Sociology Chapter 9

Symbolic Interactionism

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

Men's rights movement

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

Pro-Feminist Men's Movements

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

Sexual Orientation/identity

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

Suffrage Movement

the movement organized around gaining votes and rights for women

Second Wave

the period of feminist activity during the 1960's and 1970's 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. For example, men are supposed to act aggressive and competitive and females nurturing and emotional. Society dictates the behavior of what is masculine and feminine

Homophobia

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

Symbolic Interaction on Theories of Gender and Sexuality

gender is socially constructed and maintained in our everyday lives

Transsexuals

individuals who identify with the other sex and have surgery to alter their own sex so it fits their self-image

Bisexuality

sexual attraction to both genders; bisexuals are sexually attracted to both men and women

Heterosexuality

sexual desire for the other gender

Intersexed

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

Gender role socialization

the lifelong process of learning to be masculine or feminine, primarily through four agents of socialization: families, schools, peers, and the media.

Expressive Role

the position of the family member who provides emotional support and nurturing

Instrumental Role

the position of the family member who provides the family's material support and is often an authority figure

Third Wave

the most recent period of feminist activity, focusing on issues of diversity and the variety of identities women can posses

Transgendered

Term describing an individual whose sense of gender identity transgresses expected gender categories

Gender Identity

an individual's definition or sense of gender.

Social Learning

the process of learning behaviors and meanings through social interaction. By age 2 children are aware of each other's genders and their own. By age 3 children begin to identify specific traits associated with each gender. By 5th grade gender norms are firmly established.

Sex

An individual's membership in one of two biologically distinct categories- Male and Female. The distinction is based on biological factors: chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive organs.

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

Feminism

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

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 women to play expressive roles

Queer Theory

Social theory about gender identity and sexuality that emphasizes the importance of difference and rejects as restrictive the idea of innate sexual identity

Male Liberationism

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

Aseuxality

involves the lack of sexual attraction of any kind; asexual people have no interest in or desire for sex

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

Functionalism on Theories of Gender and Sexuality

men and women should remain in traditional social roles to keep society stable

Conflict Theory on Theories of Gender and Sexuality

men have control over most of society's resources and privileges and will continue to maintain their dominant status through the exploitation of women

Civil Union

proposed as an alternative to gay marriage; a form legally recognized commitment that provides gay couples some of the benefits and protections of marriage

Sexuality

the character or quality of being sexual

First Wave

the earliest period of feminist activism in the US, including the period from the mid-19th 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.

Human Sexual Dimorphism

the extent, much debated in recent years, to which inherent physical differences define the distinctions between the 2 sexes. Men and Women are truly built differently but biology cannot tell us everything about how sex and gender work. Biology is neither the sole nor the primary factor in determining masculinity and femininity

Homosexuality

the tendency to feel sexual desire toward members of one's own gender

Second Shift

the unpaid housework and child care often expected of women after they complete their day's of paid labor

Essentialists

those who believe gender roles have a genetic or biological origin and therefore cannot be changed. There is no other option besides being male or female from birth to death.

Constructionists

those who believe that notions of gender are socially determined, such as a dichotomous system is just one possibility among many. Used by most mainstream sociologists