FND3002 - Regent College: Social Processes, Sex, and Gender Report

This report, created for Regent College London's FND3002 module, explores the multifaceted influence of social processes on sex and gender. It begins by defining key terms like sex, intersex, and gender, differentiating between biological and cultural aspects. The report then delves into various psychological approaches, including biological, behaviorist, cognitive, psychodynamic, and humanistic perspectives, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses in understanding human behavior. It examines the role of biological factors such as chromosomes and hormones, alongside the impact of environmental factors and learning theories. The report also discusses key theories from Sigmund Freud, Pavlov, and Maslow's hierarchy of needs, illustrating how childhood experiences, conditioning, and motivational needs shape individual behavior and personality. Furthermore, it addresses the concepts of social construction, biological determinism, and the use of hypothesis and research methods like correlation and qualitative research in studying sex and gender. The report concludes by emphasizing the complex nature of the human mind and the diverse factors contributing to individual perceptions and behaviors related to sex and gender.

Social Processes Influence Sex and Gender

INTRODUCTION
Social processes are refer as repeated social interaction, by these interaction the
establishment of social relationships is determined. Social interaction may occur in

several forms such as conflicts,accommodation etc. There are several misconception in
regards with the topic sex. People likely get offend when they hear a term sex in a
environment. The sex is a chromosomal difference in two type of gender. For example
females chromosome are XX, on the other hand males chromosomes XY although
scientifically these are determined as sex chromosome and rest are termed as
autosomes. The reproductive organs for males are testes and for female it is concluded
to be ovaries. The difference of these hormones are observed as well these are
oestrogen and testosterone for males and females receptively. The difference in culture
is refereed to as gender,it is expected as the deviation by either culture or society. A
person's gender is also constant but sex does not transform from birth. Earlier, People
were much more clear about their perception in regards to sex and gender (Gross,
2010). Today as the society has accepted the fact and now men are free to show their
feminine side and females hold freedom to reveal their masculine part as well. In this
report there will be demonstration of various biological approaches and the social
factors which promote sex as well as genders.
MAIN BODY
Each and every person have different personality as the behaviour and
personality depends on the upbringing and culture of a person. The approaches can be
defined as the opnion or perspective that involves certain misconception, beliefs and
assumptions in regards with human behaviour. The human behaviour is natural
response of a brain, as production of certain action is unexpected. Its worthy and unique
to study and observe on it but in some cases it becomes complicated in its way. There
can be many theories within the topic approaches but they all reveal constant
assumptions within it. The approaches in psychology can be differentiated into five parts
, they are as follow biological, behaviourist, cognitive, psychodynamic including
humanistic as well. Each and every approaches debits its weakness ad strength and
there is something different in each type of approaches. The study of human behaviour
is endless topic and may react differently in situations accordingly.
The behaviourist perspective is the view which is totally under controlled
by surroundings and environment. The environment make learn and obtain knowledge
from it. As the perspective conclude the theory that how environment factors has

affected the response of a person. For example, the lion who is free in forest is more
happy and react differently if someone tried to catch him as compared to a lion who
lives in a zoo. Environmental factors affects involves learning and development which
directly promote growth psychologically. There are two type of conditioning in which
people learn by their environment and they are Classical and Operant conditioning. In
classical conditioning a person can learn by the association of any fact whereas operant
learning include learning by consequences. The Psychodynamic perspective theory
follows up with a thought that persons behaviour is also impacted by childhood
incidence and experiences. As the person always learn by the past experiences of life.
According to the study of Freud, it is both theory as well as theoretical. The work of
Freud, concluded vastly which is in termed of psychology in context of discipline.
According to Freud, human mind is similar to iceberg and he also stated about
unconscious mind which can be analysed by association in free state, analysation of
dreams and slip of tongue. Next approach is Humanistic perceptive, it conclude study of
over all person. It is observed through not only by eyes as well as by the action of
person by the observer. According to this approach the human persnality depends on
inner feeling and instincts. Whereas the Cognitive perspective introduced in late 1879
by first psychological laboratory. The initiation of this theory was followed by other
countries later. The cognitive theory evolves around the facts about memory, attention,
memory of brain etc. In other views the human brain is similar to computer in which our
thought process runs in it as a processing system. Well it is vastly scientific approach
which used in order to read or study human behaviour (Marsh, 2009) .
The biological perspective conclude that all feelings, reactions, sensations,
behaviour, thoughts are due to biological cause that can be termed as hormonal
causes. It aims on the view that psychology includes all content like brain, genes,
hormones balance, nervous as well as immunity system. The researcher study the
behavioural gene code in order to observer that how genes affect someone behaviour.
According to several studies the human behaviour can influence on chromosomes and
hormones. The inheritance of DNA can also affect behaviour. Most behaviour are retain
by ancestors, as the our ancestors were lived in atmosphere where the reflex action
was compulsory or it can be determined by the policy was followed by them was tom

solve the problem simultaneously. The strength of this approach is that it clears the
behaviour which seen or appear is neurological functions.
Theories and concept to social studies
Sigmund Freud was a father of psychoanalysis, the introduction of treatment of
mental illness and it concluded theory which explains about human behaviour. As he
concluded that the actions which are posses by our mind is due to the childhood
experiences as well as the incident which happened in past. Although it help in shaping
ion our personality. For example, occurrence of anxiety mainly happen due to traumatic
incident in a individual's past it is hidden in conscious mind and some facts are get
stored in subconscious part as a memory for future. He also introduced the topographic
model of mind, within this model it features mind's structure and function which can
mind develop. He compared human brain with a structure of iceberg and concluded that
on the surface of there is consciousness of a brain which focus on that part which a
person is giving attention and focused. It appears on the top of the iceberg. The most
significant is subconscious, it can play as repository. In order to help his patients he
concluded the model of mind which consist three regions Id, Ego, Superego.
Another theory was proposed by Pavlov, he studied by experiment performed on
dog in response to fed. As he measured a saliva conducted in his mouth during feeding
(powdered meat) him with the help of test tube by inserting test tube in his mouth. The
saliva is the natural response when food was placed in front of him. He observed that a
dog do not need to learn by training or something. For example the process salivate. It
is embedded property and term as natural process whenever he comes in contact with
food these are term which are reflex actions of a dog. In the term of behaviourist, food is
unconditional response that require no learning and training in these terms.
Maslow's need hierarchy is a motivational theory given by Abraham Harold
Maslow which is in the form of a pyramid. The needs down in the pyramid are satisfied
first and then there is motivation for upper need. Humans have basic needs and when
they are satisfied new needs arise but firstly a person gets satisfied by accomplishing
basic need, universal needs are secondary. From bottom to upward the needs are as
follows: first is “psychological needs” These are the basic needs which are essential for

survival of an individual like food, water, shelter, sex, sleep. Human body cannot survive
without fulfilling these needs. Every one requires all these to live there life and all the
other needs are secondary till basic needs are satisfied.
Second need that arise after physiological needs are achieved are safety needs.
A person wants security say it financial security or emotional security these can be
fulfilled by living at a safe place and working in a safe environment. Safety also helps to
perform better and independently(Gross, 2010). The third one is Love and
belongingness needs hierarchy is felling of belongingness in personal life and in
professional life it is important to socialise to talk to people and getting good working
environment to work effectively and efficiently. Esteem needs means getting
recognition, dignity, achievement, status, prestige. Which is very important for a person
to get appreciation for what they have done. Working hard and getting recognition
makes employee successful which leads to success of the organisation as well. The last
need which is concluded by him is Self-actualization, this is the highest need among
Maslow's hierarchy which means self fulfilment achieving this means achieving what all
one wants in life, what a person wants to be. Employers should understand their
employees their key interests what they want to achieve so they can achieve self-
actualization. The different resources can be presented in a forms of ppt, text any form.
As these are the psychological behaviours of a personality. The dissimilarities in a
social constructions biological determinisms trust that whole aspects of behaviour of
human that can be explained in term of universal and innate features of a person.
A hypothesis can be defined as prediction of a result that can be done by
researcher. The prediction can directly or indirectly depend on the two variables. The
hypothesis of the study is an complete determination, which is mainly derived from the
mentally or psychologically theories that conclude prediction that can be confirm by
some kind of investigation or by an experiment. There are two variables in it which are
determined by independent and dependent variables. The possibilities of other variables
are also considered. The independent variables are meant to be possibilities what the
researcher can make changes whereas the dependent variable is termed as what
research can make measures. It can be written in two types, the first one is null and
second one is alternative. The whole result can depend on the qualitative research

which is determine as non-numeric collection of data which can be in the form of any
type whether it can be in text, audio or video. As this research aims on subject matters
and it can obtain in any form. The method for experiment include the manipulation of
each and every variables which can establish cause and they have property which can
affect the environment and relationship. Correlation is determined as the term of
association or a bond relates. There are determined into two groups positive and
negative (Marsh, 2009). The positive relation is a relationship within two variable which
are posses into same direction whereas negative correlation determined as one variable
which is increased and the other one has the property in decrease manner. The last one
is zero correlation occurs when there is none relation between variables.
CONCLUSION
The aim of study is a sentence of what the observer wanted to state theory that
the human mind is complex structure and it can debit various negative and positive
impacts. As many people in the population has been grown up hating their interest in
respect of their of their gender so the population gets inclined towards drugs or suicide.
The notion that individual one is either male or female are termed as dichotomous view
of gender. As it is only because due to difference in chromosome which is by born. If
defect occurred in chromosome paring then there is chance when person leads to be
individual. According to studies the behaviour of person can describe persons mind.
The actions speaks more than words. Recent days in a modern society, as
development occur in the world which has lead to developed our minds and thinking
about any perceptive.

REFRENCES
Books and Journal
Clarke, A. (2010) The Sociology of Healthcare. (2nd ed.) Harlow: Longman.
(Available as an ebook via University of Bolton library)
Denny, E., Hewison, A. and Earle, S. (2016) Sociology for Nurses. (3rd ed.). Cambridge:
Polity Press.
(Available as an ebook via University of Bolton library)
Giddens, A. (2009) Sociology. (6th ed.) Cambridge: Polity Press.
Gross, R. D. (2010) Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour. (6th ed.) London:
Hodder Arnold.
(Available as an ebook via University of Bolton library)
Haralambos, M. and Holborn, M. (2013) Sociology Themes and Perspectives. (8th ed.)
London: Collins.
Larkin, M. (2011) Social Aspects of Health, Illness and Healthcare. Maidenhead: Open
University Press.
(Available as an ebook via University of Bolton library)
Marsh, I. (2009) Sociology: Making Sense of Society. (5th ed.) Harlow: Longman.
(Available as an ebook via University of Bolton library)
Taylor, G. and Spencer, S (eds.) (2004) Social Identities: Multidisciplinary Approaches.
Oxon: Routledge.
(Available as an ebook via University of Bolton library)
(Marsh, 2009) (Gross, 2010) (Clarke,2010)