Chapter 11 - Sexualities and Gender Stratification

Question 1

Sex

Answer 1

depends on your genetic makeup; whether your sex chromosome is XX, XY, X, XXY, XXYY, etc

Question 2

Intersex

Answer 2

person does not fit into the conventional male or female sex categories, and often do not have a chromosome that is XX or XY. Their genitals, reproductive system, and secondary sex characteristics are not distinctly male or female in conventional terms

Question 3

Gender

Answer 3

your sense of being a male or female, playing masculine and feminine as roles defined by your culture and society

Question 4

Gender Identity

Answer 4

one’s sense of belonging to a particular gender

Question 5

Transgender

Answer 5

people who are uncomfortable with the gender assigned to them at birth or do not fit neatly into the gender binary

Question 6

Gender Roles

Answer 6

behaviours that conform to widely shared expectations of how members of a particular sexual category are supposed to act

Question 7

Heteronormativity

Answer 7

the belief that sex is a binary, and that sex must be aligned with gender, and that sexual relationships must be between a man and a woman

Question 8

Heterosexuality

Answer 8

preference for members of the opposite sex as sexual partners

Question 9

Essentialism (definition and who)

Answer 9

• views gender differences as a reflection of biological differences between women and men
• who: Sigmund Freud

Question 10

Functionalist Approach to Gender Roles (and who)

Answer 10

• traditional gender roles help to integrate society
• women raise children and manage the household, while men work in the paid labour force
• “instrumental” traits (rationality, self-assuredness, competitiveness) make up the essence for masculinity in boys
• “expressive” traits (nurturance, sensitivity to others) make up the essence for femininity in girls
• who: Talcott Parsons

Question 11

Conflict and Feminist Theorists’ 4 main criticisms of essentialism

Answer 11

1. essentialists ignore the historical and cultural variability of gender and sexuality
2. essentialists tend to generalize from the average, ignoring variation within gender groups
3. little or no evidence directly supports the essentialists’ major claims
4. essentialists’ explanations for gender differences ignore the role of power

Question 12

Social Constructionist Approach to Gender

Answer 12

social processes sustain apparently natural or innate features of life, such as gender

Question 13

Gender Ideology (definition and who)

Answer 13

• a set of interrelated ideas about what constitutes appropriate masculine and feminine roles and behaviour
• who: Barrie Thorne

Question 14

Two cases uncovered by Deborah Tannen’s research

Answer 14

1. female officer manager doesn’t want to see bossy, and is keen to maintain consensus among coworkers, however her male boss sees her as indecisive and incompetent so when looking for a leader for an upper-management position he will chose an assertive male over her
2. male managers are incline to say “I”, drawing attention to his personal accomplishments, while female managers say “we”, camouflaging women’s accomplishements

Question 15

Glass Ceiling

Answer 15

a social barrier that makes it difficult for women to rise to the top level of management

Question 16

Transsexuals

Answer 16

people who believe that they were born with the wrong body

Question 17

Homosexuals

Answer 17

people who prefer sexual partners of the same sex

Question 18

Bisexuals

Answer 18

people who enjoy sexual partners of both sexes

Question 19

Asexuals

Answer 19

people who lack interest in sexual activity

Question 20

Two-Spirit

Answer 20

Ojibwa phrase for people who are said to incorporate both masculine and feminine attributes, often are given high-prestige roles

Question 21

Homophobic

Answer 21

people who are “afraid” of homosexuals

Question 22

3 major sociohistorical processes that account for the growth of gender inequality

Answer 22

1. long-distance warfare and conquest
2. plow agriculture
3. the separation of public and private spheres

Question 23

3 main streams of feminism

Answer 23

1. Liberal Feminism
2. Socialist Feminism
3. Radical Feminism

Question 24

4 factors that contribute to the gender gap in earnings

Answer 24

1. gender discrimination
2. women tend to be concentrated in low-wage occupations and industries
3. heavy domestic responsibilities reduce women’s earnings
4. people commonly believe that work done by women involves fewer skills and is therefore less valuable than work done by men

Question 25

Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value

Answer 25

refers to the equal dollar value of different jobs. the value of work is established by gender-neutral terms by comparing jobs in terms of the education and experiences needed to do them and the stress, responsibilities, and working conditions associated with them

Question 26

Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment

Answer 26

takes place when sexual threats or bribery are made a condition of employment decisions

Question 27

Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment

Answer 27

involves sexual jokes, comments, and touching that interferes with work or creates an unfriendly work environment

Question 28

3 main types of spousal violence

Answer 28

1. common couple violence (physical lashing out due to an argument)
2. intimate terrorism (general desire of one partner to control the other)
3. violent resistance (often a woman is violently defending herself against a man who has engaged in intimate terrorism)

Question 29

What major forces channel people into performing culturally appropriate gender roles?

Answer 29

family, school, and mass media