chapter 9 : gender & sociology

Heteronormativity

The belief that heterosexuality is and should be the norm.

Sexism

The belief that one sex 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.

Men's rights movement

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

Feminism

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

Homophobia

Discrimination toward gay, lesbian, and bisexual people.

Transphobia

Discrimination toward transgender or other gender-nonconforming people.

Microaggression

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

Same-sex marriage

Federally recognized marriage between members of the same sex; made legal in the United States in 2015.

Patriarchy

Literally meaning "rule of the father"; a male dominated society.

Sexual orientation / identity

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

Gender role socialization

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

Third wave

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

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.

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 gender is socially determined.

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.

Rape culture

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