Question

How might gender intensification contribute to the shallow quality of early adolescent relationships?

Answer 1

Gender intensification refers to experiencing conformity with regard to sex-appropriate behaviour. During adolescence, boys and girls experience gender intensification which intensifies their sex-appropriate behaviour in regular setting. Both boys and girls hit puberty at this stage and the dating scenario picks up for them. The sex-appropriate behaviour for boys is to charm beautiful girls and ask them out on dates. This is an 'appropriate' behaviour for boys. In the process of them conforming to the gender norms, a lot of boys end up doing things they do not want to. However, since it is accepted, they continue doing it, hurt girls and feel like a stud afterwards which strains their relationships with girls.