Exam 1: OTHER APPROACHES TO GENDER Flashcards
What does psychology say about gender?
Sex usually refers to the biological aspects of maleness or femaleness, whereas gender implies the psychological, behavioral, social, and cultural aspects of being male or female
Know the key findings of sex difference research. Is it controversial? Why or why not?
●Identifying differences between genders.
●Three domains of sex differences.
1. Mathematical abilities.
2. Verbal abilities.
3. Visuospatial abilities.
●Contradictory findings.
o Research or Not to Research?
●Goal of early sex difference research:
○Motivated by the growing women’s movement; part of their goal was to
challenge many of the unfavorable stereotypes of women that existed at
the time.
●Findings:
○Most research into sex differences has consistently demonstrated that the
main findings were that the differences weren’t that many and weren’t
that great.
●Overlapping differences:
○There’s a great deal of overlap for any average difference between
genders.
●Differences across age and ethnicity.
Identify and distinguish the different types of feminist theories.
Liberal Feminism
- Inequality between
men and women is
rooted in
institutional
differences and the
way in the way
government treats
men and women.
Radical Feminism
-Believes that
fundamental changes
to the basic structure
of society are needed
to achieve gender
equality. Focuses on
consciousness -
raising.
Queer Theory:
●Attempts to “reclaim” the derogatory term “queer” as a form of
(re)empowerment.
○The reclamation of “queer” dates back (at least) to the 1969 Stonewall Riots
and LGBTQ rights movement – late 80s.
○“We’re here. We’re queer. Get used to it.”
●Queer may be embraced as an identity.
○Sometimes thought to be socio-political (vs. just personal).
○Thought to be more inclusive because it encompasses “any non-cisgender,
non-heterosexual identity, relationship, behavior, or desire (Orne 2017).”
■Acknowledgment of identities left out by “LGBT.”
●NOT embraced by all LGBT+ identified people.
■“Queer” sometimes seen as identity-less non-definition, not seen as
“all definitions,” but as “no definition” (Orne 2017).
■Still used as a term of abuse and slur, so not necessarily reclaimed or
empowering for all.
What are the key differences between feminist theories of gender and sociological
theories of gender? What are the advantages associated with each of these forms of
theory?
What is queer theory?
a. Know the origins and key features of queer theory.
Queer Theory Origins
1. Gay and Lesbian rights movement:
○Stonewall Riots of 1969.
○Removal of “homosexuality” as disorder from the DSM.
2. Postmodernism:
○Challenges assumptions about “unified homosexual identity.”
○Critical of meta-narratives and marginalization of those who do not fit
the narrative.
■Meta-Narrative: Any attempt at a comprehensive and universal
explanation of some phenomenon.
3. Feminism:
○Intersection of all movements: Many feminists who exerted the most
influence on queer theory were deeply immersed in
postmodernism/poststructuralism and a concern for gay, lesbian, and
transgender rights.
Queer - Anything non normative
What is a metanarrative? How does it relate to queer theory?
From Gender Outlaws:
a. Define: gender assignment; gender identity; gender roles; gender attribution.
b. How do physical, behavioral, textual sexual orientation cues relate to this?
- Gender Assignment:
“This is what you are” - Gender Identity:
“Who am I?” - Gender Roles:
“How do I need to function so
that society perceives me as
belonging or not belonging
to a specific gender?” - Gender Attribution:
“That’s a man”
“That’s a woman”
*Trans-woman discussing the
process of performing gender
before, during, and after
“gender assignment”
transition.
*Discusses intersections of
gender and sexuality.
*We use physical, behavioral,
textual (names), sexual
orientation cues to dictate
gender.
Know that gender assignment is the process of a doctor’s determination of whether a
baby is a girl or boy.
a. Why is the role of the doctor important here? Draw from Gender Outlaws reading
for this.
What are integrative theories?
Combines the theories, to test
different parts of it.
Define intersectionality.
●Grew out of criticism of separating gender from
other statuses
●Multiple consciousness and interlocking models
of intersectionality:
○Gender does not operate in isolation; rather, gender is linked to
race, class, sexual orientation, etc. (matrix of domination)
○“intersecting and mutually reliant systems of oppression.”
○Expectations and practices vary across these categories
○An individual can be oppressed and privileged
What is the matrix of domination? Who coined the term?
The matrix of domination or matrix of oppression is a sociological paradigm that explains issues of oppression that deal with race, class, and gender, which, though recognized as different social classifications, are all interconnected.
Know the meaning of colonization and how it had mostly negative impacts on gender
a. Reduced gender equality in the colonized nation. Provide examples.
The Colonial Period:
●Imperialism: domination over nations.
●Colonialism: maintenance of colonies.
●Effects on gender relationships.
●Varying impacts on gender relations.
●Women’s loss of status.
How has modernization theory tended to view women’s social contributions, and how did
this view give rise to the “Women in Development” perspective?
What is ecofeminism? What sets ecofeminism apart from other forms of feminism? What
is a strength and weakness of ecofeminism?
●Relationship: humans to the environment.
●Gender differences and nature.
●Patriarchy and femininity.
●Ecofeminism: interconnected domination.
●Gender differences and nature:
1. Many women involved in the environmental movement felt
gender was an important concern not being given sufficient
attention.
2. The relationship between women and nature sometimes
served as an important explanatory tool for theories of male
domination.
3. The feminine personality has a unique structure that made
women’s relationship to nature inherently different from mens
