SOCIOLOGY EXAM 2: Chapter 9: Constructing Gender and Sexuality

Transsexuals

individuals who identify with the other sex and have surgery to alter their own sex so it fits their self- image

Transgendered

term describing an individual whose sense of gender identity transgresses expected gender categories

Gender

the physical, behavioral, and personality traits that a group considers normal for its male and female members (SOCIAL)

Third Wave

the most recent period of feminist activity, focusing on issues of diversity and the variety of identities women can possess

Suffrage Movement

the movement organized around gaining voting rights for women

Feminism

belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes; also the social movements organized around that belief

Sex

an individual's membership in one of two biologically distinct categories-male or female (BIOLOGICAL)

Gender Identity

an individual's self-definition or sense of gender

Men's Rights Movement

an offshoot of male liberationism whose members believe that feminist promotes discrimination against men

Pro-Feminist Men's Movement

an offshoot of male liberationism whose members support feminism and believe that sexism harms both men and women

Social Learning

the process of learning behaviors and meaning through social interaction

Bisexuality

sexual attraction to both genders; bisexuals are sexually attracted to both males and females

Heterosexuality

sexual desire for the other gender

Queer Theory

social theory about gender identity and sexuality that emphasizes the importance of differences and rejects as restrictive the idea of innate( natural/ born with) sexual identity--it asserts that being queer is about "possibilities, gaps, overlaps, dissonances and resonances", emphasizes the claim that people don't have to be restricted to either heterosexuality or homosexuality

Sexuality

the character or quality of being sexual

Hegemonic Masculinity

the culturally idealized form of masculinity in a given historical and social setting--there is no hegemonic felinity because women don't hold much power as men

First Wave

the earliest period of feminist activism in the United States, including the period from the mid-nineteenth century until American women won the right to vote in 1920

Feminization of Poverty

the economic trend showing that women are more likely than men to live in poverty, caused in part by the gendered gap in wages, the higher proportion of single mot hers compared to single fathers, and the increasing costs of child care

Expressive Role

the position of the family member who provides emotional support and nurturing. This role is given to women in the traditional family

Instrumental Role

the position of the family member who provides the family's material support and is often an authority figure This role is given to men in the traditional family.

Homophobia

fear of or discrimination toward homosexual or toward individuals who display purportedly gender-inappropriate behavior

Homosexuality

the tendency to feel sexual desire tower members of one's own gender

Second Shift

the unpaid housework and child care often expected of women after they complete their day's paid labor

Conflict Theories's Approach to Gender Inequality

Because of the tradition division of labor in families, males have had more access to resources and privilege and have sought to maintain their dominance. Male-dominated occupations generally hold more prestige and are better paid; women may encounter difficulties entering in male-dominated occupations, whereas men may more easily succeed in female-dominated occupations. Women are exploited.

Functionalism's Approach to Gender Identity

Sex determines which roles men and women are best suited to; it is more appropriate for men to play instrumental roles and for women to play expressive roles. This keeps society stable. Women are naturally more nurturing and thus make better nurses and teachers of young children; men are naturally more logical and thus make better lawyers and computer programmers.

Females

Chromosomes: XX Dominant Hormone: Estrogen Primary Sex Characteristics: Reproductive organs: vagina, cervix, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, other glands Secondary Sex Characteristics: Shorter than males; larger breasts; wider hips than shoulders; less facial hair; more subcutaneous (underneath skin) fat [think butt]; fat deposits around buttocks, thigh and hips; smoother skin texture

Males

Chromosomes: XY Dominant Hormone: Testosteron Primary Sex Characteristics: Reproductive organs: penis, testicles, scrotum, prostate, other glands Secondary Sex Characteristics: Abdominal, chest, body, and facial hair, larger hands and feet; broader shoulders and chest; heavier skull and bone structure; greater muscle mass and strength; Adam's apple and deeper voice; fat deposits around abdominals and waist; coarser skin texture

Symbolic Interactionism's Approach to Gender Inequality

Gender is learned through the process of socialization; gender inequalities are reproduced through interactions with family, peers, school, and the media. Girls and boys are socialized differently and may be encouraged to see out gender-appropriate training, college majors, and career goals, leading them to enter male- and female- dominated occupations.

Male Liberationism

a movement that originated in the 1970s to discuss the challenges of masculinity

Asexuality

involves the lack of sexual attraction of any kind; asexual people have no interests in or desire for sex

LGBTQ

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer; sometimes "A"is added to included "allies"

Patriarchy

literally meaning "rule of the father"; a male-dominated society

Civil Unions

proposed as an alternative to gay marriage; a form of legally recognized commitment that provides gay couples some of the benefits and protections of marriage

Heteronormativity

refers to assumption that everyone is heterosexual and the recognition that all social institutions are built around a heterosexual model of man/women

Intersexed

term to describe a person whose chromosome or sex characteristics are neither exclusively male nor exclusively female

Human Sexual Dimorphism

the belief that anatomy defines men and women-it is highly debated now due to how cross-dressers, transsexuals, and the transgendered have broadened our definition of sex and gender. Biology may be neither the sole nor the primary factor in determining masculinity and femininity.

Sexual Orientation / Sexual Identity

the inclination too feel sexual desire towards people of a particular gender or towards both genders

Gender Role Socialization

the lifelong process of learning to be masculine or feminine, primarily through four agents of socialization: families, schools, peers, and the media

Second Wave

the period of feminist activity during the late 1960s and 1970s often associated with the issues of women's equal access to employment and education

Cisgender

this is when a person;s gender matches with the person's sex

Essentialists

those who believe gender roles have a genetic or biological origin and therefore cannot be changed- they restrict the gender identity to be a two-category system being male and female

Constructionists

those who believe that notions of gender are socially determined-they believe that the meaning of masculinity and femininity may differ drastically in different society and historical periods

Gender Segregation

upholds the traditional family by assigning the instrumental role to males, and the expressive role to women