Sociology Chapter 12

Sexuality

a person's capacity for sexual feelings

Socialization

a process in which people learn to behave in a particular way as dictated by societal values, beliefs, and attitudes

Gender

a term that refers to social or cultural distinctions associated with being male or female

Feminist theory

a type of conflict theory that examines inequalities in gender-related issues. It uses the conflict approach to examine the maintenance of gender roles and inequalities

Sexual orientation

emotional and sexual attraction to a particular sex

Transgender

individuals who identify with the role that is the opposite of their biological sex

Sex

physical or physiological differences between males and females, including both primary sex characteristics (the reproductive system) and secondary characteristics such as height and muscularity

Sexism

prejudiced beliefs that value one sex over another

Gender roles

refers to society's concept of how men and women are expected to act and how they should behave

Conflict Theorist Viewpoint

social problems are created when dominant (male) groups exploit or oppress subordinate (female) groups

Gender identity

the extent to which one identifies as being either masculine or feminine

Transexual

transgendered individuals who wish to alter their bodies through medical interventions such as surgery and hormonal therapy, so that their physical being is better aligned with gender identity

"doing gender"

when people perform tasks or possess characteristics based on the gender role assigned to them

Four major agents of socialization

family, education, peer groups, and mass media

Functionalist Viewpoint

gender roles were established well before the pre-industrial era when men typically took care of responsibilities outside of the home, such as hunting, and women typically took care of the domestic responsibilities in or around the home. These roles were considered functional because women were often limited by the physical restraints of pregnancy and nursing and unable to leave the home for long periods of time. Once established, these roles were passed on to subsequent generations since they served as an effective means of keeping the family system functioning properly