SOC 101 Chapter 9

gender expression

an individual's behavioral manifestations of gender

gender role socialization

the lifelong process of learning to be masculine or feminine, primarily through agents of socialization

men's liberation

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

rape culture

a set of beliefs, norms, and values that normalizes sexual violence against women

binary

a system of classification with only two distinct and opposite categories

sex

an individual's membership in one of two categories--male or female--based on biological factors

gender identity

an individual's self-definition or sense of gender

men's rights movement

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

pro-feminist men's movement

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

feminism

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

cisgenderism

belief in the superiority or cisgender persons and identities

heterosexism

belief in the superiority or heterosexuality and heterosexuals

microaggression

everyday uses of ordinary language that may send denigrating messages to certain members of certain social groups

homophobia

fear of or discrimination toward gay, lesbian, and bisexual people

transphobia

fear of or discrimination toward transgender or other gender-nonconforming people

same-sex marriage

federally recognized marriage between members of the same sex; made legal in the US in 2015

LGBTQ

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (sometimes "A" is added to include "allies")

patriarchy

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

homosexuality

sexual attraction toward members of one's own gender

heterosexuality

sexual attraction toward members of the other gender

bisexuality

sexual attraction towards members of both genders

queer theory

social theory about gender and sexual identity; emphasizes the importance of difference and rejects ideas of innate identities or restrictive categories

intersex

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

cisgender

term used when gender identity and/or expression aligns with the sex assigned at birth

gender nonconforming

term used when gender identity and/or expression differs from societal expectations about gender roles

transgender

term used when gender identity and/or expression is different from the sex assigned at birth

heteronormativity

the belief that heterosexuality is and should be the norm

sexism

the belief that one sex, usually male, is superior to the other

sexuality

the character or quality of being sexual

first wave

the earliest period of feminist activism, 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 mothers compared to single fathers, and the increasing costs of child care

sexual orientation/identity

the inclination to feel sexual desire toward people of a particular gender or toward both genders

asexuality

the lack of sexual attraction of any kind; no interest in or desire for sex

third wave

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

suffrage movement

the movement organized around gaining voting rights for women

second wave

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

gender

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

expressive role

the position of the family member who provides emotional support and nurturing

instrumental role

the position of the family member who provides material support; often an authority figure

social learning

the process of learning behaviors and meanings through social interaction

second shift

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

essentialists

those who believe gender roles have a genetic or biological origin and therefore cannot be changed

constructionists

those who believe that notions of gender are socially determined, such that a dichotomous binary system is just one possibility among many

coming out

to openly declare one's true identity to those who might not be aware of it; short for "coming out of the closet," a phrase used to describe how gays and lesbians have felt compelled to keep their sexual orientation a secret