Gender Development, Stereotypes, and Gender Identity Disorder

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Gender Development, Stereotypes, and Gender Identity Disorder As children grown they eventually become aware of their gender identity. There are several different theories on how one learns to identify his or herself. In my opinion I believe the social learning theory is the best explained theory for this development, as it is a theory that is based off cognitive learning, observation, and modeling. I think there is a need to better understanding the gender development theories, such as the social learning theory; as sometime there are people that are unable to identify with the sex they are born, which is known as gender identity disorder. Sometimes I feel because of stereotypes that children are pressured to feel/ act a certain way and this could affect their gender development if they allow stereotypes to affect them. Stereotypes can cause people to not only treat and think of others with prejudice but can there is also the possibility of allowing the stereotype to affect oneself; this is known as stereotype threat. I feel it is important to address stereotype threat because it is a self-defeating problem and if not corrected can lead to a downward spiral in a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we can get a better idea of what gender development theory is most correct of combination thereof along with pressures stereotypes then we may be able to elevate the cause of Gender identity disorder. Gender identity disorder is a classified behavior disorder. I would like to know more about Gender identity disorder because from a religious standpoint I feel you are as God makes you and should live as such, I am also boggled with the idea that you are born with such “disorders” as we would call them, as they are not the normal. From the time you are born you begin to observe everything to see how it is done, and how people, object, and other thing behave; this is no

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