Sex, Gender and Culture: Issues in the Definition, Assessment and Treatment of Gender Identity Disorder

As a diagnostic category, gender identity disorder remains problematic with ongoing debates concerning aetiology, definition and ethics of treatment. Inherent in the current DSM definition is a Western model of the relationship between sex and gender which epitomizes the tension existing between ess...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical child psychology and psychiatry 2002-07, Vol.7 (3), p.352-359
Main Author: Newman, Louise K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior change
Clinical assessment
Cultural aspects
Deviance
Ethics
Etiology
Gender dysphoria
Gender identity
Gender identity disorder
Gender roles
Identity formation
Tolerance
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:As a diagnostic category, gender identity disorder remains problematic with ongoing debates concerning aetiology, definition and ethics of treatment. Inherent in the current DSM definition is a Western model of the relationship between sex and gender which epitomizes the tension existing between essentialist and constructivist accounts of gender development. This model determines that gender-aberrant behaviour and gender variation are, by definition, pathological, and reinforces a binary gender model. Studies of non-Western cultures reveal variations in models of gender and in the understanding of gender deviance. Cultures vary in their definition of gender roles and show varying degrees of tolerance for atypical gender behaviours and gender change. An understanding of cultural context is important in the clinical assessment of a typical gender development and challenges current models of sex and gender.
ISSN:1359-1045
1461-7021
DOI:10.1177/1359104502007003004