Socio-psychological problems of gender psychology

Gender Psychology - New scientific direction, which is only beginning to assert itself as an independent field of psychological knowledge - is the branch of psychology that studies the regularities of the formation and development of personality characteristics as a representative of a certain sex, due to sexual differentiation, stratification and hierarchy indicates I. S. Kletskina. The gender psychology study not just the differences in the psychological characteristics of men and women, in the focus of its attention, first and foremost, those patterns of personal development, which are caused by the phenomena of sexual differentiation, stratification and hierarchy. Also important is the analysis of psychological methods and mechanisms that allow men and women to understand and use the effect of gender on the processes of self-realization.

In gender, psychology roles for men and women are recognized as equivalent, although different in content. The starting base is an implicit acceptance of biological determinism of roles, based on the idea of congenitalityof male and female origin in human. In the analysis of the determinants of gender, differences are considered both biological and sociocultural factors, but the role of social and cultural influence comes down to the design of those features and human characteristics that are predetermined by nature. The psychology of gender in the analysis of the problems of sexual differentiation emphasis is on the hierarchy of roles, statuses, positions of men and women. Actively discussed issues of inequality, discrimination, sexism. In the determination of the social behavior of the individual priority is given to social and cultural factors: the traditions, culture, religion, family education, education, " the street", the media, art and literature.

The following sections are allocated in the structure of gender psychology:

1. Psychology of gender differences.

2. Gender socialization.

3. Gender characteristics of the person.

4. Psychology of gender relations.

In the study of gender differences, emphasizes T.V. Bendas [8, p. 137], addresses issues such as the nature of the differences, their assessment and dynamics, the impact of gender differences on the individual way of life of men and women, the possibility of their self-fulfillment.

The key problems in the study of gender socialization, according to T.S. Baranova, are the psychosocial aspects of the development of the person as representative of a particular sex at all stages of its life cycle, inscribing their gender development in the historical, cultural and social contexts. When considering the characteristics of gender is studied men and women identity and its components: representation, stereotypes, attitudes related to sexual differentiation, stratification and hierarchy. Particular attention is paid to the study of productive strategies and tactics of behavior of men and women to overcome traditional gender stereotypes, as well as the analysis of patterns and mechanisms of change of existing and development of new gender stereotypes.

Section of Psychology of gender relations includes the study of issues of communication and interaction between the representatives of different sexes. Traditional gender stereotypes and representation encourage men and women as subjects of intersexual interactions to form a pattern of behavior in which the relationship is characterized by asymmetry, manifested in the dominance and dependence. From the standpoint of gender analysis is important to understand the need and the regularities of the formation of different models of intersexual interactions. According to O.A. Voronina, D. Myers, T. Repina fundamental basis of gender situation of gender theory is the idea that almost all traditionally considered " natural" differences between the sexes are not under biological but social grounds. These are considered " natural" differences are constructed in society under the influence of social institutions that represent the traditional notions of the roles of men and women in society, the " masculinity" and " femininity" as the basic categories of gender studies. In the traditional culture of the notion of " masculinity" and " femininity" sharply differentiated and are designed on the principle of binary opposition. As pointed out by L.V. Popova [34, p. 92] masculinity and femininity are not only differentiated but also built hierarchically with the dominant role of masculinity.

Thus, gender differentiation is the basis of building the power system in the traditional culture. The basis of the theory and methodology of gender is not just a description of the difference in status, roles and other aspects of the lives of women and men, but the analysis of power and domination, approved in a society of gender differentiation.

Gender approach - a methodology for the analysis of gender characteristics of personality and psychological aspects of sexual relationships. It is focused on the analysis of the consequences of sexual differentiation between men and women. Assumes a way of knowing, giving the opportunity to move away from the point of view of the predetermination of male and female characteristics, roles, statuses and rigid fixation of sex-role behavior, shows the development of personality and self-realization, not limited by traditional gender stereotypes.

The main objective of gender psychology - knowledge of psychological patterns of behavior and activities of people as subjects - media exponents and creators of gender characteristics, roles and statuses. Also, the task related to the institutionalization of it as a field of scientific knowledge and discipline, that is a clear definition of the research subject, specifying areas of development, justification of adequate teaching methods and principles of research, the accumulation of factual databases.

Studies of gender psychology by such the psychologists as S. Farrell and David Lorber [43, p. 191], K. West and D.D. Zimmerman [42, p. 104], V.A. Yadov [49, p. 598] designed to show the mechanisms of construction of gender identity in different temporal and socio-cultural contexts, and to justify the possibility of changing the identity of men and women in a situation of social transformation.