Sociology chapter 9

Male Liberationism

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

Constructionist

Approach and see gender as a social construction and acknowledge the possibility that male and female categories are not the only way of classifying individuals.

Functionalists

Believe that there are social roles better suites to one gender than the other, and that societies are more stable when certain tasks are done by the appropriate sex.

Interactionists

Emphasize how the concept of gender is socially constructed maintained, and reproduced in our everyday lives.

Gender and Language

Even our language and vocabulary tend to reflect a hierarchal system.

Men's rights movement

Father's rights movement. Argues that because of feminism, men are actually discriminated against and even oppressed both in the legal arena and in everyday life.

Homophobia

Fear of or discrimination toward homosexuals or toward individuals who display purportedly gender-inappropriate behavior.

Gender Inequality

Has persisted in contemporary societies.

Intersexed

Term to describe a person whose chromosomes or sex characteristics are neither exclusively male nor exclusively female.

First wave

The earliest period of feminist activism and included the period from the mid-nineteenth century until American women won the right to vote in 1920.

Asexual

Simply reject any sexual identity at all.

Schools

Socialize children into their gender roles. For instance, research shows that teachers treat boys and girls differently. This may teach children that there are different expectations of them, based on their sex.

Patriarchy

"Rule of the Father"; a male-dominated society.

Peer

Peer groups are an important agent of socialization.

Civil Unions

Proposed as an alternative to gay marriage; commitment that provides gay couples some of the benefits and protections of marriage.

Sex

Refers to an individual's membership in one of two biologically distinct categories-Male or Female.

Teens

Rewarded by peers when they conform to gender norms and stigmatized when they do not.

Essentialists

See gender as biological and permanent-it is a simple, two-category system. Your chromosomes, hormones, and genitalia determine your identity.

Feminization of poverty

The economic trend that women are more likely than men to live in poverty, due in part to the gendered gap in wages, the higher proportion of single mothers compared to single fathers, and the increasing cost of child care.

Sexual orientation

The inclination to feel sexual desire toward people particular gender or toward both genders. heterosexual (attracted to the opposite sex), homosexual (attracted to the same sex), or bisexual (attracted to either sex).

Gender Role Socialization

The lifelong process of learning to be masculine or feminine, primarily through for main agents of socialization: families, school, peers, and the media.

Third Wave

The most recent period of feminist activity and focuses on issues of diversity and the variety of identities that women can possess.

Suffrage Movement

The movement organized around gaining voting rights for women.

Second Waves

The period of feminist activity during the 1960s and 1970s, often associated with the issues of women's equal access to employment and education.

Expressive role

The person who provides the family's emotional support and nurturing.

Instrumental role

The person who provides the family's material support and is often an authority figure.

Families

Usually the primary source of socialization and greatly impact gender role socialization.

Sex and gender

Affect almost every significant aspect of our lives. Even lifespan is different depending on sex!

Gender Identity

An individual's self-definition or sense of gender.

Pro-feminist men's movement

A group that feels that sexism harms both men and women and wants to fundamentally change society's ideas about gender.

Second shift

A term that describes the unpaid housework and child care often expected of a woman, even after she completes a day of paid labor outside of the home.

Media

A variety of media sources, such as movies, comic books, or popular music, we learn "How to behave, how to be accepted, what to value, and what is normal."

The wave movement

In the United States, the history of the women's movement can be divided into three historical waves.

Sex-role behavior

Is portrayed in a highly stereotypical manner in all forms of the media: television, movies, magazines, books, video games, and so on.

Gender Identity

Is so important to our social selves that we can barely interact with anyone without first determining that person's gender.

Feminism

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

Conflict Theory

Men have historically had access to most of society's material resources and privileges. Therefore, it is in their interest to try to maintain their dominant position.

Gender

Refers to the physical, behavioral, and personality traits that a group considers normal for its male and female members.

Social Learning

Theory suggests that babies and children learn behaviors and meanings through social interaction and internalize the expectations of those around them.