BIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF

GENDER
BIOLOGICAL Theories

• the earliest approach in explaining the physical

and behavioral development of man and a woman
• Gender development begins at fertilization and is a
result of biological processes mainly in two ways:
• chromosomes
• hormones
• Study results of biological theorists in relation to
gender development is inconsistent, the theory
still provides interesting insights on the possible
effect of genes and hormones on one’s
femininity and masculinity.
The Role of Chromosomes in Gender
Development
• 46 chromosomes-human body composition typically arranged
in 23 pairs
• 23rd pair determines the biological sex ad either female (XX
chromosomes) or male (XY chromosomes)
• Biological approach:
• XY chromosome contains genes responsible for masculine traits
such as aggressiveness, competitive, risk takers among others
( McLeod, 2014)
• XY chromosome is not as stable as the XX (Y chromosome is fragile
while the X chromosome is sturdy).
• Conclusion:
• Men: Aside from behaviors that would cause high
mortality rate in men, they also tend to have more
health problems.
• Women: have different chromosomal structures and
these are said to enjoy better health than the men.
• Biological theory posited that masculine and feminine traits
are already coded in the chromosomes
• These coded traits manifest in a person’s looks and behavior that
explain the physical and psychological differences between male and
females.
-There are instances when chromosomes deviate from the usual
XX/XY pairing
- condition is called a typical sex chromosome
- Typical sex chromosome: the person’s body and behavior looks
like a typical male or female, but their chromosomes do not align
to their births sex.
- They have distinct and psychological manifestations
 Swyer syndrome
• 1. The Sex-determining Region Y gene (SRY gene) in the Y
chromosome carries the gene that causes the embryo to
develop testes.
• If the embryo does not have a Y chromosome, it will not have
the SRY gene and the embryo would develop an ovary
• 2. Sywer syndrome is a condition when the Y-chromosome
does not carry the SRY gender or that SRY gene does not
activate.
• 3. This condition affects 1 in 80, 000 people
• People with Swyer syndrome have a typical female
reproductive system but the gonads are underdeveloped.
• They are typically raised as females, and based on physical
appearance their community would identify them as
females, However, clinically, their chromosomes are XY
Klinefelter’s syndrome
• This condition affects 1 in 500 to 1,00 men
• The person is biologically male and has the physical appearance
of a male,
• However, this person carries an extra X chromosome in his
chromosomal pairing, XX’/.
• Although physical appearance is male, the extra X chromosome
cause less body hair, underdeveloped genitals, and shows breast
development
• Men with XX’/ chromosomes are described as having a mild
temperament, passive and cooperative
• aggression level has a biological component
The Role of Hormones in Gender
Development
• Biological theory claims:
• Hormones determine the how girls and boy behave
• Example: In most cultures, males are more aggressive in their behavior
than females
• Linking aggressive behavior to androgen in males
• Androgen
• A hormone present in both men and women
• However, androgen is typically assigned as a male hormone because it
is present in much higher levels in men
• Male traits: aggression, competitiveness, spatial ability, and higher
sexual drive
• Clinical findings also claimed that a female child
exposed to high levels of androgen while in her
mother’s womb tend to be as physically active as
boys (Hines & Spencer, 2015)
• The researchers attributed this difference to
prenatal exposure on higher presence of
androgen
• Hormones believed to highly influence
gender and development are testosterone
and estrogen
TESTOSTERONE
• major androgen hormone in males
• produced predominantly by males
• controls the development of male sex organs
• Claimed to influence specific areas in brain
development associated with masculine behavior
such as competitiveness, spatial skills, and
aggressiveness among other.
• Some studies claimed that when an XX
chromosome was exposed to high level of
prenatal testosterone, the female child
prevalently developed into a female adult who
generally did not identify with the female gender
and whose sexual orientation was towards
other females.
• The impact of testosterone levels on a person
behavior and that testosterone has a key role in
gender development (Balburg, et al.2008)
ESTROGEN
• primarily a female hormone
• Determines female sexual characteristics
• Linked in the development of feminine body shapes
and facial features
• Found to enhance feelings of intimacy, attachment,
and the desire to have more children
Group Activity!
• G1. Psychodynamic Theory
• G2. Cognitive developmental theory
• G3. Kolberg’s Stages Of Gender And Development
• G4. Socialization Theory
• G5. Social Cognitive Theory
• G6. Structural Functionalist Perspective
• G7. Conflict Perspective
• G8. Symbolic Interaction Perspective
• END