Psychology Of Gender Identity

Gender encompasses biological sex but extends beyond it to the socially prescribed roles deemed appropriate for each sex by the culture in which we live. The gender roles we each carry out are highly individualistic, built on our biological and physical traits, appearance and personality, life experiences such as childhood, career and education, and history of sexual and romantic interactions. Each element influences perceptions and expectations. Gender-related experiences influence and shape the ways we think about others and ourselves including self-image, behaviour, mood, social advancement and coping strategies. This book brings together leading international research devoted to this subject.

Psychiatry and psychology have a long and highly debated history in relation to gender. In particular, they have attracted criticism for policing the boundaries of ‘normal’ gender expression through gender identity diagnoses, such as transvestism, transsexualism, gender identity disorder and gender dysphoria. Drawing on discursive psychology, this book traces the historical development of psychiatric constructions of ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ gender expression. It contextualizes the recent reconstruction of gender in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and its criteria for gender dysphoria. This latest diagnosis illustrates the continued disagreement and debate within the profession surrounding gender identity as ‘disordered’. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on the conflicted history between feminist and transgender communities in the changing context of a more trans-positive feminism, and the implications of these diagnoses for these distinct but linked communities. Psychology and Gender Dysphoria examines debates and controversies surrounding psychiatric diagnoses and theories related to gender and gender nonconformity by exploring recent research, examples of collaborative perspectives, and existing feminist and trans texts. As such, the book is relevant for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers of gender, feminism, and critical psychology as well as historical issues within psychiatry.

Gender encompasses biological sex but extends beyond it to the socially prescribed roles deemed appropriate for each sex by the culture in which we live. The gender roles we each carry out are highly individualistic, built on our biological and physical traits, appearance and personality, life experiences such as childhood, career and education, and history of sexual and romantic interactions. Each element influences perceptions and expectations. Gender-related experiences influence and shape the ways we think about others and ourselves including self-image, behaviour, mood, social advancement and coping strategies. This new book brings together leading international research devoted to this subject.

What is the difference between sex and gender? What is the impact of gender-role stereotypes on our lives, our relationships and the world? What does gender mean to you? The Psychology of Gender looks at our biology, history and culture to consider the impact of gender roles and stereotypes, and addresses the 'dilemmas' we have regarding gender in a post-modern world. It offers a unique perspective on gender through storytelling and explores ideas around transgender and cisgender identities and androgyny, tackling hidden assumptions and helping us make sense of the world of gender. By examining the future of gender, The Psychology of Gender offers a platform for further exploration, and arrives at a new psychology of gender that emphasises relationships and helps us to understand our own gender identity and that of those around us.

The SAGE Encyclopedia of Psychology and Gender is an innovative exploration of the intersection of gender and psychology—topics that resonate across disciplines and inform our everyday lives. This encyclopedia looks at issues of gender, identity, and psychological processes at the individual as well as the societal level, exploring topics such as how gender intersects with developmental processes both in infancy and childhood and throughout later life stages; the evolution of feminism and the men’s movement; the ways in which gender can affect psychological outcomes and influence behavior; and more. With articles written by experts across a variety of disciplines, this encyclopedia delivers insights on the psychology of gender through the lens of developmental science, social science, clinical and counseling psychology, sociology, and more. This encyclopedia will provide librarians, students, and professionals with ready access to up-to-date information that informs some of today’s key contemporary issues and debates. These are the sorts of questions we plan for this encyclopedia to address: What is gender nonconformity? What are some of the evolutionary sex differences between men and women? How does gender-based workplace harassment affect health outcomes? How are gender roles viewed in different cultures? What is third-wave feminism?

This timely volume examines the ways in which queer and trans theory are supported by recent findings from psychological science. In it, Ella Ben Hagai and Eileen Zurbriggen explore foundational ideas from queer thought and transgender theory including the instability of gender, variation in sexualities, intersectional theory, and trans writers’ rejection of the “born in the wrong body” narrative. These key ideas are juxtaposed with innovative empirical psychological research on the fluidity of gender, the proliferation of sexual identities, and transgender affirming medical and psychological care. This book explains the history and politics of key ideas shaping the study of the psychology of gender and sexuality today. It also describes the ways that the queer and trans* revolutions have changed how psychologists understand gender, sexuality, and transgender identities. It will be especially helpful for readers interested in interdisciplinary scholarship.

The Palgrave Handbook of the Psychology of Sexuality and Gender combines cutting edge research to provide a thorough overview of all the normative - and many of the less common - sexualities, genders and relationship forms alongside psychological and intersectional areas relating to sexuality and gender.