Chapter 1: Gender & Society Flashcards
The biological differences between males and females:
Sex
Roles, behaviors, and identities that society assigns to people based on their sex:
Gender
Suggests that there is no clear-cut male or female brain, but rather a mixture of characteristics, challenging binary gender stereotypes in neuroscience:
Human Brain Mosaic Theory
Individuals born with biological sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female:
Intersex
Society and culture shape what it means to be male or female, emphasizing the influence of social expectations rather than biological determinism:
Social Construction of Sex and Gender
The idea that society forces men and women into rigidly opposite roles and behaviors:
Gender Polarization
What is the Generic “He” and its implications?
The Generic “He” refers to using “he” as a default pronoun for all people, which elides females and reinforces sex-type thinking. It encourages the perception of men as the default and can obscure the presence and contributions of women.
The notion that men are considered the primary or original gender, based on narratives such as Adam being created before Eve, reinforcing the idea of men as the default:
Male Primacy
Who tagged the term of women being “marked”?
Simone de Beauvoir
What does Simone de Beauvoir mean by women being “marked”?
Simone de Beauvoir argued that women are marked as an extension of men, meaning their identity is defined in relation to men rather than as an independent category.
The evolution of word meanings over time:
Semantic Change
The process of reclaiming and repurposing a stigmatized word to neutralize or overturn its negative connotations:
Reverse Discourse
Focuses on how the context in which a word or message is received affects its interpretation and impact:
Reception Theory
The idea that language and actions are interdependent, with certain words and behaviors reinforcing or constituting social identities:
Performativity
Characteristics involved in reproduction:
Primary Sex Characteristics
Not directly related to reproduction but indicate certain sex:
Secondary Sex Characteristics
Refers to the way multiple identities (e.g., race, gender, class) intersect and interact, influencing an individual’s experiences and perspectives in the world:
Intersectionality
What does it mean that children are gender schematic?
Children categorize people and behaviors into gender-specific roles and attributes. This categorical thinking helps them navigate social expectations but may limit cognitive flexibility.
The culturally dominant form of masculinity that establishes a hierarchy where some men are seen as more masculine and dominant than others:
Hegemonic Masculinity
The culturally idealized form of femininity:
Hegemonic Feminity
The benefits or rewards women may receive for conforming to these ideals within a masculine-dominated system:
The Feminity Premium
When women navigate and sometimes leverage the existing patriarchal system to gain personal or professional advantages, even if it means conforming to traditional gender roles:
The Patriarchal Bargain
Involves positive yet patronizing attitudes towards women:
Benevolent Sexism
Encompasses overt hostility and devaluation of women, reinforcing gender polarization:
Hostile Sexism
How is homophobia related to misogyny?
Homophobia can be linked to misogyny because both involve devaluation of femininity; for instance, gay men may be targeted due to stereotypes associating them with feminine traits.
A social system in which men hold primary power and authority, historically seen in legal and societal structures:
Patriarchy
A concept describing the idealized, dominant societal prototype (e.g., white, middle-class, heterosexual, Christian man) against which all others are measured:
The Mythical Norm
Who came up with the mythical norm?
Audre Lorde
A 1949 book by the French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir, in which the author discusses the treatment of women in the present society as well as throughout all of history:
The Second Sex
An American academic whose theories of the performative nature of gender and sex have been influential within Francocentric philosophy, cultural theory, queer theory, and some schools of philosophical feminism from the late 20th century:
Judith Butler
A set of repeated acts that force people to take on certain behaviors, conditioning them to be within an acceptable range of variation:
Rigid Regulatory Frame
Who came up with the Rigid Regulatory Frame?
Judith Butler
A social and economic penalty for behaving in a way that goes against stereotypes:
Backlash Effect
A situation in which a person is confronted with two irreconcilable demands or a choice between two undesirable courses of action:
Double Bind
A rule or principle which is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups:
Double Standards
All women are expected to perform one special class of work for men:
Service Work
Looks at behavior based on interviews and scores on certain metrics (7-point scale):
The Kinsey Scale (1948)
Addressed any shortcomings of the Kinsey scale; what you’re doing doesn’t always represent what’s inside (7 dimensions rated on the past, present, and ideal):
The Klein Grid
4 different categories (homosexuals, bisexuals, heterosexuals, and asexuals):
The Storms Scale
Negative attitudes towards anyone who isn’t straight:
Heterosexism
The idea that society pressures people to conform to heterosexual norms, regardless of their sexual orientation:
Compulsive Heterosexuality
The idea that heterosexuality is the standard sexual orientation and that people should conform to traditional gender roles and relationships:
Heteronormativity
Heterocentrism + compulsory heterosexuality =
Heteronormativity
Negative attitudes toward behaviors and policies that benefit LGBTQ people, rather than a negative attitude toward homosexuality itself:
Homonegativity
A form of social stigma that devalues and discredits people who are perceived as non-heterosexual:
Sexual Stigma
Herek’s 3 Sexual Stigmas:
- Internalized Homophobia
- Homophobia
- Institutional Homophobia
3 Types of Homophobia:
- Defensive-Expressive
- Social-Expressive
- Value-Expressive
Comes from a place of anxiety over masculinity:
Defensive-Expressive Homophobia
Used to gain social approval:
Social-Expressive Homophobia
Religious, societal, or personal values one follows:
Value-Expressive Homophobia
Seemingly innocent things said that communicate stereotypes or exclude someone:
Microaggressions
List the 7 parts of the Klein Grid:
- Sexual Attraction
- Sexual Behavior
- Sexual Fantasies
- Emotional Preference
- Social Preference
- Heterosexual/Homosexual Lifestyle
- Self-Identification
