Assignment 1: LASA 2: Gender Appropriate and Inappropriate Behaviors

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Assignment 1: LASA 2: Gender Appropriate and Inappropriate Behaviors

Recent headlines have sparked heated debate about
whether boys should be allowed to dress as girls. For example, a
5-year-old boy in Seattle who enjoys things traditionally for girls,
such as jewelry, the color pink, and dresses was supported and
encouraged by his mother, who wrote a book about him called “My
Princess Boy”. A J. Crew ad featured a mother painting her young boy’s
toenails hot pink (CBS News, 2011 April 13). Reactions ranged from
outrage and disbelief to support of the mothers.

On the flipside, girls who shun traditionally “girly
things” such as dresses and flowers in favor of more traditional “boy
things” such as watching or playing sports, rough-and-tumble play, and
choosing boys as friends are often called tomboys.

For either sex, choosing to engage in activities
traditionally reserved for a specific sex can result in teasing and
accusations of homosexuality.

  • Using research gathered from your textbook, online
    course content, and at least 1 research article, analyze the above
    scenarios.

    • Are the behaviors discussed above (i.e.,
      preferring things traditionally acceptable for a specific sex)
      indicative of homosexuality? Why or why not?
    • Describe the psychological consequences
      (positive and negative) that might result from engaging in behaviors
      reserved for a specific sex?
    • Develop an argument for or against concern that these children might be exhibiting a paraphilia.
    • Which paraphilia(s) might apply and what criteria would you use based on the research?
    • What, if any, intervention would you recommend
      to a parent whose little girl or boy expresses the desire to
      engage in behaviors typical of the opposite sex? If you do not
      believe intervention is necessary, explain why.

By Saturday, May 17, 2014,
write an essay that is 3-5 pages in length. Also include a cover page
and reference list. Remember to support your arguments with information
drawn from the online content, the textbook, and other credible, scholarly sources to substantiate the points you are making.  Apply APA standards to for writing and citations to your work.

The paper should be double-spaced 12-point typescript, Times Roman font, with 1-inch margins all around, and free from grammatical errors. 

CBS News. (2011, April 13). Boy in pink nail polish sparks online outrage. Author. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/13/earlyshow/living/parenting/main20053508.shtml