Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper, formatted according to APA guidelines, on the determining factors of gender identification and gender roles. Include the following in your paper: o State the factors...

Gender Identity
Masculinity and femininity or one’s gender identity develops gradually though a process of
differentiation via social, biological and cognitive-learning factors. Social and cognitive-
learning factors determine what being a female or a male means, and how these two genders
can be differentiated (ex: brave or emotional, passive or dominant etc). Biologically, human
foetuses have similar form until the second month of prenatal development. During this stage
the sex determining chromosomes (i.e. the X and Y chromosomes) lead to the development
of fetal gonads besides influencing the brain (Domurat, 1998) (Stets and Burke, N.D.).
While the two individuals (male and female) are different from each other sexually, the self
meaning or identity regarding one’s gender is formed through social institutions and followed
by the gradual or ongoing interaction with parents, educators and peers. The specifics and
contents on the roles of the genders tend to vary amongst different societies (Rathus, Nevid,
& Rathus, 2005). Further behaviour exhibited by an individual is not important, rather it’s the
interpretation of those behaviour by others holds significance. For instance a person with
male or masculine identity must exhibit behaviour’s that can be related or interpreted as
masculine i.e. being competitive, dominant, rational etc, while a feminine identity
corresponds to being submissive, expressive and warm (Stets and Burke, N.D.).
For instance based on the perceived characteristic and traits of both the sexes, male and a
female can be plotted one two distinct bell curves as exhibited below (Turner, 2014), or can
be assumed to be two distinct ends of a bell curve or opposite ends of the curve.
An individual’s need to be placed on the male or female continuum depends on the traits
possessed and exhibited by the individual i.e. the positioning of the individual on the
continuum depends on the degree of gender-linked qualities...