In spite of the loosening ties between reproductive and social roles, the worlds of men and women and boys and girls, are clearly not the same. There is much more to being female or male than the potential to mother or father a child. Gender development does not simply depend on children's relationship with their parents: it results from a complex interaction between the individual and the wider social environment, of which parents are just one part. This book examines the processes that determine gender development: how gender differences come about, why they persist, and the consequences at different stages of life. Following an introduction which explores definitions of concepts such as gender role and sexual identity, as well as measurement issues and bias in gender research, the book's chapters are: (1) "Gender Stereotypes," including developmental issues and gender stereotypes in the media; (2) "Prenatal Influences," including sexual differentiation and hormonal influences; (3) "Psychoanalytic Approaches and Moral Development," including neo-Freudian approaches to gender; (4) "Social Learning Theory," including differential reinforcement and modeling; (5) "Cognitive Development Theories," including gender labeling and gender schema theory; (6) "Play and Friendships," including patterns of early play and friendships; (7) "Intimate Relationships," including male and female sexuality, and motherhood and fatherhood; (8) "Families," including maternal employment, paternal involvement, and new reproductive technologies; (9) "School," including teacher-student interaction, and gender differences in academic ability; (10) "Work," including person-centered and situation-centered explanations for gender differences; and (11) "Psychopathology and Emotion," including gender roles, and gender differences in vulnerability to stress and in emotional socialization. A concluding chapter draws together the preceding threads to find a coherent answer to the book's original question: What processes determine gender development? Each chapter includes a brief summary. Contains 554 references. (HTH)