SOC101 Chapter 9 Constructing Gender and Sexuality

Conflict Theory Approach to Gender Inequality

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

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

Gender Nonconforming

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

Transgender

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

Gender Expression

an individual's behavioral manifestations of gender

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

Pro-Feminist Men's Movement

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

Men's Rights Movement

an offshoot of the 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

Cisgenderism

belief in the superiority of cisgender persons and identities

Heterosexism

belief in the superiority of heterosexuality and heterosexuals

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 or 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

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

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 suppport; often an authority figure

Social Learning

the process of learning behaviors and meanings through social interaction

Queer Theory

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

Second Shift

the unpaid housework and childcare 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 seecret

Men's Liberation

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

Symbolic Interactionism Approach to Gender Inequality

Gender is learned through the process of socialization; gender inequalities are reproduced through interactions with family, peers, schools, and the media

Functionalism Approach to Gender Inequality

Sex determines which roles men and women are best suited to; it is more appropriate for men to play instrumental roles and for woment to play expressive roles

Microaggression

everyday uses of ordinary language that may send denigrating messages to 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 United States in 2015....... marriage equality- in June 2015, the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges, guaranteeing married same-sex couples the same rights as married opposite-sex couples

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

Bisexuality

sexual attraction toward members of both genders (sexes)

Homosexuality

sexual attraction toward members of one's own gender (male-male or female-female)

Heterosexuality

sexual attraction toward members of the other gender (e.g. male-female)

Intersex

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

Cisgender

term used when gender identity and/or expression aligns with 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