1 UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX

Gender Identity
Week 3
Mario Salgado 8/9/2012

2 The biggest difference between a ones assigned gender and ones gender identity lies within the psychological calm. Someone may have deemed male at birth, this person may not psychological relate to being a male. A person may feel more comfortable being feminine rather than masculine. While person assigned gender is male their gender identity is actually feminine. When as a person we choose what kind of career path or occupation it has an impact on their identity. People sometimes dont have the luck to be brought up in a proper upbringing or even a parent that lives off the state is more likely to follow in their parents footsteps and choose not to go out to work. This normally happens because they dont have the opportunities to get a better job or going to school for a higher degree towards a career they want to do. So as well as choosing an occupation that is according to your identity, a particular occupation can affect your identity. Also a way person is treated while as an infant or even as a child can help shape up ones gender identity. People can usually view their child as either as a male or female. Sometimes you will have a male child growing up with two sisters or three plus the mother and not father in his life. Will run the risk that what he learns how to be more feminine then masculine traits. The difference between a ones assigned gender and ones gender identity lies within the psychological calm. Sometimes a person may feel more comfortable being feminine rather than masculine. While a person is assigned gender is male their gender will feel more feminine. The traits such as independent none emotional, competitive, strong, active, and sexually aggressive are determined using a scale to as the continuum or masculinity and femininity. People can find themselves more at the middle of the scale while others may find themselves leaning more towards the masculine or feminine side. One of the factors that helped me determines my gender was my male gender body part, which was my physically and genetically made me considered to be a male. I was growing up with my mom more than my father. Seeing how my mother got dressed and saw the different characteristics and gender between us as I was growing up and I knew the different. My father would sit down and talk to me about

3 the different part of a man and a women. The thing is that as I was growing up I was hanging out more with girls and majority of my friends were girls, but I dont feel that my masculine was in danger. Specific traits that I would use to describe myself fall mainly upon the male side of the continuum of the masculinity. I am the type that is usually loud and the strong part of my family. I am the person who hates confrontation but I am very into competition. My masculine trait that I posses includes independent, active, and self-sufficient. I think that during as time passed my traits that I posses have developed over time and factors like a stronger characteristic and society has influenced my personal gender identity. The gender Identity is a personal and individual identity that one will create at a period of time. There can be so many factors that would influence a persons gender identity; especially if they have nobody in their life to answer any questions of their gender identity. There is a very clear line between what is viewed as a feminine and what is viewed as masculine. Many people will find themselves been portraying traits from either side of the continuum. An issue of gender identity is very controversial and society has created many stereotypes. As we grow up we face so many things that can influence ones gender identity, but the final say so comes from us alone. The only thing that other people in our life can do is to give them support and letting them know that you are still there and not to judge for the choice they make for themselves.

Reference
Rathus, S. A., Nevid, J. S., & Fichner-Rathus, L. (2011). Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity (8th ed.). : Pearson Education, Inc.