreneurship literature and their contributions to our understandings of the concepts of both power and gendered identities. Findings – The paper finds that power and identity are configured in different contexts in ways that open arenas for future analysis. Originality/value – The paper highlights the importance of considering masculinities within gender and entrepreneurship research offering support for further analyses of entrepreneurial masculinities by examining two studies that expose entrepreneurial masculinities as shifting subjectivities...

Words: 8127 - Pages: 33

Premium Essay

Psy 355

...Gender Identity Gender Identity is defined by, Encyclopedia Britannica “as an individual’s self-conception as being male or female, as distinguished from actual biological sex.” A person can identify the concept of being a male or female through their psychological alertness. As early as 18 months a child can identify one’s anatomic sex. Gender is always a debated issue in today’s society. Some people argue that gender is solely based on biological makeup (nature), or based on the environment and social interactions one was brought up in (nurture). In this paper, I will explain the interaction between hormones and behavior and how these interactions affect the determination of gender identity. From a biological factor (nature), gender is decided during fertilization. There is 23 pair of chromosomes that determines the sex of a fetus. Within the eggs of females, they only contain the X chromosome, although within the sperm of males it contains either an X or Y chromosome. The X and Y chromosomes in the male sperm are called sex chromosomes that determine the gender. In the womb, it is said that the all embryo start out as the same sex that all embryos have feminine looking genitalia. When the X chromosome of a male sperms reaches the X chromosomes of a female egg, the process of zygote takes places which, produce a combination of XX meaning the embryo is a female. When the Y chromosome of a male, reaches the X chromosome of the female egg in a process of zygote...

Words: 1580 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Gender Identity

...Gender Identity Paper Brandie Thurman PSY/340 May 25, 2013 Dr. Stephanie Sencil-White There are many biological, psychological, and sociological factors involved in the formation of gender identity. Gender identity is not completely understood as it is much more complex than the joining of a sperm and an egg. For many people, the terms “gender” and “sex” are interchangeable. Biological sex and gender are different; gender is not inherently connected to one’s physical anatomy as biological sex is. When one thinks’ of the term “gender”, we are referring to the role and personalities one assumes within society, for example in American culture females tend to be perceived as more nurturing and males are aggressive and dominant. Hormones and behavior affect gender identity in significant ways each with a distinct purpose. To understand the difference of biological sex and gender, nature versus nurture, and how the environment has an effect this paper will review and explain the interactions between hormones and behaviors and how those interactions affect the determination of gender identity. Gender development starts at the point one is conceived. Gender identity is defined as an individual’s self conception of being either male or female, as distinguished from actual biological sex (Britannica, 2013). Gender differences exist in nearly every social phenomena and for most persons, gender identity and biological characteristics are the same however there are some circumstances...

Words: 1517 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Divergent: The Impact Of Technology

...The Impact of Technology: Technology plays a key role in the functions of the society presented in this novel, specifically in terms of the aptitude test, and Erudite’s control over Dauntless. The advanced methods of neurological stimulation and manipulation are not uncommon characteristics in dystopian novels, and in Divergent this advancement has the biggest technological impact on the society and its characters. Aside from the serum that is used for the aptitude test, Erudite is able to use their extensive knowledge of the human brain and the advancing technology to create a new serum. This serum corrupts the mind of Dauntless and allows Erudite to control them, resulting in the corruption and dismantling of their society. Without...

Words: 913 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Fan By Lisa See: An Analysis

...Historical books often criticize a society’s zeitgeist to display the harmful impacts they may have on one’s identity. This is true of Paradise of the Blind (Paradise) by Duong Thu Huong and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Fan) by Lisa See, which explore the demeaning impact of their respective societies’ standards upon love in female relationships and gender subjugation. See examines the impact upon women in a 19th century Chinese perspective, whereas Huong delves into a 20th century Vietnamese. The historical settings coerce women to experience interpersonal relationships without consent, due to the emphasis placed on Confucian ideals. Moreover, these ideals harm the protagonists as they suffer through common gender disparity. Hence, both...

Words: 1149 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Health Status of Aboriginal Women

...This paper will explore the roles that gender and feminism plays alongside other determinants to affect the health status of Aboriginal Canadian women. Determinants of health refer to the circumstances in which people are born, live, grow, work, and age, that are responsible for most of the health inequalities that exist. Common determinants contributing to sub-par health status include: early child development, education, income, employment, social and physical environment, personal health practices and coping skills, access to health services, racism, and gender. These determinants work alongside Aboriginal-specific determinants like cultural identity, self-determination, and colonialism to create significant health discrepancies compared to non-Aboriginal Canadians. Aboriginal women are at an even greater disadvantage because of the role gender plays on top of the other determinants. The term gender refers to the socially constructed perceptions of feminine and masculine and is not to be confused with sex, which refers to the biological differences between men and women (Steckley and Letts 2010). While the two are different concepts, they are closely related and do influence each other because while biology may condition behaviour, it is in turn conditioned by the social environment (Halseth 2013). Health is also a social construct and issue, rather than simply a medical and technical problem associated with body parts and their functions. Because it is defined by and shaped...

Words: 1462 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Gender Identity Paper

...Gender Identity Tammy Sledge PSY 340 August 15, 2011 Gavin Coriell Gender Identity Every individual’s body produces substances referred to as hormones which act as “chemical messengers” in an effort to regulate particular bodily functions such as metabolism and growth. These hormones are produced by the pancreas, thyroid, pituitary, pineal, and adrenal glands which are also referred to as the endocrine system. Hormones are additionally produced in the ovaries in women and the testes in men. The secretions of particular hormones assist the body in maintaining a state of balance or homeostasis. When one or more hormones within the body are produced in excess, or if there is a lack of a particular hormone, physical and/or emotional problems are likely to develop. The field of biopsychology has allowed researchers to formulate medications which can assist individuals who are experiencing imbalances in neurotransmitters/hormones, to function at “normal” levels. Illnesses and conditions such as depression, schizophrenia and insomnia are caused by these imbalances however; the fluctuations of these chemicals on a daily basis can also cause mood swings, behavioral changes and problems with cognition in individuals who do not suffer from these more serious conditions. Specific patterns of behavior are associated with hormone levels, for instance; men and women have certain levels of both estrogen and testosterone within their bodies. A higher level of testosterone in men creates...

Words: 1333 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Com 450 Complete Course Com450 Complete Course

...COM 450 Complete Course COM450 Complete Course Click Link for the Answer: http://workbank247.com/q/com-450-complete-course-com450-complete-course/22091 http://workbank247.com/q/com-450-complete-course-com450-complete-course/22091 COM 450 Module 1 Assignment 1: Introduction to Classmates and This Course Begin this assignment by introducing yourself to your classmates—giving your name, current occupation, and areas of interest that might be covered by this course. If you would like, post a picture of yourself, your family or significant other, a pet, or your favorite place to visit. Write your responses in one to two paragraphs. COM 450 Module 1 Assignment 2: Personal Effectiveness in Communication In this assignment, you will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your communication based on your personal perceptions and the perceptions others have of you. Personal effectiveness begins with you and also includes views others may have of you as an individual. You will go beyond your personal viewpoint and seek feedback from others in order to achieve a more accurate understanding of self. To prepare for this discussion, research effective communication using your textbook readings and the Argosy University online library resources. Reflect on your personal effectiveness as a communicator, and then interview two to four people to find out how others perceive your communication. Be ready for a discussion based on the following questions. * Define what you consider to be your...

Words: 2527 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Gender Identity

...Gender Identity According to the dictionary gender identity is “a person’s inner sense of being male or female, usually developed during early childhood as a result of parental practices and societal influences and strengthened during puberty by hormonal changes” (Dictionary.com 2013) The Encyclopedia Britannica states the gender identity is not fixed at birth. It is the combination of social and physiologic factors that contribute identity and then it is “modified and expanded by social factors as the child grows and matures.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013) There are many factors that can determine gender identity, such as nature, biological, social and environmental. According to chapter six, “Gender identity is almost always consistent with chromosomal sex, but such consistency does not certify that gender identity is biologically determined.” (Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, Pg. 168) Biological views tend to focus on which genetics, brain structure or hormone is linked to behavior patterns. It has been researched that there are both male and female whom have been born with “congenital adrenal hyperplasia.” This condition will cause higher androgen hormone levels that those of their peers. For the females born with this condition, they act and display more masculine traits. Studies have shown that social environments and child rearing will also impact the development of gender identities. One would argue that a child’s behaviors, interests and self-concept...

Words: 602 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Gender Identity

...Gender Identity PSY 265 Kelly Bidstrup 11/18/12 Gender identity is a highly charged issue around the world. It is so here in the U.S. as well. A person has historically been termed male or female based solely on their physical sexuality. Their assigned sex is determined by the biological characteristics they possess at birth which define if a person is a “boy or girl”. Gender identity is largely termed a psychological rather than a biological issue, although biological factors do play a role in gender identity. As a general rule, gender identity is consistent with an individual’s chromosomal sex (Nevid, Rathus & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). However, gender identity does not lie in the body, but in the mind. This psychological realm makes it possible for a person’s physical sex to be inconsistent with their gender identity. An individual who is assigned the sex of male may not be psychologically able to relate to being a male. They may feel that their proper gender is more feminine instead of masculine. Their assigned sex is male, but their identity is female. A person’s biological gender can differ greatly from their gender identity. Gender roles are determined at the social, stereotypical level. Each culture establishes and maintains their version of what is normal and acceptable within that society. Gender identity can be affected by the way a person is nurtured during their early life. Parents and other caregivers generally pattern their own behavior...

Words: 850 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Personailty

...This paper will discuss the roles of biological factors—nature—and environmental influences—nurture—on sexual differentiation and gender identity. The paper will also determine which has the greater influence on gender identity: nature or nurture. Lastly, the paper will discuss the current arguments about sexual identity and how evidence from biopsychology may help resolve the argument. Biological Factors on Sexual Differentiation and Gender Identity Gender identity is being either male or female. Gender identity is the element that helps make up an individual's sense of self. Before a baby is born their gender is form to either a boy or girl. There are 23 pairs of chromosomes in the human body and it is known that the ova and sperm cells contains part of that number (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2011). When a sperm cell fertilizes an ovum, the zygote ends up having the whole 23 pairs of chromosomes, one is from the father and one is from the mother (Pinel, 2009). When a sperm fertilizes an egg, the development of the zygote in the male or female will depend on whether the sperm is carrying an X or Y sex chromosome (Pinel, 2009). Female ova contain only an X sex chromosome and needs the sperm to provide a Y sex chromosome, which develops a male and if it X sex chromosome the zygote will develop a female. In the case of hormones males and females have different levels of hormones. Hormones that influence an individual’s behavior can produce either masculine or feminine...

Words: 891 - Pages: 4