soc 101 chapter 12--gender, sex, and sexuality

conflict theorist perspective on gender

According to conflict theory, society is a struggle for dominance among social groups (like women versus men) that compete for scarce resources. When sociologists examine gender from this perspective, we can view men as the dominant group and women as the subordinate group. Engels suggested that the same owner- worker relationship seen in the labor force is also seen in the household, with women assuming the role of the proletariat.

DOMA

Defense of Marriage Act a 1996 U.S. law explicitly limiting the definition of "marriage" to a union between one man and one woman and allowing each individual state to recognize or deny same-sex marriages performed in other states

Feminist theory (part of conflict theory)

Feminist theory is 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. Radical feminism, in particular, considers the role of the family in perpetuating male dominance.

structural functionalist perspective on gender

Functionalists argue that 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.

symbolic interactionist perspective of sexuality

Interactionists focus on the meanings associated with sexuality and with sexual orientation. Just as masculinity is the symbolic norm for men, so too has heterosexuality come to signify normalcy. Interactionists are also interested in how discussions of homosexuals often focus almost exclusively on the sex lives of gays and lesbians; homosexuals, especially men, may be assumed to be hypersexual and, in some cases, deviant. Interactionism might also focus on the slurs used to describe homosexuals. Labels such as "queen" and "fag" are often used to demean homosexual men by feminizing them. This subsequently affects how homosexuals perceive themselves.

social construct of sexuality vs biological determinism (symbolic interactionist)

SOCIAL CONSTRUCT OF SEXUALITY refers to the way in which socially created definitions about the cultural appropriateness of sex-linked behavior shape the way people see and experience sexuality. This is in marked contrast to theories of sex, gender, and sexuality that link male and female behavior to BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM, or the belief that men and women behave differently due to differences in their biology.

Sexuality

Sexuality is viewed as a person's capacity for sexual feelings. Studying sexual attitudes and practices is a particularly interesting field of sociology because sexual behavior is a cultural universal.

social stratification

Stratification refers to a system in which groups of people experience unequal access to basic, yet highly valuable, social resources. The United States is characterized by gender stratification (as well as stratification of race, income, occupation, and the like). Even when a woman's employment status is equal to a man's, she will generally make only 77 cents for every dollar made by her male counterpart

symbolic interactionist perspective on gender

Symbolic interactionism aims to understand human behavior by analyzing the critical role of symbols in human interaction. This is certainly relevant to the discussion of masculinity and femininity. they analyze the way we react to others based on gender (ex: do we respond with logic or emotion) as well as the many symbols attached to each gender and what they signify (ex: makeup for women, the connotation of the word "gay")

functionalist perspective on sexuality

When it comes to sexuality, functionalists stress the importance of regulating sexual behavior to ensure marital cohesion and family stability. Since functionalists identify the family unit as the most integral component in society, they maintain a strict focus on it at all times and argue in favor of social arrangements that promote and ensure family preservation. Social norms surrounding family life have, traditionally, encouraged sexual activity within the family unit (marriage) and have discouraged activity outside of it (premarital and extramarital sex). From a functionalist standpoint, homosexuality cannot be promoted on a large-scale as an acceptable substitute for heterosexuality.

Gender Dysphoria

a condition of people whose gender at birth is contrary to the one they identify with. For a person to be diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria, there must be a marked difference between the individual's expressed/experienced gender and the gender others would assign him or her, and it must continue for at least six months.

Gender identity/ transgender

a person's deeply held internal perception of his or her gender. Individuals who identify with the role that is the different from their biological sex are called transgender. Transgender individuals who attempt to alter their bodies through medical interventions such as surgery and hormonal therapy are called transsexuals.

sexual orientation

a person's physical, mental, emotional, and sexual attraction to a particular sex (male or female). Sexual orientation is typically divided into four categories: heterosexuality, the attraction to individuals of the other sex; homosexuality, the attraction to individuals of the same sex; bisexuality, the attraction to individuals of either sex; and asexuality, no attraction to either sex.

double standard

a set of principles granting greater sexual freedom to men than to women (ex: men are players for having multiple partners but women are sluts)

heteronormative society

a society that assumes sexual orientation is biologically determined and unambiguous. Consider that homosexuals are often asked, "When did you know you were gay?" but heterosexuals are rarely asked, "When did you know that you were straight?"

Queer Theory

an interdisciplinary approach to sexuality studies that identifies Western society's rigid splitting of gender into male and female roles and questions the manner in which we have been taught to think about sexual orientation. The perspective highlights the need for a more flexible and fluid conceptualization of sexuality—one that allows for change, negotiation, and freedom. The current schema used to classify individuals as either "heterosexual" or "homosexual" pits one orientation against the other. This mirrors other oppressive schemas in our culture, especially those surrounding gender and race (black versus white, male versus female). theorists utilizing queer theory strive to question the ways society perceives and experiences sex, gender, and sexuality, opening the door to new scholarly understanding.

heterosexism

defined by Herek (1990) suggests is both an ideology and a set of institutional practices that privilege heterosexuals and heterosexuality over other sexual orientations. Much like racism and sexism, heterosexism is a systematic disadvantage embedded in our social institutions, offering power to those who conform to hetereosexual orientation while simultaneously disadvantaging those who do not. homophobia is an extreme form of this

conflict theorist persoective on sexuality

dominant groups actively work to promote their worldview as well as their economic interests. Dominant groups (in this instance, heterosexuals) wish for their worldview—which embraces traditional marriage and the nuclear family—to win out over what they see as the intrusion of a secular, individually driven worldview. On the other hand, many gay and lesbian activists argue that legal marriage is a fundamental right that cannot be denied based on sexual orientation Conflict theory suggests that as long as heterosexuals and homosexuals struggle over these social and financial resources, there will be some degree of conflict.

Sexism

prejudiced beliefs that value one sex over another. It varies in its level of severity. In parts of the world where women are strongly undervalued, young girls may not be given the same access to nutrition, healthcare, and education as boys. Further, they will grow up believing they deserve to be treated differently from boys

gender role

refers to society's concept of how men and women are expected to look and how they should behave. These roles are based on norms, or standards, created by society. In U.S. culture, masculine roles are usually associated with strength, aggression, and dominance, while feminine roles are usually associated with passivity, nurturing, and subordination. Role learning starts with socialization at birth.

sex

the biological distinction between females and males including primary sex characteristics (reproductive organs) and secondary characteristics such as height and masculinity A person's sex, as determined by his or her biology, does not always correspond with his or her gender.

Doing Gender (West and Zimmerman 1987) (symbolic interactionist)

the performance of tasks based upon the gender assigned to us by society and, in turn, ourselves Whether we are expressing our masculinity or femininity, West and Zimmerman argue, we are always "doing gender." Thus, gender is something we do or perform, not something we are.

gender

the socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female different cultures have varying gender roles (ex: Scottish people wear kilts which may be considered feminine in American culture)