final Flashcards
sexuality
universal; complex; not easily defined or agreed upon; complex range of desires beliefs and behaviors that are related to erotic physical contact intimacy and pleasure; cultural arena within which people debate about what kinds of physical desires and behaviors are right appropriate and natural
is human sexuality natural
underlying idea that it is natural; includes distinct physiological processes and sex has an obvious biological function when it comes to reproduction
what is natural about sexuality
biological components; take it far beyond simple intercourse for the means of reproduction; cultural norms and values have a strong impact on sexual behavior
sexuality and culture
as part of enculturation taught about sexuality; instructed on sex by families, schools, religious organizations, governments, and popular culture; cultural institutions have a big impact on sexual behaviors
global perspective on sexuality
western culture has hug influence on the world, due to popular culture like movies and television; cultures around the world hold significant different views
role of culture in sex
practices vary widely throughout the world
sexuality constructed in us
binary- people can be either heterosexual or homosexual; identities are seen as largely fixed and unchanging; categories that are absolute in us, more flexible in other cultures around the world; the traditional binary view is cultural construct and not biological fact
heterosexuality
attraction to and sexual relations between individuals of the opposite sex
homosexuality
attraction and sexual relations between individuals of the same sex
bisexuality
attraction to and sexual relations with members of both sexes
asexuality
a lack of erotic attraction to others
power influence sexuality
often manipulated in cultural power struggles; *governments routinely pass laws regarding sexuality- who can legally marry, legalizing or blocking practices such as polygamy or incest- as well as defining legal boundaries for sexuality by outlawing prostitution and legalizing pornography; forever intermixed with power
globalization influence sexuality
substantial effect; european and american governments are dominating influences on local cultures through both colonialism and the forces of globalization; enforced new ideas about sexuality; *long distance sexual relationships to sex tourism can be forced
sexual violence
violence perpetuated through sexually related physical assaults such as rape
sex tourism
travel usually organized through the tourism sector to facilitate commercial sexual relations between tourists and local residents
sex work
labor through which one provides sexual services for money
are men and women born or made
accustomed to thinking that men and women have inherent or innate natures; often sex and gender are used interchangeably but refer to two different things; biological differences seen as being associated with behavioral differences; male and female have expected cultural roles that extend to everything from communication strategies to proper activities
what is sex
observable physical differences between male and female, especially biological expressions related to human reproduction; * genitalia, gonads and chromosome patterns
gender
expectations of thought and behavior that each culture assigns to people of different sexes
gender roles
the anticipated cultural roles of the individual sexes; studied in different cultures not universal; significant fluidity between true biological difference and what is cultural construction; masculine, feminine or combo of both or something different
cultural construct
what gender is; children are enculturated they learn what kinds of behaviors are perceived as masculine and feminine
performance of gender
not fixed, rather an identity that is actively expressed; people make choices in their behavior on a regular basis and those choices include how they express their gender identity
gender performance
the way gender identity is expressed through action
a theory of five sexes
possible interplay of the three biological factors that create what we think of as biological sex, there is a broad range of possibilities between what is male and what is female; 1.7 percent of children born in the us do not neatly fit into our idealized notions of male and female
intersexual
an individual who is born with a combination of male and female genitalia gonads and/or chromosomes
transgender
a gender identity or performance that oes not fit with cultural norms related to one’s assigned sex at birth
gender diverse cultures of the world
many societies incorporate more than 2 genders;
navajo two spirits
individuals who encompass masculine and feminine identities in one person; often revered with high prestige and status
gender and power
women face challenges- 60% of the world’s poorest citizens; women 15-25 are contracting hiv/aids 3 times higher than men the same age; less that 16% government officials are women; 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime
gender stratification
an unequal distribution of power and access to a group’s resources, opportunities, rights and privileges based on gender
gender stereotype
a preconceived notion about the attributes of differences between and proper roles for men and women in a culture
gender ideology
a set of cultural ideas usually stereotypical about the essential character of different genders that functions to promote and justify gender stratification
challenging gender ideologies and stratification
in the face of ideologies that undervalue women, many women and men around the world have begun to work for cultural changes; these are ways in which norms and values can be changed; eventually both can find a state of equality
why is kinship important
used as the basis for organizing and classifying people; rely on for support stability and survival throughout our lives as humans
kinship
cultural system that defines familial relationships and obligations; family; cultures often conceive of family in very different ways; the system of meaning and power that cultures create to determine who is related to whom and to define their mutual expectations rights and responsibilities
related through kinship
constructed throughout the world by tracing genealogical descent; blood relatives; parents, grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncle, cousins
consanguineal relationship
established through biology or blood relatedness
affinal relationship
a kinship relationship established through marriage not through biology or descent
descent groups
a kinship group in which primary relationships are traced through consanguineal ‘blood’ relatives; however not all societies trace descent in the same manner
lineage
type of descent group that traces genealogical connection through generations by linking persons to a founding ancestor
clan
descent group based on a claim to a founding ancestor but lacking genealogical documentation
unilineal descent
descent groups that trace descent through only one ancestral line; mothers side or fathers side only
matrilineal
tracing descent through the mothers side of the family only
patrilineal
tracing descent through the fathers side of the family only
ambilineal descent
descent groups that trace descent through both the mothers and fathers side of the family
graphic kinship and descent
circle- female; triangle- male; equal sign- marriage; vertical line- descent/offspring; upside down squared u- sibling bond
marriage
a socially recognized relationship that may involve physical and emotional intimacy as well as legal rights to property and inheritance
marriage occur throughout the world
westerners today are conditioned to think of it as an issue of love; not sole motivators for marriage; many cultures view as valuable kinship relationship that is rooted in mutual economic support, child rearing, and exclusive sexual access to marriage partners among many others
companionate marriage
built on love intimacy and personal choice rather than social obligation
arranged marriage
orchestrated by the families of the involved parties
monogamy
relationship between only two partners; varies widely throughout the world; most common from of marriage worldwide
serial monogamy
a marriage form whereby an individual marries a series of partners in succession; most common north america and other large scale industrial societies esp middle and upper classes
polygamy
form of marriage with one individual having multiple spouses at the same time
polygyny
marriage between one man and two or more women; most common form of polygamy; most common north central africa, middle east, and south east asia
polyandry
marriage between one woman and two or more men; few societies practice; most common in isolated rural regions of india, sri lanka, nepal and tibet
incest taboo
all cultures have some form; majority of cultures regard any sexual contact within the nuclear family (parents and their children) as incest
incest
cultural rules that forbid sexual relations with certain close relatives; what qualifies as ‘close relative’ varies throughout the world
origins of incest taboo- biologically
those raised together have an instinctive aversion to mating with one another; biologically adaptive- helping to prevent the negative effects of inbreeding