Syllabus
21/2
Theories of sex and gender. What defines sex? Genetic vs. chromosomal vs. hormonal vs. physiological vs. anatomical "sex".
Katz-Wise & Hyde (2014)
Hyde (2014)
Money (1987)
Hyde et al. (2019) 28/2
Sexual differentiation. Organizational and activational hypothesis; mammals vs. other species. Mechanisms of androgenization.
Nelson & Kriegfield (2016), ch 3,4.
Phoenix et al. (1959)
McCarthy (2020)
McCarthy & Arnold (2011)
Forger et al. (2015) 7/3
The "dimorphic" brain versus the “mosaic” brain.
Joel (2011,2021) 14/3
Gender and its constructs
Hyde et al. (2019)
Zucker (2005) 21/3
Gender orientation and fluidity
Steensma & Cohen-Kettenis (2011)
Rieger et al. (2020) 28/3
Gender, sex, and sexual orientation
Mustanski et al. (2014)
Rosario & Schrimshaw (2014)
Ngun & Vilain (2014)
Wang et al. (2019) 4/4
Sex differences and similarities in cognition
Hampson (2002)
Miller & Halpern (2013) 11/4
Sex differences and similarities in emotion
Brivio et al. (2020)
Fallon et al. (2020)
Proverbio (2021) 18/4
Velikonoční pondělí - nevyučuje se 25/4
Sex differences and similarities in reproduction
Buss (1989)
Forger et al. (2015) 2/5
Sex differences and similarities in pleasure, pain, and stress
Mogil (2020)
Trainor (2011)
Georgiadis et al. (2012)
Jennings & Lecea (2020) 9/5
Student presentations 16/5
Student presentations and epilogue
Annotation
We tend to hold it as self-evident that sex differences exist between women and men and between females and males of all species. But do they really? How reliable are they as phenomena? The aim of this course is to consider how sex differences and similarities exist in brain and behavior, and how they have been conflated with the very human social construction of "gender".
The course will begin with an overview of genetic, chromosomal, and hormonal mechanisms of sexual differentiation in a variety of species, including humans, and consider how natural variations of this process occur (e.g., androgen insensitivity syndrome; congenital adrenal hyperplasia; programmed gene deletions; chromosomal abnormalities; etc). As with the body, brain regions have been identified in animals and humans as "sexually dimorphic" based on size and function; yet in many cases these regions subserve identical or complementary reproductive or metabolic processes that lead to the survival of both individuals and species.
And, to make matters worse, analyses of regions believed to be dimorphic show different patterns of dimorphism in every individual, creating a mosaic of "female" and "male" phenotypes, rather than a single one for each sex. Of course, the "sexed" self exists within many contexts, most notably social and reproductive.
How do the external forces of society and culture impact one's own sexual identity? The societal imposition of a sex-based binary expectation of appropriate behavior is at the root of what we called "gender" and is often conflated with genetic sex differences to arrive at often erroneous notions of "innate abilities". Accordingly, sex differences in physical, cognitive, emotional, regulatory, and reproductive "abilities" will be examined, along with a breakdown of cycling versus continuous hormone secretion that primes the brain in a dynamic and ongoing fashion.
The way that these abilities are assessed will be critically examined and flaws in underlying assumptions addressed. The relationship of sex hormones to gender fluidity will also be examined.
We then consider sex differences and similarities in cognition, emotion, reproduction, and pleasure, pain, and stress reactivity. Please read the articles for each class before class so that you will have a proper base of knowledge to understand and challenge concepts that will be presented.
The last two classes are reserved for student presentations. You will choose a topic in consultation with me to present in a 15-min Powerpoint overview to the class.
This overview will form the basis of your 20-25 page (double-spaced) review paper that you will write on the topic. Your topic should be chosen by the end of the second lecture so that you have enough time for your research, presentation, and paper.
Papers will be due on the due date listed.