Chapter 9 Flashcards
What are the two primary issues of gender?
1) The cultural construction of gender
2) Gender relations
How is gender relative?
No universal meanings of man or women-since gender is culturally constructed.
What is the difference between transgender and transsexual?
Gender-People who identify or express a different gender than what they were assigned at birth
Sex-Someone who has medically transitioned from one sex to another
What is intersex?
People born with physical sex characteristics that are neither anatomically male or female, or with ambiguous genitals.
What are some examples of third genders?
Transsexual, transvestite (dressing as another gender), homosexual, bisexual, eunuch (castrated male), hermaphrodite (both biological organs).
When were Canadian’s allowed to choose gender X for their passports?
August 31st 2017.
What are the Hijras of India and Pakistan?
Born either hermaphrodite, or male gender with female identity, and undergo voluntary castration. Not perceived as men or women, but third gender. Recognized as a third gender in 2014, yet still face discrimination in health, housing, employment and education.
Who are the two spirit people?
Native north american groups. Two spirit male dresses as a woman and participates in women’s activities. Presumed to be people with power-can see through the eyes of both genders.
Who are Albanian sworn virgins?
Families short on men could have an unmarried woman swap genders and take on the roles of men-had to swear abstinence. Part of a social necessity, for women to be able to participate in public life in a male dominated society.
What is gender stratification?
An unequal distribution of rewards between men and women, reflecting their different positions in the social hierarchy.
How did Rosie the Riveter encourage women to aid in the war effort?
By getting jobs outside the home, but still used family and country rather than money, status, or power as the prime encourager.
How were women reflected in 1950s ads?
Wife and homemaker, and sex kitten.
How did women’s roles shift from the 60’s-80s?
60s-Educated women discontent with the status quo. Demanded right to have both career and family.
70s- women shown as independent only when inexpensive items or simple decisions were involved. Advertisers realized that not just white people were buying products.
1980s- Independent woman, freedom
How did women’s roles shift during the 90s-2000s?
Women seen as a multifaceted success machine. Nurturer and seducer. Never sleeps, men are domesticated, sex objects.
What is the “ideal women,” and how many women actually look like this?
Caucasian, 5”8-5”10, weighing 110-120 pounds or less. Less than 10% of the population actually looks like this.
What is the glass ceiling analogy?
Invisible barrier (glass), through which women can see the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, but cannot reach them regardless of their qualifications or acheivements.
Why do glass ceilings persist?
Stereotypes, male characteristics as the desired characteristics of leaders, men have more work related qualifications, women thought to suffer from more mental health issues, women disregard career to pursue children.
What are some of the other averages of women in legislature?
World average: 24% of women hold legislative seats.
Rwanda leads at 61%.
Canada ranks 59th, at 27%.
BC has the highest-38%.
What is the biological explanation for the secondary status of women?
Mens testosterone-natural aggression
Womens estrogen-more compliant
Women are biologically programed to raise children which affects their economic roles
Men are physically bigger and stronger than women and this makes them dominant.
What is the envy theory?
Women have power of giving life. Men cannot create and sustain life, therefor they are jealous.
What is the psychological theory?
Boys try to dominate others because they are psychologically wired to. Girls comply because they are hardwired to be submissive.
What are domestic and public roles and how are they valued in our society?
Domestic-Child care, homecare-lower value, womans work
Public-Work, societal relations, etc. Higher value, mens work.
How do the Hagen distribute domestic and public roles?
Domestic and public roles are open to both genders. Domestic roles are not demeaning or less than social.
What were the discoveries that Margaret Mead made in the 3 societies she studied?
Arapesh- Child rearing divided evenly among sexes. Both are nurturing.
Mundugumor- Natural hostility exists between all members of the same sex. Both sexes are aggressive
Tchambuli- Opposite gender roles from Western-men preoccupied with gossip and hair, women doing the labour.
What are some societies that aren’t controlled by male dominance?
Mbuti (Central Africa)- More egalitarian, giving birth gives women high status.
Minangkabau (Sumatra)- Women control inheritance. Husbands live in wives residence. Decision making based on consensus.
Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy- Matrilineal, women are legal title holders.
