Sociology Chapter 9
homophobia
fear of or discrimination toward gay, lesbian, and bisexual people fear of those who are not heterosexual
transphobia
fear of or discrimination toward transgender or other gender-nonconforming people fear of those who don't conform to society's gender expectations
same-sex marriages
federally recognized marriage between members of the same sex; made legal in the US in 2015
matriarchal
female dominated society
Symbolic Interactionism
gender is learned through the process of socialization; gender inequalities are reproduced through interactions with family, peers, school, and the media
symbolic interactionism
gender is socially constructed and maintained in our everyday lives
functionalism
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
bisexuality
sexual attraction toward members of both genders
homosexuality
sexual attraction toward members of one's own gender gay or lesbian
heterosexuality
sexual attraction toward members of the other gender "straight"
queer
term that used to mean odd or peculiar but now means anything that challenges prevailing binary notions of sex, gender, and sexuality (and is sometimes used to describe nonconformity on other areas as well)
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 (noncisgender)
term used when gender identity and/or expression is different from the sex assigned at birth
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 equal opportunity laws, legislation against sexual harassment and marital rape, and a general increase in public awareness about gender discrimination in out society
asexuality
the lack of sexual attraction of any kind; no interest in or desire for sex
gender role socialization
the lifelong process of learning to be masculine or feminine, primarily through agents of socialization
gender
the physical, behavioral, and personality traits that a group considers normal for its male and female members what is masculine or feminine
expressive role
the position of the family member who provides emotional support and nurturing cares for a child and stabilizes the personality of the instrumental partner against the stresses of the competitive world
instrumental role
the position of the family member who provides the family's material support and is often an authority figure "breadwinner"
social learning
the process of learning behaviors and meanings through social interaction (reprimanding a young boy for crying)
third wave
the most recent period of feminist activism, focusing on issues of diversity, globalization, and the variety of identities women can possess focused on intersectionality equality, diversity, and global interconnectedness
suffrage movement
the movement organized around gaining voting rights for women
people with multiple genders
all these are examples of bigender, trigender, and pangender
gender expression
an individual's behavioral manifestations of gender "masculine" or "feminine" clothing, grooming, behavior, body language, gestures, and even names
sex
an individual's membership in one of two biologically distinct categories- male or female-based on biological factors
gender identity
an individual's self-definition or sense of gender may or may not correspond with the sex we have been assigned at birth
misogyny
an ingrained prejudice against women; dislike, contempt, or hatred of women
men's rights movement
an offshoot of male liberation whose members believe that feminism promotes discrimination against men argues that because of feminism, men are actually discriminated against and even oppressed both in the legal arena and in everyday life
genderfluid
those whose gender fluctuates over time
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 secret
Symbolic Interactionism
what theory does this case study fall under? girls and boys are socialized differently and may be encouraged tp seek out gender-appropriate training, college majors, and career goals, leading them to enter male-and female-dominated occupations
functionalism
what theory does this case study fall under? 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
conflict theory
what theory does this case study fall under? Male-dominated occupations generally hold more prestige and are better paid; women may encounter difficulties entering male-dominated occupations, whereas men may more easily succeed in female-dominated occupations
Talcott Parsons
who argues that gender role expectations upheld the traditional family male "breadwinners" fulfilled an instrumental role by being task oriented and authoritative, while female "homemakers" embodied an expressive role by providing emotional support
three societies that do acknowledge a "third gender"
1. Berdaches or "Two-Spirit" People 2. Hijas 3. Bacha Posh
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer
LGBTQ
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Intersex Asexual
LGBTQIA
men's liberation
a movement that originated in the 1970s to discuss the challenges of masculinity the need to free men from oppressive gender roles men suffer from greater stress, poorer health, and a shorter life expectancy and argued that these resulted from pressures to achieve success combined with men's ability to express themselves and their emotions
intersex
a person whose chromosomes or sex characteristics are neither exclusively male or exclusively female most parents seek out surgical and other procedures to quickly remedy the situation (in most cases female is the most viable and expedient choice)
rape culture
a set of beliefs, norms, and values that normalizes sexual violence against women
gender binary
a system of classification with only two distinct and opposite categories
pro-feminist men's movement
an offshoot of male liberation whose members support feminism and believe that sexism harms both men and women suggest that the idea that men are superior is a burden and that, in the long term, men will be happier if society becomes less sexist men need to share more of the responsibilities of child care, contest economic disparities and violence against women, and generally respect and value women's lives
conflict theory
because of the traditional division of labor in families, males have had more access to resources and privileges and have sought to maintain their dominance
feminism
belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes; also the social movements organized around that belief
heterosexism or cisgenderism
belief in the superiority of heterosexuality and heterosexuals
primary sex characteristics
biological factors, such as chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive organs that distinguish males from females
feminist theory
dedicated to securing the same rights and freedoms for both women and men in society focuses on enhancing scholarly understanding on gender inequalities on society by applying assumptions about gender inequality to various social institutions-the family, education, the economy, or media- this allows for a new way of understanding those institutions and the changing role of gender in contemporary society contribute to "writing women back in" to scholarship in history, literature, art, and the social and natural sciences, areas in which the lives and contributions of women have traditionally been minimized or overlooked entirely
microaggression
everyday use of subtle verbal and nonverbal communications that convey denigrating or dismissive messages to members of certain social groups are experienced as insulting or demeaning (man-made, mankind)
pink-collar
jobs (nurses, secretaries, librarians) are considered less desirable in a patriarchal society
patriarchy
literally meaning "rule of the father"; a male-dominated society
functionalism
men and women should remain in traditional social roles to keep society stable
conflict theory
men have control over most society's resources and privileges and will continue to maintain their dominant status through the exploitation of women
secondary sex characteristics
physical differences between males an females, including facial and body hair, musculature, and bone structure, that are unrelated to reproduction
queer theory
social theory about gender and sexual identity; emphasizes the importance of difference and rejects ideas of innate identities or restrictive categories rejects the idea of a single gay, lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual, or transgender identity, emphasizing instead the importance of difference any kind of categorization id outmoded and limiting
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 used to describe sexual behaviors, desires, and fantasies (the things people actually do as well as the things they think or dream about doing)
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 mothers compared to single fathers, and the increasing costs of child care
sexual orientation or identity
the inclination to feel sexual desire toward people of a particular gender
symbolic interactionists
these people emphasize how gender is socially constructed and maintained in our everyday lives gender is so important to our social selves that we can barely interact with anyone without first determining that person's gender identity we need to categorize, and we need to be categorizable as well
Essentialists
those who believe gender roles have a genetic or biological origin and therefore cannot be changed
constructionist
those who believe that notions of gender are socially determined, such that a binary system is just one possibility among many see gender as a social construction and acknowledge that possibility that binary male-female categories aren't the only way to classify individuals believe that the meaning of masculinity and femininity may differ drastically in different societies and historical periods
1. families 2. schools 3. peers 4. media
what are the four agents of socialization for gender roles?
families
what are usually the primary source of socialization?
suffrage movement
what became the cause most identified with the first wave of the women's movement?
Stonewall Inn
what gay bar in New York City was raided by police who harassed the people in there which sparked a new era of campaigning for civil rights for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and trans individuals?
conflict theorists
who believe men have historically had access to most of society's material resources and privileges, and consequently they generally seek to maintain their dominant status thus they see gender inequality in much the same way as they see race and class inequality-as manifestations of exploitation
functionalists
who believe that there are still social roles better suited to one gender than the other, and societies are more stable when norms are fulfilled by the appropriate sex
Talcott Parsons
who developed two complementary roles: instrumental role and expressive role
Friedrich Engels
who noted that capitalists (the owners of property) benefited from maintaining patriarchal families with women in the private sphere and men in the public workplace because women do the work of reproducing the labor force (on which the capitalists depend) without recieving san y direct compensation, and they serve as an inexpensive "reserve army" of labor when the need arises if private property were abolished, the material inequalities producing social classes would disappear, and there would no longer be powerful interests forcing women into domestic roles
Zillah Eisenstein
who noted that men stand to lose a good deal if gender segregation disappears: they would have to do more unpaid work, or pay to have their homes lept up and children cared for; they would have to find jobs in a larger and more competitive market; and they would lose some power and prestige if they were no longer the more viable breadwinners
Alfred Kinsey
who suggested that human sexuality is far more diverse than commonly assumed and believed that people are not exclusively heterosexual or homosexual but can fall along a wide spectrum
Betty Friedan
who wrote The Feminine Mystique that was about the problem that had no name, a problem that lay buried, unspoken, for many years in the minds of American women: the sense of limitation and dissatisfaction that many women felt with their lives