|
|
Article: Gender Identity
- Article from:
- Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy throughAdolescence
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Thomson Gale. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Gender identity
Definition
Gender identity is a person's sense of identification with either the male or female sex, as manifested in appearance, behavior, and other aspects of a person's life.
Description
Psychologists believe human sexual identities are made up of three separate components. The first shows the direction of a child's sexual orientation, whether he or she is heterosexual (straight), homosexual (gay), or bisexual. The second is the child's style of behavior, whether a female is a "tomboy" or homemaker-type and a male is a "macho guy" or a "sensitive boy." The third component is what psychologists call the core gender identity. According to an article in the May 12, ...