How Gender Shapes Lifespan Processes and Perspectives
The category of Gender Studies and Development examines the profound and multifaceted ways in which gender—understood as both a social construct and an individual identity—influences the developmental processes and lived experiences of adults across the lifespan. Moving beyond traditional psychological models that often assumed a universal, often male-normative, developmental trajectory, this field explores how societal gender roles, expectations, and power dynamics interact with individual identity to shape pathways of growth, relationships, and well-being. It highlights the diversity of developmental experiences, acknowledging that gender is not a singular factor but is deeply interwoven with other social categories.
This category includes the foundational work of Carol Gilligan, who challenged prevailing theories by introducing the “ethics of care” and emphasizing relational moral reasoning, often associated with women’s development. Her insights were further expanded by Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), pioneered by scholars such as Jean Baker Miller, Judith V. Jordan, and Irene Stiver, who propose that growth occurs through and toward connection, fundamentally rethinking relationality as a core human drive. Sandra Bem contributes with her Gender Schema Theory, explaining how cognitive frameworks of gender influence self-concept and advocating for psychological androgyny as a path to greater adaptability. Finally, Judith Butler offers a critical philosophical lens with her theory of gender performativity, illuminating how gender is continuously enacted and socially constructed through repeated actions, thereby shaping adult identity as a dynamic and fluid process. Together, these perspectives provide a rich and nuanced understanding of gender’s intricate role in the adult developmental journey.
