Sociology Chapter 9

Homosexuality

Sexual attraction toward members of one's own gender.

Heterosexuality

Sexual attraction toward members of the other gender.

Queer Theory

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

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. Means that our sex and gender correspond.

Gender Noncomforming

Term used when gender identity and/or expression differs from societal expectations about gender roles. (Trans individuals, bigender, trigender, pangender, etc)

Transgender

Term used when gender identity and/or expression is different from the sex assigned at birth. Aka, gender identity does not align with their 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.

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.

Heterosexism

Belief in the superiority of heterosexuality and heterosexuals.

Bisexuality

Sexual attraction toward members of both genders.

Gender Identity

An individual's self-definition or sense of gender. Aka, our deeply held sense of ourselves as male, female, or some other gender. May or may not correspond with the sex we have been assigned at birth.

Men's Rights Movement

An offshoot of male liberationism 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.

Pro-Feminist Men's Movement

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

Feminism

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

Cingenderism

Belief in the superiority of cisgender persons and identities.

Microaggression

Everyday uses of ordinary language that may send denigrating messages to members of certain social groups. Ex: using "he" to refer to all mankind, may make women feel excluded and demeaned.

Homophobia

Fear of or discrimination toward gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. (So, 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 Marriage

Federally recognized marriage between members of the same sex; made legal in the U.S. in 2015.

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.

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 (primarily families, schools, peers, and the media.. religion as well sometimes).

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. Reflects our notions about what is appropriately "masculine" or "feminine."

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 support; often an authority figure.

Social Learning

The process of learning behaviors and meanings through social interaction.

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. (see gender as immutable and biological, and as unambiguous, two-category system)

Constructionists

Those who believe that notions of gender are socially determined, such that a dichotomous binary system is just one possibility among many. Believe that the meaning of masculinity and femininity may differ drastically in different societies and historical periods.

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.

Gender Expression

An individual's behavioral or external manifestations of gender. Include masculine or feminine clothing, grooming, behavior, body language, gestures, and even names.

Sex

An individual's membership in one of two categories- male or female- based on biological factors.

Men's Liberation

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

Binary

A system of classification with only two distinct and opposite categories. (only two categories for sex: male and female)