thesis statement on gender identity

Most Popular

10 days ago

Only 5% of Students Engaged in Ed-Tech Learning

How to write a conclusion for a research paper, 105-year-old woman finally receives master’s degree from stanford, the job search for new college graduates is “not giving”, reports show.

11 days ago

How To Start A Scholarship Essay

Gender & sexuality studies thesis statement examples.

unsplash.com

Gender and sexuality studies is a multifaceted field examining issues related to identity, social structures, and power dynamics. Effective thesis statements in this domain should encapsulate clear and significant research inquiries. Below, find examples of both adept and poor thesis statements regarding gender and sexuality studies, with detailed explanations for their strengths and weaknesses.

Good Thesis Statement Examples

Specific and Clear Good: “This thesis investigates the influence of media representation on the self-esteem and body image of transgender youth in urban environments.” Bad: “Media affects the self-esteem of transgender individuals.”

The good example specifies the demographic (transgender youth), the research setting (urban environments), and the issues under investigation (self-esteem and body image), providing clarity and direction. In contrast, the bad example is vague and lacks defined variables.

Arguable and Debatable Good: “Despite advancements, women of color still face systemic barriers in academia, impacting their career progression and professional development.” Bad: “Women of color face challenges in academia.”

The good statement makes a clear, debatable claim about systemic barriers in academia for women of color, opening the floor for analysis and argumentation. The bad statement, while true, is generic and lacks a clear argument or focus.

Researchable and Measurable Good: “Through an analysis of queer representation in video games, this thesis explores how digital media can either challenge or perpetuate harmful stereotypes.” Bad: “Queer representation in video games is important.”

The good example offers specific areas for research (queer representation in video games) and measurable criteria (the challenging or perpetuating of stereotypes). The bad example, while positive, is broad and does not present clear variables for study.

Bad Thesis Statement Examples

Overly Broad: “Gender inequality is a significant problem in society.”

This statement, though true, is too broad, offering no particular aspect of gender inequality or specified societal area for examination.

Lack of Clear Argument: “Sexuality is complex and diverse.”

While accurate, this statement does not present a clear argument or focus for research, making it ineffective as a guide for scholarly inquiry.

Unmeasurable and Unresearchable: “Understanding gender is key to understanding humanity.”

Though philosophically insightful, this statement is broad, abstract, and provides no clear direction for empirical study or measurement.

Developing a robust thesis statement for research in gender and sexuality studies is vital for guiding your research and providing readers with insight into your study’s objectives and focus. Good thesis statements are clear, arguable, and researchable, serving as cornerstones for insightful academic exploration. Conversely, ineffective ones are usually too broad, lack clear arguments, and do not facilitate empirical analysis. By considering these examples and analyses, students can craft compelling thesis statements that provide a strong foundation for their research on the pressing and complex issues related to gender and sexuality studies.

Follow us on Reddit for more insights and updates.

Comments (0)

Welcome to A*Help comments!

We’re all about debate and discussion at A*Help.

We value the diverse opinions of users, so you may find points of view that you don’t agree with. And that’s cool. However, there are certain things we’re not OK with: attempts to manipulate our data in any way, for example, or the posting of discriminative, offensive, hateful, or disparaging material.

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

More from Synthesis Thesis Examples & Samples

Sep 30 2023

Criminal Justice Reform Thesis Statement Examples

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Thesis Statement Examples

Sep 29 2023

Social Media & Society Thesis Statement Examples

Remember Me

What is your profession ? Student Teacher Writer Other

Forgotten Password?

Username or Email

Gender Identity - Essay Examples And Topic Ideas For Free

Gender identity refers to a person’s deeply-felt understanding of their gender, which may be different from the sex they were assigned at birth. Essays could delve into the social, psychological, or biological aspects of gender identity, the experiences of transgender or non-binary individuals, or the societal and legal issues surrounding gender identity. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to Gender Identity you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Gender Identity & Sexual Orientation Essay

Gender identity is how someone feels inside, which could be expressed in many ways, for example, by clothing, appearance, and behavior. There are a few gender identities other than the common two, female and male. When it comes to both terms, people tend to confuse the two, and although they may seem similar, it is two completely different things like being a masculine female or a feminine male, transgender and gender fluid. Some may not feel female or male and […]

Controversial Topic : Gender Identity

Transgender Identities bring up the controversial topic of gender identity in society. Gender identity is important because it is a way to self-identify based on expression of the internal self rather than just by the assigned gender at birth. Individuals who identify as transgender women are born male who later in life transition to female. Some argue that transgender women face the same oppression and sexism as cisgender women. Others, such as radical feminists, disapprove of transgender women entirely being […]

Issues of Social Constructs of Gender

Gender issues are some of the paramount social aspects in different societies. There have been different views in different communities, where some of the societies profile the male gender to be superior, and the female gender is quite inferior and subject to the male gender. Gender reveal, and gender reveals parties are some of the current trends in gender issues that might portray some level of gender stereotyping. In some workplaces, are gender issues where one of the genders might […]

We will write an essay sample crafted to your needs.

Gender Identity and LGBTQ Rights

In this piece I’m going to explain how the LGBTQ community are being treated because of their Sex/Gender/Gender identity/sexuality an article that shows this was the privileges article a how people that comes out as straight or gay can help the gay community’s when they come out. I’m going to do this by explaining the way Carbados thinks that there’s a new way that heterosexual people tailored as “coming out” as heterosexual and this could affect the homosexual community in […]

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Inequality

Social class has been traditionally defined by an individual’s occupation, education, and/or income and are then compared between individuals, if you fall somewhere within the same category as another you are then thought to be a part of the same social class (Hurst, 2013, p. 15). Something overlooked in terms of how we see the social class is the ignoring of intersectionality and its effects on a person’s social class.  Now, what is intersectionality? Intersectionality is how different aspects of […]

Gender and Sexuality in Sport in 21st Century

Gender and Sexuality in sport are two controversial subjects which have been analysed and discussed over the past centuries. Marginalization in sport is very complex and it is involving multiple power systems and players. The expectation of society for males and females is to adopt and fulfil specific gender and sexual stereotypes that have been already established. When these society demands are violated, it is common that certain individuals are being labelled. While the traditional gender and sexual stereotypes have […]

Sex Education and Gender Identity

Could you imagine a society in which we are all separated by gender? Single-sex schools might be the first step in this direction. Gender-segregated schools have both advantages and disadvantages, but the downsides are more notable. Although some people believe that single-sex schools are better for both male and female students, research has shown single-sex schools promote sexism and gender stereotypes, offer no significant benefits (,) and often cause students to be ill-prepared for life outside of school. One reason […]

Gender Identity & Roles

Abstract From birth, we as humans are grouped into two categories: male and female. Gender is the first and most basic way to define a person, not only in terms of physical attributions, but also through roles structured by culture and society. Gender roles are social constructs developed by cultures that put various expectations on each sex. They set a standard of what behavior is appropriate for a person according to whether they are male or female. These roles represent […]

Four Lenses of Gender Differences

People often view sex and gender as the same; however, that is not the case. Sex refers to the chromosomal and anatomical appearance of which a person was born with, whereas gender is the social role that one strongly identifies with, which may not always be the same as one’s assigned sex. Debates arise when people associate sex with gender, and while there may be correlations between the two, they are certainly not the same.  Sociologists view gender through four […]

Gender Identity and Freedom of Speech

The views of professor of psychology, Jordan Peterson at the University of Toronto on the issue of gender identity and his beliefs, position and refusal to use gender-neutral pronouns has sparked debates. The arguments by the professor have arisen a lot of objective and subjective intuition on his stand that his freedom of speech and need to become politically correct cannot determine by use of pronouns. Discussions are presented in different articles by Ellen Brait, a staff reporter for the […]

The Effects of Sexual Differentiation of the Human Brain on Gender Identity

From toy-preference at an early age to the likelihood of developing schizophrenia, sexual differentiation of the human brain plays a critical role. In their research paper [1], Ai-Min Bao and Dick F. Swaab explain the difference between sexual differentiation of the brain and sexual differentiation of the genitals, as well as investigate the effects of sexual differentiation of the human brain on gender identity, sexual orientation, and neuropsychiatric disorders. As we have learned in Psych 212, testosterone exposure during early […]

Is Sexual Orientation Determined at Birth?

Over the years sexual orientation has been an issue in our world. This relates to people being gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender. Many people are not educated about the history of the LGBT community. The first homosexual(lgbt) movement was in Chicago 1924 by a man named Henry Gerber a german immigrant, and it took place during the first World War. I was born African American and I was born with adhd but i was not born gay. In fact nobody […]

Police Violations of the Rights of Persons on the Basis of Racial and Gender Identity

Introduction Police violations of the rights of persons on the basis of racial and gender identity are global and ingrained practices of serious concern. Such violations include extrajudicial killings, torture and ill-treatment, sexual assault and rape, invasion of privacy, arbitrary detention, deprivation of work and education, and serious discrimination in the enjoyment of other rights and freedoms. These kinds of violations are often exacerbated by other forms of violence, hatred, discrimination and rejection, including on the basis of race, age, […]

About Gender Identity in Society

After careful consideration, I have decided that I am going with the article, School a hostile place for LGBTQ students, study says, Missouri and Kansas included by Mara Rose Williams. The article is talking about how students in the LGBTQ community do not feel like they can go to school and still feel safe. The reason for this is that the students in the LGBTQ community said that “when they went to school they would get physically or emotionally harassed […]

Gender Identity and Expression

Deep inside the young minds of our students are the seeds of growth and responsibility. They would like to foresee themselves as being productive and effective members of their community and our society. Parents and guardians of our young adolescents have profound provision of commitment of guiding and supporting them to reach their greatest potentials and significance to the nation. They offer their limitless and boundless care during the most precarious stage of being an adolescent; their identity and development […]

Sociocultural Beliefs of Sexuality – Essay

Have you ever been put into a bracket of how you are “suppose to act as an certain gender?” For example, throughout the years growing up males were always told you shouldn’t play with dolls with saying along with that statement “you aren’t a girl” “boys don’t play with dolls” no matter if these figures are action figures or not. Which developed a blockage of some type over the years to see whenever you see a doll it’s like a […]

The Family: Diversity, Equality and Social Change by Philip Cohen

The family unit consists of a great variety of different structures and different identities. It is common for one to view families as sharing the same values, goals and identities. When it comes to following the family tradition and norm, people within the family can be seen walking down a totally different path. In the book The Family: Diversity, Equality and Social Change, by Philip Cohen, in chapters 4, 5 and 6, the author analyzes families that include class identity, […]

Gender Equality and Gender Equality in Sport

Gender equity has been a problem in society since the beginning of your time. over many years, women faced issues with equity in relationships, education, their career, and athletic opportunities. Gender identity is the personal sense of one’s own gender. This identity can correspond with the assigned sex at birth or can be completely different. this subject is incredibly controversial and may cause several disagreements. Gender plays an enormous role in each society round the world. However, one would possibly […]

Suicidality in Transgender Teens

Gender identity is defined as one’s sense of being a male, female, or other gender. It is the individual’s own connection to their gender which defines who they are. Many people feel as if the sex they were born with does not match with the gender they identify with. In many cases, people may identify as transgender. Transgender individuals believe, “the sex assigned at birth is discordant with their gender identity” (Sitkin & Murota, 2017, p. 725). An example of […]

Gender Dysphoria & Identity: Teens

Have you ever wondered what harsh cruelties that some teens have to face, because of their gender identity? Gender fluidity is the belief that you feel male one day but feel like a female another day regardless of what sex you were born. Teens that discover they are gender fluid can experience bullying from peers and family. There are many cases of injustices against gender fluid teens experience. The older generations are usually unaccepting of the younger generations gender identity. […]

Sexual Prejudice Towards LGBTQ and Gender Differences

Sexual Prejudice Towards LGBTQ and Gender Differences: Literature Review Social Psychology Ana Esther Paulino Sanchez SUNY Geneseo Abstract There is a difference between the prejudice and attitude towards LGBTQ according to gender. Studies like Gregory M. Hereck (2000), Sarlo and Buodo (2017), Glotfelter and Anderson (2012), and Kiebel et al (2017) further explore these differences. In each study, the difference in sexual prejudice according to gender is analyzed differently. All of the results came to a similar conclusion that men […]

Medical Law & Ethics

Safe Haven Law The Save Haven laws which are also called the Baby Moses laws began in Texas in 1999. Since this time this law has expanded to other states; however, not all states have the same guidelines. The purpose of this law is to allow parents to surrender their newborn infant to a safe location, thus decreasing the number of abandoned infant deaths. Within this law, parents can stay anonymous and gives up their parental rights to the state […]

How Parenting Based on Gender?

Ever wonder if boys and girls get parented differently? Answer to this is a most definite yes, but the problem is you may not realize the horrible effects of parenting based on gender. You may not realize it yet, but you will soon. In this essay, I will explain how parenting based on gender is dangerous and harmful because it leads to inequalities, sexist stereotypes, and bigoted views of boy and girl. In an article I read called “Teaching Men […]

Representative Sean Patrick Maloney

"For this writing assignment, I will be analyzing a news article about the Representative Sean Patrick Maloney. In this article, Maloney and 63 co-sponsors introduce a bill to ban taxpayer funding of “conversion therapies.” Maloney states that this bill will “ensure taxpayer dollars aren't funding a fraudulent practice that has been roundly discredited by the medical community. That's exactly what my bill would do."" He believes that, until we can ban conversion therapies entirely, that we should not be spending […]

Final Paper: Gender and Reading Achievement

Introduction When it comes to reading achievement, there have been many studies that show that girls outperform boys. While there are other academic areas (such as math and science) where there are differences between achievement in boys and girls, gender gaps are comparatively wider in reading and English (Logan and Medford, 2011, p. 86). This is true not only in the United States, but among students in other countries as shown on international and national assessments (Brozo, Sulkunen, Shiel, Garbe, […]

People in the LGBT Community should have Equal Rights

“Sexual orientation and gender identity are not a choice, and anyone who knows me and my work over the years knows that I am a firm believer and supporter in the rights of LGBT Americans,” -Valerie Jarrett. (Brainyquote, 2019) People in the lgbt community should be treated like any other person. People that are in the lgbt community shouldn’t be treated differently because of the way they were born. Whether it be through Same sex orientation, Gender identity, or Questioning […]

The Term Sexual Orientation Analysis

The term sexual orientation refers to the sex to which a person is attracted on the emotional, romantic, sexual, and affective plane. If a person is romantically and physically attracted to a member of the opposite sex, then they are heterosexual. Conversely, if someone feels attracted to a person of the same sex, then they are homosexual. However, sexual orientation is not absolute. There is also bisexuality, when a person is attracted to members of both sexes. In this sense, […]

Interpersonal Trauma and Sexual Minorities

In recent years LGBT initials have been used to refer to all individuals and communities that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender or those who have doubts about their sexuality or gender identity. In the United States of America, the term "sexual minorities" is commonly used. The word '' lesbian '' is used to call a woman who has an emotional, romantic and sexual attraction to other women. The term '' gay '' is used to describe a man […]

Queer in Latin America Luz Robinson Final Paper

Race, gender, and sexuality play important roles in structuring queer identities in Latin America. Queer studies are a new field, and the majority of the knowledge that exists has been developed by Western scholars in the U.S. and Europe. Since the existing literature on queer studies relies heavily on a Eurocentic lens, it fails to capture the complexities of queer gender and sexual identity in Latin America. Latinx and Black scholars have begun to introduce a different lens through which […]

Gender Stereotypes

I chose the film Miss Congeniality, which is a fictional movie produced by Sandra Bullock herself and filmed in 2000. The film opens at a school where a boy is picking on another. We see Gracie Hart as a child who beats up the bully and tries to help the victim, who instead, criticizes her by saying he disliked her because he did not want a girl to help him, an example of the gender stereotype that men should always […]

Additional Example Essays

• Gender Roles in the Great Gatsby
• The Yellow Wallpaper Feminism
• Gender Inequality in the Medical Field
• Gender Inequality in the Workplace
• The Need for More Women in STEM Fields
• Gender Roles In "A Doll House" by Henrik Ibsen
• Feminist Critique in Pygmalion
• Importance Of Accountability
• Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail
• The Road not Taken Poem Analysis
• Homeschooling vs Public School
• "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Front Psychol

Sexual orientation and gender identity: review of concepts, controversies and their relation to psychopathology classification systems

Numerous controversies and debates have taken place throughout the history of psychopathology (and its main classification systems) with regards to sexual orientation and gender identity. These are still reflected on present reformulations of gender dysphoria in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and the International Classification of Diseases, and in more or less subtle micro-aggressions experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans patients in mental health care. The present paper critically reviews this history and current controversies. It reveals that this deeply complex field contributes (i) to the reflection on the very concept of mental illness; (ii) to the focus on subjective distress and person-centered experience of psychopathology; and (iii) to the recognition of stigma and discrimination as significant intervening variables. Finally, it argues that sexual orientation and gender identity have been viewed, in the history of the field of psychopathology, between two poles: gender transgression and gender variance/fluidity.

Concepts and Definitions

Concepts and definitions that refer to sexual orientation and gender identity are an evolving field. Many of the terms used in the past to describe LGBT people, namely in the mental health field, are now considered to be outdated and even offensive.

Sexual orientation refers to the sex of those to whom one is sexually and romantically attracted ( American Psychological Association, 2012 ). Nowadays, the terms ‘lesbian’ and ‘gay’ are used to refer to people who experience attraction to members of the same sex, and the term ‘bisexual’ describe people who experience attraction to members of both sexes. It should be noted that, although these categories continue to be widely used, sexual orientation does not always appear in such definable categories and, instead, occurs on a continuum ( American Psychological Association, 2012 ), and people perceived or described by others as LGB may identify in various ways ( D’Augelli, 1994 ).

The expression gender identity was coined in the middle 1960s, describing one’s persistent inner sense of belonging to either the male and female gender category ( Money, 1994 ). The concept of gender identity evolved over time to include those people who do not identify either as female or male: a “person’s self concept of their gender (regardless of their biological sex) is called their gender identity” ( Lev, 2004 , p. 397). The American Psychological Association (2009a , p. 28) described it as: “the person’s basic sense of being male, female, or of indeterminate sex.” For decades, the term ‘transsexual’ was restricted for individuals who had undergone medical procedures, including genital reassignment surgeries. However, nowadays, ‘transsexual’ refers to anyone who has a gender identity that is incongruent with the sex assigned at birth and therefore is currently, or is working toward, living as a member of the sex other than the one they were assigned at birth, regardless of what medical procedures they may have undergone or may desire in the future (e.g., Serano, 2007 ; American Psychological Association, 2009a ; Coleman et al., 2012 ). In this paper we use the prefix trans when referring to transsexual people.

Since the 1990’s the word transgender has been used primarily as an umbrella term to describe those people who defy societal expectations and assumptions regarding gender (e.g., Lev, 2004 ; American Psychological Association, 2009a ). It includes people who are transsexual and intersex, but also those who identify outside the female/male binary and those whose gender expression and behavior differs from social expectations. As in the case of sexual orientation, people perceived or described by others as transgender – including transsexual men and women – may identify in various ways (e.g., Pinto and Moleiro, 2015 ).

Discrimination and Impact on Mental Health

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people often suffer from various forms of discrimination, stigma and social exclusion – including physical and psychological abuse, bullying, persecution, or economic alienation ( United Nations, 2011 ; Bostwick et al., 2014 ; European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2014 ). Moreover, experiences of discrimination may occur in various areas, such as employment, education and health care, but also in the context of meaningful interpersonal relationships, including family (e.g., Milburn et al., 2006 ; Feinstein et al., 2014 ; António and Moleiro, 2015 ). Accordingly, several studies strongly suggest that experiences of discrimination and stigmatization place LGBT people at higher risk for mental distress ( Cochran and Mays, 2000 ; Dean et al., 2000 ; Cochran et al., 2003 ; Meyer, 2003 ; Shilo, 2014 ).

For example, LGB populations may be at increased risk for suicide ( Hershberger and D’Augelli, 1995 ; Mustanski and Liu, 2013 ), traumatic stress reactions ( D’Augelli et al., 2002 ), major depression disorders ( Cochran and Mays, 2000 ), generalized anxiety disorders ( Bostwick et al., 2010 ), or substance abuse ( King et al., 2008 ). In addition, transgender people have been identified as being at a greater risk for developing: anxiety disorders ( Hepp et al., 2005 ; Mustanski et al., 2010 ); depression ( Nuttbrock et al., 2010 ; Nemoto et al., 2011 ); social phobia and adjustment disorders ( Gómez-Gil et al., 2009 ); substance abuse ( Lawrence, 2008 ); or eating disorders ( Vocks et al., 2009 ). At the same time, data on suicide ideation and attempts among this population are alarming: Maguen and Shipherd (2010) found the percentage of attempted suicides to be as high as 40% in transsexual men and 20% in transsexual women. Nuttbrock et al. (2010) , using a sample of 500 transgender women, found that around 30% had already attempted suicide, around 35% had planned to do so, and close to half of the participants expressed suicide ideation. In particular, adolescence has been identified as a period of increased risk with regard to the mental health of transgender and transsexual people ( Dean et al., 2000 ).

In sum, research clearly recognizes the role of stigma and discrimination as significant intervening variables in psychopathology among LGBT populations. Nevertheless, the relation between sexual orientation or gender identity and stress may be mediated by several variables, including social and family support, low internalized homophobia, expectations of acceptance vs. rejection, contact with other LGBT people, or religiosity ( Meyer, 2003 ; Shilo and Savaya, 2012 ; António and Moleiro, 2015 ; Snapp et al., 2015 ). Thus, it seems important to focus on subjective distress and in a person-centered experience of psychopathology.

On the History of Homosexuality and Psychiatric Diagnoses

While nowadays we understand that higher rates of psychological distress among LGB people are related to their minority status and to discrimination, by the early 20th century, psychiatrists mostly regarded homosexuality as pathological per se ; and in the mid-20th century psychiatrics, physicians, and psychologists were trying to “cure” and change homosexuality ( Drescher, 2009 ). In 1952, the American Psychiatric Association published its first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-I), in which homosexuality was considered a “sociopathic personality disturbance.” In DSM-II, published in 1968, homosexuality was reclassified as a “sexual deviation.” However, in December 1973, the American Psychiatric Association’s Board of Trustees voted to remove homosexuality from the DSM.

The most significant catalyst to homosexuality’s declassification as a mental illness was lesbian and gay activism, and its advocacy efforts within the American Psychiatric Association ( Drescher, 2009 ). Nevertheless, during the discussion that led to the diagnostic change, APA’s Nomenclature Committee also wrestled with the question of what constitutes a mental disorder. Concluding that “they [mental disorders] all regularly caused subjective distress or were associated with generalized impairment in social effectiveness of functioning” ( Spitzer, 1981 , p. 211), the Committee agreed that homosexuality by itself was not one.

However, the diagnostic change did not immediately end the formal pathologization of some presentations of homosexuality. After the removal of the “homosexuality” diagnosis, the DSM-II contained the diagnosis of “sexual orientation disturbance,” which was replaced by “ego dystonic homosexuality” in the DSM-III, by 1980. These diagnoses served the purpose of legitimizing the practice of sexual “conversion” therapies among those individuals with same-sex attractions who were distressed and reported they wished to change their sexual orientation ( Spitzer, 1981 ; Drescher, 2009 ). Nonetheless, “ego-dystonic homosexuality” was removed from the DSM-III-R in 1987 after several criticisms: as formulated by Drescher (2009 , p. 435): “should people of color unhappy about their race be considered mentally ill?”

The removal from the DSM of psychiatric diagnoses related to sexual orientation led to changes in the broader cultural beliefs about homosexuality and culminated in the contemporary civil rights quest for equality ( Drescher, 2012 ). In contrast, it was only in 1992 that the World Health Organization ( World Health Organization, 1992 ) removed “homosexuality” from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), which still contains a diagnosis similar to “ego-dystonic homosexuality.” However, this is expected to change in the next revision, planned for publication in 2017 ( Cochran et al., 2014 ).

Controversies on Gender Dysphoria and (Trans)Gender Diagnoses

Mental health diagnoses that are specific to transgender and transsexual people have been highly controversial. In this domain, the work of Harry Benjamin was fundamental for trans issues internationally, through the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association (presently, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, WPATH). In the past few years, there has been a vehement discussion among interested professionals, trans and LGBT activists, and human rights groups concerning the reform or removal of (trans)gender diagnoses from the main health diagnostic tools. However, discourses on this topic have been inconclusive, filled with mixed messages and polarized opinions ( Kamens, 2011 ). Overall, mental health diagnoses which are specific to transgender people have been criticized in large part because they enhance the stigma in a population which is already particularly stigmatized ( Drescher, 2013 ). In fact, it has been suggested that the label “mental disorder” is the main factor underlying prejudice toward trans people ( Winter et al., 2009 ).

The discussion reached a high point during the recent revision process of the DSM-5 ( American Psychiatric Association, 2013 ), in which the diagnosis of “gender identity disorder” was revised into one of “gender dysphoria.” Psychiatric diagnosis was thus limited to those who are, in a certain moment of their lives, distressed about living with a gender assignment they experience as incongruent with their gender identity ( Drescher, 2013 ). The change of criteria and nomenclature “is less pathologizing as it no longer implies that one’s identity is disordered” ( DeCuypere et al., 2010 , p. 119). In fact, gender dysphoria is not a synonym for transsexuality, nor should it be used to describe transgender people in general ( Lev, 2004 ); rather, “[it] is a clinical term used to describe the symptoms of excessive pain, agitation, restless, and malaise that gender-variant people seeking therapy often express” ( Lev, 2004 , p. 910). Although the changes were welcomed (e.g., DeCuypere et al., 2010 ; Lev, 2013 ), there are still voices arguing for the “ultimate removal” ( Lev, 2013 , p. 295) of gender dysphoria from the DSM. Nevertheless, attention is presently turned to the ongoing revision of the ICD. Various proposals concerning the revision of (trans)gender diagnoses within ICD have been made, both originating from transgender and human rights groups (e.g., Global Action for Trans ∗ Equality, 2011 ; TGEU, 2013 ) and the health profession community (e.g., Drescher et al., 2012 ; World Professional Association for Transgender Health, 2013 ). These include two main changes: the reform of the diagnosis of transsexualism into one of “gender incongruence”; and the change of the diagnosis into a separate chapter from the one on “mental and behavioral disorders.”

Mental Health Care Reflecting Controversies

There is evidence that LGBT persons resort to psychotherapy at higher rates than the non-LGBT population ( Bieschke et al., 2000 ; King et al., 2007 ); hence, they may be exposed to higher risk for harmful or ineffective therapies, not only as a vulnerable group, but also as frequent users.

Recently, there has been a greater concern in the mental health field oriented to the promotion of the well-being among non-heterosexual and transgender people, which has paralleled the diagnostic changes. This is established, for instance, by the amount of literature on gay and lesbian affirmative psychotherapy which has been developed in recent decades (e.g., Davis, 1997 ) and, also, by the fact that major international accrediting bodies in counseling and psychotherapy have identified the need for clinicians to be able to work effectively with minority clients, namely LGBT people. The APA’s guidelines for psychotherapy with lesbian, gay, and bisexual client ( American Psychological Association, 2000 , 2012 ) are a main reference. These ethical guidelines highlight, among several issues, the need for clinicians to recognize that their own attitudes and knowledge about the experiences of sexual minorities are relevant to the therapeutic process with these clients and that, therefore, mental health care providers must look for appropriate literature, training, and supervision.

However, empirical research also reveals that some therapists still pursue less appropriate clinical practices with LGBT clients. In a review of empirical research on the provision of counseling and psychotherapy to LGB clients, Bieschke et al. (2006) encountered an unexpected recent explosion of literature focused on “conversion therapy.” There are, in fact, some mental health professionals that still attempt to help lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients to become heterosexual ( Bartlett et al., 2009 ), despite the fact that a recent systematic review of the peer-reviewed journal literature on sexual orientation change efforts concluded that “efforts to change sexual orientation are unlikely to be successful and involve some risk of harm” ( American Psychological Association, 2009b , p. 1).

Moreover, there is evidence of other forms of inappropriate (while less blatant) clinical practices with LGBT clients (e.g., Garnets et al., 1991 ; Jordan and Deluty, 1995 ; Liddle, 1996 ; Hayes and Erkis, 2000 ). Even those clinicians who intend to be affirmative and supportive of LGBT individuals can reveal subtle heterosexist bias in the work with these clients ( Pachankis and Goldfried, 2004 ). Examples of such micro-aggressions ( Sue, 2010 ) might be automatically assuming that a client is heterosexual, trying to explain the etiology of the client’s homosexuality, or focusing on the sexual orientation of a LGB client despite the fact that this is not an issue at hand (e.g., Shelton and Delgado-Romero, 2011 ). Heterosexual bias in counseling and psychotherapy may manifest itself also in what Brown (2006 , p. 350) calls “sexual orientation blindness,” i.e., struggling for a supposed neutrality and dismissing the specificities related to the minority condition of non-heterosexual clients. This conceptualization of the human experience mostly in heterosexual terms, found in the therapeutic setting, does not seem to be independent of psychotherapist’s basic training and the historical heterosexist in the teaching of medicine and psychology ( Simoni, 1996 ; Alderson, 2004 ).

With regards to the intervention with trans people, for decades the mental health professionals’ job was to sort out the “true” transsexuals from all other transgender people. The former would have access to physical transition, and the later would be denied any medical intervention other than psychotherapy. By doing this, whether deliberately or not, professionals – acting as gatekeepers – pursued to ‘ensure that most people who did transition would not be “gender-ambiguous” in any way’ ( Serano, 2007 , p. 120). Research shows that currently trans people still face serious challenges in accessing health care, including those related to inappropriate gatekeeping ( Bockting et al., 2004 ; Bauer et al., 2009 ). Some mental health professionals still focus on the assessment of attributes related to identity and gender expressions, rather than on the distress with which trans people may struggle with ( Lev, 2004 ; Serano, 2007 ). Hence, trans people may feel the need to express a personal narrative consistent with what they believe the clinicians’ expectations to be, for accessing hormonal or surgical treatments ( Pinto and Moleiro, 2015 ). Thus, despite the revisions of (trans)gender diagnoses within the DSM, more recent diagnoses seem to still be used as if they were identical with the diagnosis of transsexualism – in a search for the “true transsexual” ( Cohen-Kettenis and Pfäfflin, 2010 ). It seems clear that social and cultural biases have significantly influenced – and still do – diagnostic criteria and the access to hormonal and surgical treatments for trans people.

Controversies and debates with regards to medical classification of sexual orientation and gender identity contribute to the reflection on the very concept of mental illness. The agreement that mental disorders cause subjective distress or are associated with impairment in social functioning was essential for the removal of “homosexuality” from the DSM in the 1970s ( Spitzer, 1981 ). Moreover, (trans)gender diagnoses constitute a significant dividing line both within trans related activism (e.g., Vance et al., 2010 ) and the health professionals’ communities (e.g., Ehrbar, 2010 ). The discussion has taken place between two apposite positions: (1) trans(gender) diagnoses should be removed from health classifying systems, because they promote the pathologization and stigmatization of gender diversity and enhance the medical control of trans people’s identities and lives; and (2) trans(gender) diagnoses should be retained in order to ensure access to care, since health care systems rely on diagnoses to justify medical treatment – which many trans people need. In fact, trans people often describe experiences of severe distress and argue for the need for treatments and access to medical care ( Pinto and Moleiro, 2015 ), but at the same time reject the label of mental illness for themselves ( Global Action for Trans ∗ Equality, 2011 ; TGEU, 2013 ). Thus, it may be important to understand how the debate around (trans)diagnoses may be driven also by a history of undue gatekeeping and by stigma involving mental illness.

The present paper argues that sexual orientation and gender identity have been viewed, in the history of the field of psychopathology, between two poles: gender transgression and gender variance/fluidity.

On the one hand, aligned with a position of “transgression” and/or “deviation from a norm,” people who today are described as LGBT were labeled as mentally ill. Inevitably, classification systems reflect(ed) the existing social attitudes and prejudices, as well as the historical and cultural contexts in which they were developed ( Drescher, 2012 ; Kirschner, 2013 ). In that, they often failed to differentiate between mental illness and socially non-conforming behavior or fluidity of gender expressions. This position and the historical roots of this discourse are still reflected in the practices of some clinicians, ranging from “conversion” therapies to micro-aggressions in the daily lives of LGBT people, including those experienced in the care by mental health professionals.

On the other hand, lined up with a position of gender variance and fluidity, changes in the diagnostic systems in the last few decades reflect a broader respect and value of the diversity of human sexuality and of gender expressions. This position recognizes that the discourse and practices coming from the (mental) health field may lead to changes in the broader cultural beliefs ( Drescher, 2012 ). As such, it also recognizes the power of medical classifications, health discourses and clinical practices in translating the responsibility of fighting discrimination and promoting LGBT people’s well-being.

In conclusion, it seems crucial to emphasize the role of specific training and supervision in the development of clinical competence in the work with sexual minorities. Several authors (e.g., Pachankis and Goldfried, 2004 ) have argued for the importance of continuous education and training of practitioners in individual and cultural diversity competences, across professional development. This is in line with APA’s ethical guidelines ( American Psychological Association, 2000 , 2012 ), and it is even more relevant when we acknowledge the significant and recent changes in this field. Furthermore, it is founded on the very notion that LGBT competence assumes clinicians ought to be aware of their own personal values, attitudes and beliefs regarding human sexuality and gender diversity in order to provide appropriate care. These ethical concerns, however, have not been translated into training programs in medicine and psychology in a systematic manner in most European countries, and to the mainstreaming of LGBT issues ( Goldfried, 2001 ) in psychopathology.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

• Alderson K. G. (2004). A different kind of outing: training counsellors to work with sexual minority clients. Can. J. Couns. 38 193–210. [ Google Scholar ]
• American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , 5th Edn. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. [ Google Scholar ]
• American Psychological Association (2000). Guidelines for psychotherapy with lesbian, Gay Bisexual Clients. Am. Psychol. 55 1440–1451. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• American Psychological Association (2009a). Report of the Task Force on Gender Identity and Gender Variance. Available at: http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/policy/gender-identity-report.pdf [ Google Scholar ]
• American Psychological Association (2009b). Report of the American Psychological Association Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation. Available at: https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/therapeutic-response.pdf [ Google Scholar ]
• American Psychological Association (2012). Guidelines for psychological practice with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. Am. Psychol. 67 10–42. 10.1037/a0024659 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• António R., Moleiro C. (2015). Social and parental support as moderators of the effects of homophobic bullying on psychological distress in youth. Psychol. Schools 52 729–742. 10.1002/pits.21856 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Bartlett A., Smith G., King M. (2009). The response of mental health professionals to clients seeking help to change or redirect same-sex sexual orientation. BMC Psychiatry 9 : 11 10.1186/1471-244X-9-11 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Bauer G. R., Hammond R., Travers R., Kaay M., Hohenadel K. M., Boyce M. (2009). “I don’t think this is theoretical; this is our lives”: how erasure impacts health care for transgender people. J. Assoc. Nurses AIDS Care 20 348–361. 10.1016/j.jana.2009.07.004 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Bieschke K. J., McClanahan M., Tozer E., Grzegorek J. L., Park J. (2000). “ Programmatic research on the treatment of lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients: the past, the present, and the course for the future ,” in Handbook of Counseling and Psychotherapy with Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients , eds Perez R. M., DeBord K. A., Bieschke K. J. (Washington DC: American Psychological Association; ), 309–335. [ Google Scholar ]
• Bieschke K. J., Paul P. L., Blasko K. A. (2006). “ Review of empirical research focused on the experience of lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients in counseling and psychotherapy ,” in Handbook of Counseling and Psychotherapy with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Clients , eds Bieschke K., Perez R., DeBord K. (Washington DC: American Psychological Association; ), 293–316. [ Google Scholar ]
• Bockting W., Robinson B., Benner A., Scheltema K. (2004). Patient satisfaction with transgender health services. J. Sex Marital Ther. 30 277–294. 10.1080/00926230490422467 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Bostwick W. B., Boyd C. J., Hughes T. L., McCabe S. E. (2010). Sexual orientation and the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in the United States. Am. J. Public Health 100 468–475. 10.2105/AJPH.2008.152942 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Bostwick W. B., Boyd C. J., Hughes T. L., West B. T., McCabe S. E. (2014). Discrimination and mental health among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States. Am. J. Orthopsychiatry (Am. Psychol. Assoc.) 84 35–45. 10.1037/h0098851 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Brown L. S. (2006). “ The neglect of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered clients ,” in Evidence-Based Practices in Mental Health , eds Norcross J. C., Beutler L. E., Levant R. F. (Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; ), 346–353. [ Google Scholar ]
• Cochran S., Drescher J., Kismödi E., Giami A., García-Moreno C., Atalla E., et al. (2014). Proposed declassification of disease categories related to sexual orientation in the international statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (ICD-11). Bull. World Health Organ. Bull. 92 672–679. 10.2471/BLT.14.135541 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Cochran S. D., Mays V. M. (2000). Relation between psychiatric syndromes and behaviourally defined sexual orientation in a sample of the U.S. population. Am. J. Public Health 92 516–523. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Cochran S. D., Sullivan J. G., Mays V. M. (2003). Prevalence of mental disorders, psychological distress, and mental health services among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States. J. Couns. Clin. Psychol. 71 53–61. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Cohen-Kettenis P. T., Pfäfflin F. (2010). The DSM diagnostic criteria for gender identity disorder in adolescents and adults. Arch. Sex. Behav. 39 499–513. 10.1007/s10508-009-9562-y [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Coleman E., Bockting W., Botzer M., Cohen - Kettenis P., DeCuypere G., Feldman J., et al. (2012). Standards of care for the health of transsexual, transgender, and gender nonconforming people, 7th version. Int. J. Transgend. 13 165–232. [ Google Scholar ]
• D’Augelli A. R. (1994). “ Identity development and sexual orientation: toward a model of lesbian, gay, and bisexual development ,” in Human Diversity: Perspectives on People in Context , eds Trickett E. J., Watts R. J., Birman D. (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; ). [ Google Scholar ]
• D’Augelli A. R., Pilkington N. W., Hershberger S. L. (2002). Incidence and mental health impact of sexual orientation victimization of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths in high school. School Psychol. Q. 17 148–167. 10.1521/scpq.17.2.148.20854 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Davis D. (1997). “ Towards a model of gay affirmative therapy ,” in Pink Therapy: A Guide for Counsellors and Therapists Working with Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Clients , eds Davies D., Neal C. (Buckingham: Oxford University Press; ), 24–40. [ Google Scholar ]
• Dean L., Meyer I. H., Robinson K., Sell R. L., Sember R., Silenzio V. M. B., et al. (2000). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health: findings and concerns. J. Gay Lesbian Med. Assoc. 4 102–151. 10.1023/A:1009573800168 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• DeCuypere G. D., Knudson G., Bockting W. (2010). Response of the world professional association for transgender health to the proposed dsm 5 criteria for gender incongruence. Int. J. Transgend. 12 119–123. 10.1080/15532739.2010.509214 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Drescher J. (2009). Queer diagnoses: parallels and contrasts in the history of homosexuality. Gender Variance, and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Arch. Sex. Behav. 39 427–460. 10.1007/s10508-009-9531-5 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Drescher J. (2012). The removal of homosexuality from the dsm: its impact on today’s marriage equality debate. J. Gay Lesbian Mental Health 16 124–135. 10.1080/19359705.2012.653255 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Drescher J. (2013). Controversies in gender diagnoses. LGBT Health 1 10–14. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Drescher J., Cohen-Kettenis F., Winter S. (2012). Minding the body: situating gender identity diagnoses in the ICD-1. Int. Rev. Psychiatry 24 568–577. 10.3109/09540261.2012.741575 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Ehrbar R. D. (2010). Consensus from differences: lack of professional consensus on the retention of the gender identity disorder diagnosis. Int. J. Transgend. 12 60–74. 10.1080/15532739.2010.513928 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2014). European LGBT Survey: Main Results. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. [ Google Scholar ]
• Feinstein B. A., Wadsworth L. P., Davila J., Goldfried M. R. (2014). Do parental acceptance and family support moderate associations between dimensions of minority stress and depressive symptoms among lesbians and gay men? Prof. Psychol. Res. Pract. 45 239–246. 10.1037/a0035393 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Garnets L., Hancock K. A., Cochran S. D., Goodchilds J., Peplau L. A. (1991). Issues in psychotherapy with lesbians and gay men. A Survey of Psychologists. Am. Psychol. 46 964–972. 10.1037/0003-066X.46.9.964 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Global Action for Trans ∗ Equality (2011). It’s Time for Reform. Trans ∗ Health Issues in the International Classification of Diseases. A Report on the GATE Experts Meeting. Available at: http://globaltransaction.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/its-time-for-reform.pdf [ Google Scholar ]
• Goldfried M. R. (2001). Integrating lesbian, gay, and bisexual issues into mainstream psychology. Am. Psychol. 56 977–988. 10.1037/0003-066X.56.11.977 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Gómez-Gil E., Trilla A., Salamero M., Godás T., Valdés M. (2009). Sociodemographic, clinical, and psychiatric characteristics of transsexuals from Spain. Arch. Sex. Behav. 38 378–392. 10.1007/s10508-007-9307-8 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hayes J., Erkis A. (2000). Therapist homophobia, client sexual orientation, and source of client HIV infection as predictors of therapist reactions to clients with HIV. J. Couns. Psychol. 47 71–78. 10.1037/0022-0167.47.1.71 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hepp U., Kraemer B., Schynder U., Miller N., Delsignore A. (2005). Psychiatric comorbidity in gender identity disorder. J. Psychosom. Res. 58 259–261. 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2004.08.010 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hershberger S. L., D’Augelli A. R. (1995). The impact of victimization on the mental health and suicidality of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths. Dev. Psychol. 31 65–74. 10.1037/0012-1649.31.1.65 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Jordan K. M., Deluty R. H. (1995). Clinical Interventions by psychologists with lesbians and gay men. J. Clin. Psychol. 51 448–456. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kamens S. R. (2011). On the proposed sexual and gender identity diagnoses for dsm-5: history and controversies. Hum. Psychol. 39 37–59. 10.1080/08873267.2011.539935 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• King M., Semlyen J., Killaspy H., Nazareth I., Osborn D. (2007). A Systematic Review of Research on Counselling and Psychotherapy for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender People. London: British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy. [ Google Scholar ]
• King M., Semlyen J., Tai S. S., Killaspy H., Osborn D., Popelyuk D., et al. (2008). A systematic review of mental disorder, suicide, and deliberate self harm in lesbian, gay and bisexual people. BMC Psychiatry 8 : 70 10.1186/1471-244X-8-70 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kirschner S. R. (2013). Diagnosis and its discontents: critical perspectives on psychiatric nosology and the DSM. Fem. Psychol. 23 10–28. 10.1177/0959353512467963 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Lawrence A. A. (2008). “ Gender identity disorders in adults: diagnosis and treatment ,” in Handbook of Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders , eds Rowland D. L., Incrocci L. (New York, NY: Wiley; ), 423–456. [ Google Scholar ]
• Lev A. I. (2004). Transgender Emergence: Therapeutic Guidelines for Working with Gender-Variant People and their Families. New York, NY: Haworth Clinical Practice Press. [ Google Scholar ]
• Lev A. I. (2013). Gender dysphoria: two steps forward, one step back. Clin. Soc. Work J. 41 288–296. 10.1007/s10615-013-0447-0 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Liddle B. J. (1996). Therapist sexual orientation, gender, and counseling practices as they relate to ratings of helpfulness by gay and lesbian clients. J. Couns. Psychol. 43 394–401. 10.1037/0022-0167.43.4.394 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Maguen S., Shipherd J. (2010). Suicide risk among transgender individuals. Psychol. Sex. 1 34–43. 10.1080/19419891003634430 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Meyer I. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: conceptual. (issues)and research evidence. Psychol. Bull. 129 674–697. 10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Milburn N. G., Ayala G., Rice E., Batterham P., Rotheram-Borus M. J. (2006). Discrimination and exiting homelessness among homeless adolescents. Cultur. Divers Ethn. Minor Psychol. 12 658–672. 10.1037/1099-9809.12.4.658 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Money J. (1994). The concept of gender identity disorder in childhood and adolescence after 39 years. J. Sex Marital Ther. 20 163–177. 10.1080/00926239408403428 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Mustanski B., Liu R. T. (2013). A longitudinal study of predictors of suicide attempts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Arch. Sex. Behav. 42 437–448. 10.1007/s10508-012-0013-9 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Mustanski B. S., Garofalo R., Emerson E. M. (2010). Mental health disorders, psychological distress, and suicidality in a diverse sample of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youths. Res. Pract. 100 2426–2432. 10.2105/AJPH.2009.178319 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Nemoto T., Bodeker B., Iwamoto M. (2011). Social support, exposure to violence, and transphobia: correlates of depression among male-to-female transgender women with a history of sex work. Am. J. Public Health 101 1980–1988. 10.2105/AJPH.2010.197285 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Nuttbrock L., Hwahng S., Bockting W., Rosenblum A., Mason M., Macri M., et al. (2010). Psychiatric impact of gender-related abuse across the life course of male-to-female transgender persons. J. Sex Res. 47 12–23. 10.1080/00224490903062258 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Pachankis J. E., Goldfried M. R. (2004). Clinical issues in working with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. Psychotherapy Theor. Res. Pract. Train. 41 227–246. 10.1037/0033-3204.41.3.227 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Pinto N., Moleiro C. (2015). Gender trajectories: transsexual people coming to terms with their gender identities. Prof. Psychol. Res. Pract. 46 12–20. 10.1037/a0036487 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Serano J. (2007). Whipping Girl. A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press. [ Google Scholar ]
• Shelton K., Delgado-Romero E. A. (2011). Sexual orientation microaggressions: the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer clients in psychotherapy. J. Couns. Psychol. 58 210–221. 10.1037/a0022251 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Shilo G. R., Savaya R. (2012). Mental health of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth and young adults: differential effects of age, gender, religiosity, and sexual orientation. J. Res. On Adolesc. 22 310–325. [ Google Scholar ]
• Shilo G. Z. (2014). The Impact of Minority Stressors on the Mental and Physical Health of Lesbian. Gay, and Bisexual Youths and Young Adults. Health Soc. Work 39 161–171. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Simoni J. M. (1996). Confronting heterosexism in the teaching of psychology. Teach. Psychol. 23 220–226. 10.1207/s15328023top2304_3 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Snapp S. D., Watson R. J., Russell S. T., Diaz R. M., Ryan C. (2015). Social support networks for lgbt young adults: low cost strategies for positive adjustment. Fam. Relations 64 420–430. 10.1111/fare.12124 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Spitzer R. L. (1981). The diagnostic status of homosexuality in the DSM-III: a reformulation of the issues. Am. J. Psychiatry 138 210–215. 10.1176/ajp.138.2.210 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Sue D. W. (2010). Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. [ Google Scholar ]
• TGEU (2013). TGEU’s Position on the Revision of the ICD z10. Available at: http://www.tgeu.org/sites/default/files/TGEU%20Position%20ICD%20Revision_0.pdf [ Google Scholar ]
• United Nations (2011). Discriminatory Laws and Practices and Acts of Violence Against Individuals Based on their Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/19session/A.HRC.19.41_English.pdf [ Google Scholar ]
• Vance S., Cohen-Kettenis P. T., Drescher J., Meyer-Bahlburg H. F., Pfäfflin F., Zucker K. J. (2010). Opinions about the dsm gender identity disorder diagnosis: results from an international survey administered to organizations concerned with the welfare of transgender people. Int. J. Transgend. 12 1–14. 10.1080/15532731003749087 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Vocks S., Stahn C., Loenser L., Tegenbauer U. (2009). Eating and body image disturbances in male-to-female and female-to-male transsexuals. Arch. Sex. Behav. 38 364–377. 10.1007/s10508-008-9424-z [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Winter S., Chalungsooth P., Teh Y., Rojanalert N., Maneerat K., Wong Y., et al. (2009). Transpeople, transprejudice and pathologization: a seven-country factor analysis study. Int. J. Sex. Health 21 96–118. 10.1080/19317610902922537 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• World Health Organization (1992). International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (10th rev.) Geneva: World Health Organization. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• World Professional Association for Transgender Health (2013). WPATH ICD-11 Consensus Meeting. Available at: http://www.wpath.org/uploaded_files/140/files/ICD%20Meeting%20Packet-Report-Final-sm.pdf [ Google Scholar ]

• USF Research
• USF Libraries

Digital Commons @ USF > College of Arts and Sciences > Women's and Gender Studies > Theses and Dissertations

Women's and Gender Studies Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Social Media and Women Empowerment in Nigeria: A Study of the #BreakTheBias Campaign on Facebook , Deborah Osaro Omontese

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Going Flat: Challenging Gender, Stigma, and Cure through Lesbian Breast Cancer Experience , Beth Gaines

Incorrect Athlete, Incorrect Woman: IOC Gender Regulations and the Boundaries of Womanhood in Professional Sports , Sabeehah Ravat

Transnational Perspectives on the #MeToo and Anti-Base Movements in Japan , Alisha Romano

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Criminalizing LGBTQ+ Jamaicans: Social, Legal, and Colonial Influences on Homophobic Policy , Zoe C. Knowles

Dismantling Hegemony through Inclusive Sexual Health Education , Lauren Wright

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Transfat Representation , Jessica "Fyn" Asay

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Ain't I a Woman, Too? Depictions of Toxic Femininity, Transmisogynoir, and Violence on STAR , Sunahtah D. Jones

“The Most Muscular Woman I Have Ever Seen”: Bev FrancisPerformance of Gender in Pumping Iron II: The Women , Cera R. Shain

"Roll" Models: Fat Sexuality and Its Representations in Pornographic Imagery , Leah Marie Turner

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Reproducing Intersex Trouble: An Analysis of the M.C. Case in the Media , Jamie M. Lane

Race and Gender in (Re)integration of Victim-Survivors of CSEC in a Community Advocacy Context , Joshlyn Lawhorn

Penalizing Pregnancy: A Feminist Legal Studies Analysis of Purvi Patel's Criminalization , Abby Schneller

A Queer and Crip Grotesque: Katherine Dunn's , Megan Wiedeman

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

"Mothers like Us Think Differently": Mothers' Negotiations of Virginity in Contemporary Turkey , Asli Aygunes

Surveilling Hate/Obscuring Racism?: Hate Group Surveillance and the Southern Poverty Law Center's "Hate Map" , Mary McKelvie

“Ya I have a disability, but that’s only one part of me”: Formative Experiences of Young Women with Physical Disabilities , Victoria Peer

Resistance from Within: Domestic violence and rape crisis centers that serve Black/African American populations , Jessica Marie Pinto

(Dis)Enchanted: (Re)constructing Love and Creating Community in the , Shannon A. Suddeth

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

"The Afro that Ate Kentucky": Appalachian Racial Formation, Lived Experience, and Intersectional Feminist Interventions , Sandra Louise Carpenter

“Even Five Years Ago this Would Have Been Impossible:” Health Care Providers’ Perspectives on Trans* Health Care , Richard S. Henry

Tough Guy, Sensitive Vas: Analyzing Masculinity, Male Contraceptives & the Sexual Division of Labor , Kaeleen Kosmo

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Let’s Move! Biocitizens and the Fat Kids on the Block , Mary Catherine Dickman

Interpretations of Educational Experiences of Women in Chitral, Pakistan , Rakshinda Shah

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Incredi-bull-ly Inclusive?: Assessing the Climate on a College Campus , Aubrey Lynne Hall

Her-Storicizing Baldness: Situating Women's Experiences with Baldness from Skin and Hair Disorders , Kasie Holmes

In the (Radical) Pursuit of Self-Care: Feminist Participatory Action Research with Victim Advocates , Robyn L. Homer

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Significance is Bliss: A Global Feminist Analysis of the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its Privileging of Americo-Liberian over Indigenous Liberian Women's Voices , Morgan Lea Eubank

Monsters Under the Bed: An Analysis of Torture Scenes in Three Pixar Films , Heidi Tilney Kramer

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Can You Believe She Did THAT?!:Breaking the Codes of "Good" Mothering in 1970s Horror Films , Jessica Michelle Collard

Don't Blame It on My Ovaries: Exploring the Lived Experience of Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and the Creation of Discourse , Jennifer Lynn Ellerman

Valanced Voices: Student Experiences with Learning Disabilities & Differences , Zoe DuPree Fine

An Interactive Guide to Self-Discovery for Women , Elaine J. Taylor

Selling the Third Wave: The Commodification and Consumption of the Flat Track Roller Girl , Mary Catherine Whitlock

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

Beyond Survival: An Exploration of Narrative Healing and Forgiveness in Healing from Rape , Heather Curry

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Gender Trouble In Northern Ireland: An Examination Of Gender And Bodies Within The 1970s And 1980s Provisional Irish Republican Army In Northern Ireland , Jennifer Earles

"You're going to Hollywood"!: Gender and race surveillance and accountability in American Idol contestant's performances , Amanda LeBlanc

From the academy to the streets: Documenting the healing power of black feminist creative expression , Tunisia L. Riley

Developing Feminist Activist Pedagogy: A Case Study Approach in the Women's Studies Department at the University of South Florida , Stacy Tessier

Women in Wargasm: The Politics of Womenís Liberation in the Weather Underground Organization , Cyrana B. Wyker

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Opportunities for Spiritual Awakening and Growth in Mothering , Melissa J. Albee

A Constant Struggle: Renegotiating Identity in the Aftermath of Rape , Jo Aine Clarke

I am Warrior Woman, Hear Me Roar: The Challenge and Reproduction of Heteronormativity in Speculative Television Programs , Leisa Anne Clark

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

Reforming Dance Pedagogy: A Feminist Perspective on the Art of Performance and Dance Education , Jennifer Clement

Narratives of lesbian transformation: Coming out stories of women who transition from heterosexual marriage to lesbian identity , Clare F. Walsh

The Conundrum of Women’s Studies as Institutional: New Niches, Undergraduate Concerns, and the Move Towards Contemporary Feminist Theory and Action , Rebecca K. Willman

Theses/Dissertations from 2006 2006

A Feminist Perspective on the Precautionary Principle and the Problem of Endocrine Disruptors under Neoliberal Globalization Policies , Erica Hesch Anstey

Asymptotes and metaphors: Teaching feminist theory , Michael Eugene Gipson

Postcolonial Herstory: The Novels of Assia Djebar (Algeria) and Oksana Zabuzhko (Ukraine): A Comparative Analysis , Oksana Lutsyshyna

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

Loving Loving? Problematizing Pedagogies of Care and Chéla Sandoval’s Love as a Hermeneutic , Allison Brimmer

Exploring Women’s Complex Relationship with Political Violence: A Study of the Weathermen, Radical Feminism and the New Left , Lindsey Blake Churchill

The Voices of Sex Workers (prostitutes?) and the Dilemma of Feminist Discourse , Justine L. Kessler

Reconstructing Women's Identities: The Phenomenon Of Cosmetic Surgery In The United States , Cara L. Okopny

Fantastic Visions: On the Necessity of Feminist Utopian Narrative , Tracie Anne Welser

Theses/Dissertations from 2004 2004

The Politics of Being an Egg “Donor” and Shifting Notions of Reproductive Freedom , Elizabeth A. Dedrick

Women, Domestic Abuse, And Dreams: Analyzing Dreams To Uncover Hidden Traumas And Unacknowledged Strengths , Mindy Stokes

Theses/Dissertations from 2001 2001

Safe at Home: Agoraphobia and the Discourse on Women’s Place , Suzie Siegel

Theses/Dissertations from 2000 2000

Women, Environment and Development: Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America , Evaline Tiondi

Advanced Search

• Email Notifications and RSS
• All Collections
• USF Faculty Publications
• Open Access Journals
• Conferences and Events
• Theses and Dissertations
• Textbooks Collection

Useful Links

• Women's and Gender Studies Department Homepage
• Rights Information
• SelectedWorks
• Submit Research

Home | About | Help | My Account | Accessibility Statement | Language and Diversity Statements

Privacy Copyright

• Utility Menu

Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality

• Mailing List
• Past Thesis Topics

• Concentration Requirements
• Junior Tutorial
• Senior Tutorial
• Undergraduate Secondary Field
• Career Paths
• Forms and Downloads

113 Gender Roles Essay Topics & Examples

Looking for gender roles essay topics? This field is hot, controversial, and really worth exploring!

• 🔝 Top 10 Gender Topics
• 📝 Gender Essay: Writing Tips
• 🏆 Gender Essay Examples & Topic Ideas

✍️ Gender Argumentative Essay Topics

❓ research questions about gender roles.

In your gender role essay, you might want to focus on the issues of gender equality in the workplace. Another exciting option is to write about gender stereotypes in education. Finally, you can elaborate on how traditional gender roles are changing.

In this article, you’ll find a list of gender argumentative essay topics, ideas for papers on gender and society, as well as top gender roles essay examples.

🔝 Top 10 Gender Roles Topics

• Gender stereotypes and the way they affect people
• Fighting gender stereotypes and sexism
• Gender equality in the workplace
• Gender stereotypes in education
• Gender schema theory
• Is gender socially constructed?
• Social learning theory and gender
• Gender roles and sexual orientation
• Body image and gender
• Social gender construction in the media

📝 Gender Roles Essay: Writing Tips

Essays on gender roles present students’ understanding of the similarities, differences, and aspects of gender roles in society.

Writing gender roles essays helps learners to understand the significance of topics related to gender roles and the changes in societal norms. Students should be highly aware of the problems associated with traditional gender roles. For example, there are many periods in world history, in which people did not have equal rights.

Moreover, some aspects of gender roles may be associated with discrimination. To make an essay on this problem outstanding, you should discuss the problem in detail and present your points clearly. A useful tip is to develop a good structure for your paper.

Before starting to work on the paper, you should select the problem that is most interesting or relevant to you.

Gender roles essay topics and titles may include:

• The history of gender roles and their shifts throughout the time
• Male and female roles in society
• Gender roles in literature and media
• How a man and a woman is perceived in current society
• The causes and outcomes of gender discrimination
• The problem of ‘glass ceiling’
• The problem of social stratification and its outcomes
• The revolution in the concept of gender

After selecting the issue for discussion, you can start working on the essay’s structure. Here are some useful tips on how to structure your paper:

• Select the topic you want to discuss (you can choose one from the list above). Remember to pay attention to the type of essay you should write. If it is an argumentative essay, reflect on what problem you would want to analyze from opposing perspectives.
• Gender roles essay titles are important because they can help you to get the reader’s attention. Think of something simple but self-explanatory.
• An introductory paragraph is necessary, as it will present the questions you want to discuss in the paper. Remember to state the thesis of your essay in this section.
• Think of your gender roles essay prompts. Which aspects of the selected problem do you want to focus on? Dedicate a separate section for each of the problems.
• Remember to include a refutation section if you are writing an argumentative essay. In this section, you should discuss an alternative perspective on the topic in 1-2 paragraphs. Do not forget to outline why your opinion is more credible than the alternative one.
• Avoid making the paragraphs and sentences too long. You can stick to a 190 words maximum limit for one paragraph. At the same time, make sure that the paragraphs are longer than 65 words. Try to make all sections of the body paragraphs of similar length.
• Check out examples online to see how you can structure your paper and organize the information. Pay attention to the number of paragraphs other students include.
• Remember to include a gender roles essay conclusion. In this paragraph, you will discuss the most important claims of your paper.
• Do not forget to add a reference page in which you will include the sources used in the paper. Ask your professor in advance about the types of literature you can utilize for the essay.

Do not forget that there are free samples on our website that can help you to get the best ideas for your essay!

🏆 Gender Roles Essay Examples & Topic Ideas

• Gender Roles in Antigone Essay This will be seen through an analysis of the other characters in the play and the values of ancient Greeks. Indeed this central character appears to be at odds with the inclinations of the other […]
• Conflict of Gender Roles in Munro’s “Boys and Girls” Munro’s “Boys and Girls” is a story about a puzzled girl who struggles to find the balance between the battles of her inner female-housewife side, like her mother, and a boyish character who likes to […]
• Gender Roles in the 19th Century Society: Charlotte Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper However, the narrator’s developing madness can also act as the symbolical depiction of the effects of the men’s dominance on women and the female suppression in the 19th-century society.”The Yellow Wallpaper” was first published in […]
• Gender Roles in “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams In the play The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams has written the story of the Wingfield family that lived in St Louis during the 1940s.
• Athena and Gender Roles in Greek Mythology According to Eicher and Roach-Higgins, the elements of her dress were important because they immediately communicated specific ideas about her character that was as contradictory as the physical gender of the birthing parent.”In appropriating the […]
• Gender Roles and Stereotyping in Education Teachers should be trained to give clear and useful instruction to students on the issue of gender roles in modern society.
• The Concepts of Gender Roles and Sexuality by John Money and Judith Butler These categories of feminists are united in the belief of existence of many children and little sex. This paper explains the concepts and ideologies relating to gender roles and sexuality.as advocated by John Money and […]
• Gender Roles: Changes From the Late 1800’s to Today The definition of who is a male or a female depends on the types of gender roles one was exposed to during the early ages. In today’s society, we have a greater number of women […]
• Gender Roles in “Bridge to Terabithia” by Paterson The theme of gender roles is consistently present in the novel, starting with character origins and becoming the central concept as they mature to defy archetypal perceptions of feminine and masculine expectations in order to […]
• Gender Roles and Family Systems in Hispanic Culture In the Hispanic culture, amarianismo’ and amachismo’ are the terms used to determine the various behavioral expectations among the family members.
• Gender roles in the Wind in the Willows For instance, in the case where both the mole and the rat make comments to the toad that are full of women critics.
• Gender Roles Inversion: The Madonna Phenomenon At the same time partial narrowing of the gender gap in the context of economic participation did not lead to the equality of men and women in the field of their occupations.
• Biology and Gender Roles in Society Thus, it may be more convenient for society to justify the imposition of certain gender roles on men and women using biology-related arguments, which, in reality, are more related to culture and social development.
• Gender Roles by Margaret Mead Once the a rift defining men and women develops this way, it goes further and defines the positions, which men and women occupy in the society, basing on these physical and biological differences, which form […]
• Gender Roles in The Yellow Wallpaper & Trifles The two texts; the short story ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ by Charlotte Perkins and the play ‘Trifles’ by Susan Glaspell strategically illustrate this claim since they both aim at attracting the reader’s attention to the poor […]
• Gender Roles in Social Constructionism The reality, in the view of sociologists, is a social attitude in connection with which a personality is formed that adapts to the requirements of the world.
• Gender Roles and Body Image in Disney Movies In this research, attention will be paid to gender roles and body images of Disney princesses to understand the popularity of the franchise and its impact on child development.
• Gender Roles in Brady’s “Why I Want a Wife” and Sacks’ “Stay-at-Home Dads” Yet, there are some distinctions Judy Brady believes that women are often viewed as unpaid house servants who have to take care of husbands’ needs, whereas Glenn Sacks argues that gender roles begin to transform […]
• Changing Gender Roles Between Boys and Girls In the twenty-first Century, girls have greatly stepped up and assumed some of the roles that were considered to be boy’s while boys have done the same leading to an interchange of roles.
• Women’s Gender Roles in American Literature The stories written by Constance Woolson Fenimore, Mary Wilkins Freeman, and Jaqueline Bishop highlight the harmful gender roles and discrimination that still remains a major topic for disputes and illustrate the fate of oppressed women.
• Gender Roles Set in Stone: Prehistoric and Ancient Work of Arts In the prehistoric and ancient works of art, the representation of women and men reveals a massive imbalance in gender equity that favors men over women.
• Gender Roles in Toy Stores According to Fisher-Thompson et al, two of the major differentiating factors in toys for girls and boys are color and nature.
• Fashions, gender roles and social views of the 1950s and 1960s Fashion was highly valued and this can be seen in the way the clothes worn by the wives of the presidential candidates in America hit the headlines. In the 1950s, the role of housekeeping and […]
• Gender Roles in Society One might think that a child is born with the idea of how to behave in relation to gender while in the real sense; it is the cultivation of the society that moulds people to […]
• Gender Roles in South Korean Laws and Society At the same time, all custody is traditionally granted to husbands and fathers in a case of a divorce” though the anxiety about the high divorce rate and the nasty endings of relationships is more […]
• Gender Roles in Brady’s and Theroux’s Works In the satire “Being a Man” by Paul Theroux, the author demonstrates to readers the essence of how a particular manifestation of masculinity is extolled in American society.
• Aspects of Gender Roles and Identity The breadth of her practice in transgender issues suggests that every choice Bowers makes is ethical, requiring her to be respectful and highly responsible.
• Changing Gender Roles in Families Over Time The division of labor and traditional gender roles in the family usually consists of men doing the work while women take care of the children, other relatives, and housekeeping.
• Gender Roles, Expectations, and Discrimination Despite Isaac being the calmest boy in the school, he had a crush on Grace, a beautiful girl in the school who was from a wealthy family.
• Gender Roles and Stereotypes in Straightlaced Film One might conclude that gender neutrality and abstraction in offices are only a cover to maintain the basis of gender injustice.
• Children’s Views of Gender Roles Today, both parents and teachers see the positive impact of the attempts to integrate anti-biased gender-related education on young children as they get more freedom to express themselves and grow up less aggressive.
• The Construction of Gender Roles However, it is wrong to consider women exposed to the domestic work powerless, as they have the opportunity to informally or implicitly influence men and the decisions they make.
• Sociology of the Family: Gender Roles Thus, the societal predisposition and notion that women are lesser in the community should be abandoned, and greater emphasis should be placed on the critical functions they perform in the household. These assertions, equivocations, and […]
• Femininity and Masculinity: Understanding Gender Roles The understanding of how gender roles are portrayed in the media and the general perception of the expected behavior for men and women communicated non-verbally in the society is the basis on which children build […]
• Injustice Within Strict Gender Roles There is still no clear answer to how a person can find his or her destiny and place in the world, and understand the opportunities and prospects, considering the opinion of the dominant number of […]
• Gender Roles and How People Perceive Them However, all of the survey participants indicated that their families would be inclined to differentiate between the toys for a child based on the latter’s sex and the corresponding perceived gender role.
• Gender Roles: From Prehistoric Era to Modern Society Since each gender was assigned a particular role in the past due to the differences in the biological makeup between a man and a woman in the prehistoric era, the modern process of communication between […]
• Gender Roles in TV Commercials and Values in the Society Each of them will watch, code, and analyze the TV commercials separately; at the end of the procedure, their results will be compared in order to ensure the inter-observer reliability of the chosen research method.
• Gender Roles in Contemporary Society The conditions of life are tough and it is presumed that only men are able to carry out such hardships and limitations of a soldier life.
• Gender Roles in ‘Mr. Green’ by Robert Olen Butler Green Butler uses the character of the grandfather to develop the theme of gender roles within the culture. The character of the grandfather is extremely sound for the cultural beliefs the author conveyed through all […]
• Culture and History: Gender Roles Over the Past 50 or So Years It is not that there were no women in the workforce; it was just that she had to choose one over the other, juggling the two was quite rare and unheard of.
• Gender Roles and Sexuality in Media: Cosmopolitan & Maxim The woman portrayed in these sites is supposed to look ‘hot’ and sexy in order to be attractive to a man.
• Social Element in Gender Roles I learned of the origins of gay and lesbian studies, as well that of the confining of such studies in earlier times to specific institutions.
• Equality: The Use of TV to Develop Our Gender Roles In this sense, when it is the men who predominantly work outside of the home, they will usually see the home as a place of leisure and so use the TV as a source of […]
• Family Unit and Gender Roles in Society and Market The role of molding the infant into an adult belonged to the family in the ancient society. In the past, the father was expected to be the breadwinner of the family.
• Gender Roles and Social Classes in Wartime The message is as simple as “The women of Britain say ‘Go.’” It points to the role of both men and women in wartime.
• The Necessity for Gender Roles The potential change from the elimination of the differences in gender may affect every perceived part of one’s life. Such factors as one’s occupation, status, and appearance may also contribute to the creation of stereotypes.
• China’s Gender Roles in Mo Yan’s and Shen Fu’s Works Six Records of a Floating Life is a multi-faceted chronicle which helps to comprehend the difficulties and the features of Shen Fu’s life and the romance between him and his beloved Chen Yun.
• Nomadic Society’s Gender Roles and Warrior Culture On the one hand, it was clear that the 1100s and the 1200s included the period of male power. It was wrong to assume that all women were similar and treat them in the same […]
• “Beside Oneself” by Judith Butler: Gender Roles Following the views of the author, who states that choice in the formation of gender and sexuality is not transparent, and a key role is still played by others in the form of expectations and […]
• Gender Roles in Couples and Sex Stereotypes Altogether, the last reconsiderations of the nature of relations promoted the appearance of numerous debates related to the role of partners and their right to be the leader.
• Understanding the Social Element in Gender Roles When saying that gender is a binary construction, one implies that there are two genders, namely, the masculine and the feminine one, and two corresponding types of social behaviour, which are predetermined by the existing […]
• Gender Roles in Tango: Cultural Aspects However, one should not assume that the role of women in tango is inferior because they create the most aesthetic aspects of this dance.
• Discussing Gender Roles in the Interaction Perspective It is the purpose of this issue to discuss the concept of gender roles using the sociological perspective of symbolic interaction.
• Women in Hip-Hop Music: A Provocative and Objectified Gender Roles It is one thing that men want women to be in music videos and play a particular role, but women are willing to participate in the videos.
• Content Analysis of Gender Roles in Media In the critical analysis of the article, the point of disagreement is that of under-representation of women in the media. How do the media subordinate and relegate roles of women in society?
• Effects of Media Messages about Gender Roles Media articles, such as the Maxim Magazine and the Cosmopolitan Magazine, socialize individuals to believe that women are very different from men as regards to dressing, behaving, and eating.
• The Change of Gender Roles This similarity is one of the most important to focus on the structure of the narrative. In both plays, the main actions of the characters are not directly described by the authors.
• Gender Equality: Male Dominance The simple reason is that gender inequality exists in affluent societies wherein women are free to do what they want, have access to education, and have the capacity to create wealth.
• “The Odd Women” and “Women in Love”: Evolving Views of Gender Roles An effort is also made to track the changes of the roles of women in the social fabric in the Victorian era by considering The Odd Women by George Gissing written in 1893.
• Gender Roles: Constructing Gender Identity In the course of the twentieth century and at the threshold of the twenty-first century, the images and roles of gender have constantly been changing.
• Analysis of the Peculiarities of Gender Roles Within Education, Families and Student Communities Peculiarities of gender aspect within the education system and labour market Attitude for marriage of men and women as one of the major aspects within the analysis of gender roles Family relations as a significant […]
• Ideology of Gender Roles In the world of literature, ideology has played a vital role in depicting the condition of the society. In this scenario, Kingston reveals that the men out-live their roles in the society, and they are […]
• Concepts of Gender Roles As a result of these, the war on gender inequality and sexism has failed, because of the failure of these agents of change to promote gender equality and eliminate discriminative notions held by the society.
• Cohabitation and Division of Gender Roles in a Couple Cohabitation is perceived in the society as the form of relationships which is an effective alternative to the traditional marriage because of focusing on the principles of flexibility, freedom, and equality, but few couples can […]
• Gender Roles in the United States Over the Last Century The men’s perception towards this idea was negative, and this consequently resulted to a conflict with the men claiming that the roles of the women were in the kitchen.
• Cheating, Gender Roles, and the Nineteenth-Century Croquet Craze The author’s main thesis is, “Yet was this, in fact, how the game was played on the croquet lawns of the nineteenth century?” Whereas authors of croquet manuals and magazines emphasize so much on the […]
• Gender Roles in Cartoons Though the males are portrayed to be logical, but it is shown that the females are more successful because of simple blunders or miscalculations which males fail to understand, females are able to beat males […]
• The Industrial Revolution Impact on the Gender Roles The population growth combined with the increased productivity of small parts of the country and the migration of the now landless people in search of work opportunities led to the phenomena of urbanization.
• How Does Aristophanes Represent Gender Roles in Lysistrata?
• Are Gender Roles and Relationships More Equal in Modern Family Life?
• How Do Children Develop Gender Roles?
• Does Men’s Fashion Reflect Changes in Male Gender Roles?
• How Did Colonialism Resonate With Gender Roles and Oppression?
• Are Gender Roles Damaging Society?
• How Did Revolutions Affect Gender Roles?
• Are Gender Roles Defined by Society or by Genetics?
• How Have Family Structure and Gender Roles Changed?
• Are Gender Roles Fluid When Dealing With Death and Tragedy?
• How Do Gender Roles Affect Communication?
• Are Gender Roles Natural?
• How Do Gender Roles Affect Immigrants?
• Are Gender Stereotyped Roles Correct?
• How Do Gender Roles Affect the Physical and Emotional Health?
• Have Gender Roles Played a Big Part in the History?
• How Do Gender Roles and Extroversion Effects How Much People Talk?
• What Are Gender Roles? How Are They Defined?
• How Are Gender Roles Predetermined by the Environment?
• What Drives the Gender Wage Gap?
• How Has Gender Roles Changed Over the Last Centuries?
• What Factors Influence Gender Roles?
• How Have Gender Roles in Japanese Theatre Influenced and Affected Societal View on Homosexuality and Masculinity?
• What Society Norms for Gender Roles Should Be Conceived?
• How Have Traditional Gender Roles Been Stressful?
• What Was Distinctive About Gender Roles in the Nineteenth Century?
• How Has Hegemonic Masculinity Set Ideas of Gender Roles?
• How Do Media and Politics Influence Gender Roles?
• Where Does the Truth on Gender Roles Lie in Nahua and Mayan Civilizations?
• How Radical Are the Changes to the Gender Roles in Carter’s “The Company of Wolves”?
• Masculinity Topics
• Social Stratification Essay Titles
• Sexism Essay Ideas
• Women’s Movement Questions
• Feminism Questions
• Cultural Relativism Questions
• Domestic Violence Paper Topics
• Sociological Perspectives Titles
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 26). 113 Gender Roles Essay Topics & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/gender-roles-essay-examples/

"113 Gender Roles Essay Topics & Examples." IvyPanda , 26 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/gender-roles-essay-examples/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '113 Gender Roles Essay Topics & Examples'. 26 February.

IvyPanda . 2024. "113 Gender Roles Essay Topics & Examples." February 26, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/gender-roles-essay-examples/.

1. IvyPanda . "113 Gender Roles Essay Topics & Examples." February 26, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/gender-roles-essay-examples/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "113 Gender Roles Essay Topics & Examples." February 26, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/gender-roles-essay-examples/.

(2020) Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland. --> Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. --> --> Item Type: Thesis (Masters) URI: Item ID: 14473 Additional Information: Includes bibliographical references (pages 67-76). Keywords: Clothing, Gender Non-Conforming, Transgender, Identity, Gender Department(s): Date: May 2020 Date Type: Submission Digital Object Identifier (DOI): Library of Congress Subject Heading: Clothing and dress--Social aspects; Gender nonconformity; Transgender people--Identity. Actions (login required) View Item Downloads per month over the past year View more statistics An official website of the United States government The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site. The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Publications Account settings My Bibliography Collections Citation manager Save citation to file Email citation, add to collections. Create a new collection Add to an existing collection Add to My Bibliography Your saved search, create a file for external citation management software, your rss feed. Search in PubMed Search in NLM Catalog Add to Search The Biological Contributions to Gender Identity and Gender Diversity: Bringing Data to the Table Affiliations. 1 Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 2 Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 3 Department of Medical Psychology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 4 Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 5 Division of Endocrinology, Center for Andrology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. 6 Program for LGBTI Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. 7 Division of Nephrology & Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. 8 Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 9 Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. 10 Translational Neurogenomics Group, QIMR Berghofer, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. 11 Department of Endocrinology and Gender Identity Unit, University Regional Hospital of Malaga, Malaga, Spain. 12 Foundation Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga (FIMABIS-IBIMA), Malaga, Spain. 13 Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. 14 Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. 15 Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. 16 Department of Health Policy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. 17 Department of Internal Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 18 Department of Research, OCHIN, Inc., Portland, OR, USA. 19 Divisions of Endocrinology and Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 20 Program for LGBTI Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. [email protected]. 21 Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. [email protected]. 22 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. [email protected]. 23 Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. [email protected]. 24 23Vanderbilt University, 511-A Light Hall, 2215 Garland Ave, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA. [email protected]. PMID: 29460079 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-018-9889-z The American Psychological Association defines gender identity as, "A person's deeply-felt, inherent sense of being a boy, a man, or a male; a girl, a woman, or a female; or an alternative gender (e.g., genderqueer, gender nonconforming, gender neutral) that may or may not correspond to a person's sex assigned at birth or to a person's primary or secondary sex characteristics" (American Psychological Association, Am Psychol 70(9):832-864, 2015). Here we review the evidence that gender identity and related socially defined gender constructs are influenced in part by innate factors including genes. Based on the data reviewed, we hypothesize that gender identity is a multifactorial complex trait with a heritable polygenic component. We argue that increasing the awareness of the biological diversity underlying gender identity development is relevant to all domains of social, medical, and neuroscience research and foundational for reducing health disparities and promoting human-rights protections for gender minorities. Keywords: Gender dysphoria; Gender identity; Genetics; Heritability; Transgender; Twin studies. PubMed Disclaimer Similar articles A New Theory of Gender Dysphoria Incorporating the Distress, Social Behavioral, and Body-Ownership Networks. Gliske SV. Gliske SV. eNeuro. 2019 Dec 12;6(6):ENEURO.0183-19.2019. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0183-19.2019. Print 2019 Nov/Dec. eNeuro. 2019. Retraction in: eNeuro. 2020 Apr 27;7(2):ENEURO.0149-20.2020. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0149-20.2020. PMID: 31792116 Free PMC article. Retracted. [Medical management of transgender children and adolescents]. Castilla-Peón MF. Castilla-Peón MF. Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex. 2018;75(1):7-14. doi: 10.24875/BMHIM.M18000003. Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex. 2018. PMID: 29652872 Review. Spanish. Gender Creative or Transgender Youth and Advanced Nursing Practice. Kirouac N, Tan M. Kirouac N, et al. Pediatr Endocrinol Rev. 2017 Jun;14(Suppl 2):441-447. doi: 10.17458/per.vol14.2017.kt.gendercreativetransgender. Pediatr Endocrinol Rev. 2017. PMID: 28647948 Review. Supporting and caring for transgender and gender nonconforming youth in the urology practice. Conard LE. Conard LE. J Pediatr Urol. 2017 Jun;13(3):300-304. doi: 10.1016/j.jpurol.2017.02.019. Epub 2017 Mar 18. J Pediatr Urol. 2017. PMID: 28645619 Review. Baseline Physiologic and Psychosocial Characteristics of Transgender Youth Seeking Care for Gender Dysphoria. Olson J, Schrager SM, Belzer M, Simons LK, Clark LF. Olson J, et al. J Adolesc Health. 2015 Oct;57(4):374-80. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.04.027. Epub 2015 Jul 21. J Adolesc Health. 2015. PMID: 26208863 Free PMC article. Polygenic Scores Clarify the Relationship Between Mental Health and Gender Diversity. Thomas TR, Tener AJ, Pearlman AM, Imborek KL, Yang JS, Strang JF, Michaelson JJ. Thomas TR, et al. Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci. 2024 Jan 24;4(2):100291. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100291. eCollection 2024 Mar. Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci. 2024. PMID: 38425476 Free PMC article. Gender Identity and Student Perceptions of Peer Research Aptitude in CUREs and Traditional Laboratory Courses in the Biological Sciences. Esparza D, Hernández-Gaytan AA, Olimpo JT. Esparza D, et al. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2023 Dec;22(4):ar53. doi: 10.1187/cbe.22-03-0054. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2023. PMID: 37991869 Free PMC article. Spectral analysis of strident fricatives in cisgender and transfeminine speakersa). Houle N, Lerario MP, Levi SV. Houle N, et al. J Acoust Soc Am. 2023 Nov 1;154(5):3089-3100. doi: 10.1121/10.0022387. J Acoust Soc Am. 2023. PMID: 37962405 Quality control and analytic best practices for testing genetic models of sex differences in large populations. Khramtsova EA, Wilson MA, Martin J, Winham SJ, He KY, Davis LK, Stranger BE. Khramtsova EA, et al. Cell. 2023 May 11;186(10):2044-2061. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.04.014. Cell. 2023. PMID: 37172561 Free PMC article. Review. Gender Diversity and Brain Morphology Among Adolescents. Xerxa Y, White T, Busa S, Trasande L, Hillegers MHJ, Jaddoe VW, Castellanos FX, Ghassabian A. Xerxa Y, et al. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 May 1;6(5):e2313139. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.13139. JAMA Netw Open. 2023. PMID: 37171820 Free PMC article. Publication types Search in MeSH Related information Cited in Books LinkOut - more resources Full text sources. Andalusian Health Repository Other Literature Sources scite Smart Citations Citation Manager NCBI Literature Resources MeSH PMC Bookshelf Disclaimer The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. 456 COMMENTS Gender & Sexuality Studies Thesis Statement Examples Bad Thesis Statement Examples. Overly Broad: "Gender inequality is a significant problem in society.". This statement, though true, is too broad, offering no particular aspect of gender inequality or specified societal area for examination. Lack of Clear Argument: "Sexuality is complex and diverse.". While accurate, this statement does ... Free Gender Identity Essay Examples & Topic Ideas Check our 100% free gender identity essay, research paper examples. Find inspiration and ideas Best topics Daily updates ... everything in your essay should be pre-planned. Start with writing down your introduction using your thesis statement. Afterward, you may want to note down what you will talk about in the body paragraphs. Don't forget ... PDF RESEARCHING and Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality the fact that thesis-writing is a process, and that the purpose of that process is not only to produce a great thesis, but even more importantly, to transform you into a better writer, researcher, and most of all, thinker. As you envision, research, structure, write, and rewrite your thesis, you will encounter complex and impor- Gender Identity Essay Gender identity is defined as a personal conception of oneself as male or female (or rarely, both or neither). This concept is intimately related to the concept of gender role, which is defined as the outward manifestations of personality that reflect the gender identity. Gender identity, in. 1104 Words. 5 Pages. Gender Identity 33 essay samples found. Gender identity refers to a person's deeply-felt understanding of their gender, which may be different from the sex they were assigned at birth. Essays could delve into the social, psychological, or biological aspects of gender identity, the experiences of transgender or non-binary individuals, or the societal and ... Gender identity and childhood experiences : an introductory This Masters Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations, and Projects by an authorized ... gender identity development from the perspective of adults (ages 18 and older). ... These conflicting statements make it difficult for clinicians, as well as clients, to accurately navigate and conceptualize the diagnosis. Semantic ... Gender Identity Gender refers to the state of being either male or female, which is distinguished by factors such as gender roles, social and economic status, perceptions, and ideals and values (Lee, 2005). Gender has been described as a psycho-sociocultural aspect. In contrast, sex is a biological concept that is determined by factors such as hormones and ... Performing Gender: An Exploration of the Relationship Between Although someone may have a masculine gender. identity, they may still have feminine or androgynous aspects to their gender expression. because expression and identity are separate entities and the gendering of objects - such. as makeup - is subjective and does not necessarily play any role in determining the. Gender Identity and Mental Health Among Undergraduate Students in the Of that participant pool the. gender identity breaks down as 65.9% women, 30.5% male, and 3.6% non-binary. students. The participant pool is representative of the populations estimates for gender identity based on the most recent estimates for youth and young adults at 2% to 11%. Sexual orientation and gender identity: review of concepts The concept of gender identity evolved over time to include those people who do not identify either as female or male: a "person's self concept of their gender (regardless of their biological sex) is called their gender identity" (Lev, 2004, p. 397). The American Psychological Association (2009a, p. 28) described it as: "the person's ... Sex and Gender Identity: a New Perspective for College Student Development UKnowledge is a digital collection of scholarly works created by the University of Kentucky community. It showcases the research and creative activities of faculty, staff, and students across various disciplines, such as education, psychology, entomology, and health sciences. You can access full-text articles, dissertations, theses, and more from this open access repository. Free Gender Studies Essay Examples & Topic Ideas Updated: May 24th, 2024. 862 samples. A gender studies essay should concentrate on the interaction between gender and other unique identifying features. Along with gender identity and representation, the given field explores race, sexuality, religion, disability, and nationality. Gender is a basic social characteristic that often goes unnoticed. Women's and Gender Studies Theses and Dissertations Narratives of lesbian transformation: Coming out stories of women who transition from heterosexual marriage to lesbian identity, Clare F. Walsh. PDF. The Conundrum of Women's Studies as Institutional: New Niches, Undergraduate Concerns, and the Move Towards Contemporary Feminist Theory and Action, Rebecca K. Willman Constructing Identity: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in Nella This thesis explores the constructions of African American female identity in Nella Larsen's two novels, Quicksand and Passing. It examines the textual representations of race, class, gender and sexuality and how these representations speak to the stereotypes of African American female identity prevalent in Harlem PDF Gender Identity of Students and Teachers: Implications for a ... Gender identity refers to the degree to which a person perceives the self to be mas-culine or feminine, considering the meaning of masculine or feminine in a given culture (Perry & Pauletti, 2011; Stets & Burke, 2000; Tobin et al., 2010; Wood & Eagly, 2009). Societal norms of ideal masculine and feminine person may inform our gender 'What's in a name?' The discursive construction of gender identity over Disclosure statement. No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s). Notes. 1. Trans is a provisional umbrella term applied apply to those who challenge the naturalness of gender as emanating from the sexed codification of bodies, whether they identify as transsexual, transgender or gender variant, such as genderqueer, non ... Past Thesis Topics 2013. Inside the Master's House: Gender, Sexuality, and the 'Impossible' History of Slavery in Jamaica, 1753-1786. 2013. Illuminating the Darkness Beneath the Lamp: Im Yong-sin's Disappearance from History and Rewriting the History of Women in Korea's Colonial Period (1910-1945) East Asian Languages and Civilizations. Perspectives on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) older adults Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity to Healthcare and Social Service Providers . ABSTRACT. This qualitative study explored LGBT older adults' individual decisions to disclose sexual orientation or gender identification when seeking services from health care and social service providers. Participants were recruited through local senior centers. 113 Gender Roles Essay Topics & Examples Gender roles essay topics and titles may include: The history of gender roles and their shifts throughout the time. Male and female roles in society. Gender roles in literature and media. How a man and a woman is perceived in current society. The causes and outcomes of gender discrimination. Clothing: a statement of one's gender identity Clothing: a statement of one's gender identity. Mpame, Chloe Louise (2020) Clothing: a statement of one's gender identity. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland. [English] PDF - Accepted Version. Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. The Biological Contributions to Gender Identity and Gender ... The American Psychological Association defines gender identity as, "A person's deeply-felt, inherent sense of being a boy, a man, or a male; a girl, a woman, or a female; or an alternative gender (e.g., genderqueer, gender nonconforming, gender neutral) that may or may not correspond to a person's sex assigned at birth or to a person's primary or secondary sex characteristics" (American ... PDF understanding gender identity navigating life. nderstanding gender identityGender identity is how you think and feel about your gender, how you show this to others, and how. his be About gender identityThe physical features you were born with (sex assigned at birth) don't n. cessarily define your gender. Although gender has traditionally been divided into 'male'. An Investigation of University Engineering Students' Attitudes and This statement has numerous connotations, including its focus on demographics and the incorporation of diverse ethnic groups in a community. ... The results indicated that whereas other factors are favorably associated with identity development, gender, age, nationality, attitudes toward learning English, attitudes toward the L2 community ... PDF Microsoft Word Christy L. Dennison, M.A. University of Pittsburgh, 2006. This study uses a matched guise technique to elicit evaluations of men and women from participants based solely on what they hear. Four speakers (two men and two men) created two recordings, one in which they incorporated "women's language" into their speech and the other using ... essay homework paper phd project resume review speech study thesis