Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation
Gender identity and sexual orientation are critical issues that affect an individual’s development from childhood or adulthood through the life span. As more individuals from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community feel comfortable sharing their identities, social workers and other helping professionals may wish to further develop strategies for serving those populations.
This week, you explore issues related to gender identity and sexual orientation and consider their impact on social work practice. You also evaluate empirical research that addresses sexual orientation development.
Learning Objectives
Students will:

Analyze the impact of gender identity on development in young and middle adulthood
Apply understanding of gender identity development to social work practice
Analyze evidence-based research on sexual orientation across the life span
Apply evidence-based research on sexual orientation to social work practice

Photo Credit: [Petar Chernaev]/[E+]/Getty Images
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Brewster, M. E., & Moradi, B. (2010). Personal, relational and community aspects of bisexual identity in emerging, early and middle adult cohorts. Journal of Bisexuality, 10(4), 404–428.
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Burri, A., Cherkas, L., Spector, T., & Rahman, Q. (2011). Genetic and environmental influences on female sexual orientation, childhood gender typicality and adult gender identity. PloS ONE, 6(7), 1–8
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Ferguson, A. D., & Miville, M. L. (2017). It’s complicated: Navigating multiple identities in small town America. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73(8), 975–984.
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Maylor, E. A., Reimers, S., Choi, J., Collaer, M. L., Peters, M., & Silverman, I. (2007). Gender and sexual orientationdifferences in cognition across adulthood: Age is kinder to women than to men regardless of sexualorientation. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 36(2), 235–249.
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Nuttbrock, L. A., Bockting, W. O., Hwahng, S., Rosenblum, A., Mason, M., Macri, M., & Becker, J. (2009). Gender identity affirmation among male-to-female transgender persons: A life course analysis across types of relationships and cultural/lifestyle factors. Sexual & Relationship Therapy, 24(2), 108–125
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Pleak, R. R. (2009). Formation of transgender Identities in adolescence. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 13(4), 282–291.
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Rosario, M., Schrimshaw, E. W., & Hunter, J. (2011). Different patterns of sexual identity development over time: Implications for the psychological adjustment of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths. Journal of Sex Research, 48(1), 3–15.
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Optional Resources
Use the link below to access the MSW home page, which provides resources for your social work program.
MSW home page
 
Discussion: Gender Identity in Life-Span Development
Gender identity—identifying oneself as male or female—is a critical component of an individual’s life-span development. Misconceptions and stereotypes abound with regard to gender, and you may bring personal misconceptions and stereotypes to your work with clients.
As you read the resources this week, what concepts seem especially relevant to you as a social worker? Are you able to identify any personal misunderstandings about the formation of gender identity? What strategies might you use to apply your new understanding to social work practice?
By Day 3
Post a Discussion that includes the following:

A new understanding you have gained in the resources about gender identity
An explanation of how individuals’ gender identity affects their development through young and middle adulthood
A strategy you might use to apply your understanding of gender identity development to social work practice

By Day 5
Read a selection of your colleagues’ posts.
Respond in one or more of the following ways:

Add to your colleague’s explanation of how gender identity affects an individual’s life-span development.
Explain whether you might use your colleague’s strategy for applying the concept of gender identity to social work practice. Provide support for your position.