Consider the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation. In 1,000
ID: 3495689 • Letter: C
Question
Consider the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation. In 1,000-1,250 words, do the following:
In your own words explain the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation.
Discuss controversies that have stemmed from gender identity and sexual orientation.
Discuss specific research methods commonly used to investigate gender identity and sexual orientation.
Explain benefits and challenges to this research, including how it can add to controversies.
Discuss social influences on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Discuss cultural/environmental influences on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Discuss biological influences on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Use four to six scholarly resources to support your explanations.
Explanation / Answer
Sexual orientation refers to, who a person is attracted to, and would like to be romantically involved with. Some people who are hetrosexual, they are interested to be sexually involved with the opposite sex. Some who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, or queer, they are interested in being romantically involved with the same sex.
Gender identity is different from sexual orientation. They are often mistaken to be the same. Gender Identity refers to what a person feels from within. A person who is born as a boy, may feel like a woman from within and exhibits his identity through his feminine clothes or behaviour. Likewise, a person born as a girl, may later in life identify herself as a man. She likes to dress up like a man, she may want to be powerful like a man.
Talking about sexual orientation and gender identity in the open is considered to be a taboo in our society. It is already enough of a trauma for a person to go through conflicts of self identity, to top it all they cannot express their concerns as it is unacceptable by the society. There are umpteen controversies that arose from people 'coming out'. It usually during adolescence that an individual comes in terms with their 'real selves', the problem usually arises in schools. Kids are bullied in schools, they are ostracized by their peers because they are 'different'. Even at work place, it is a living hell if they are the only one who is queer.
The research methods used to investigate gender identity and sexual orientation are; surveys, self-report, questionaires and snow-ball technique of sampling.
Most of the times individuals give window dressed facts to surveys conducted, as they choose to give a desirable answer instead of being truthful about their gender identity and sexual orientation.