Final Test Flashcards
What is sex?
Sex is the biological traits that
distinguish males from females (most
often based on the reproductive
organs)
the rigidness of distinction between male and female varies from
varies from culture to culture in terms of gender roles, norms, etc.
INTERSEXUAL PEOPLE:How a society chooses to deal with those “in-between” people
is based on
Example:
cultural traditions and the negotiation of meaning in relation to these categories,
male and female
For instance, we could see male<—->female as a continuum or as a rigid, either/or distinction
male/female
CULTURAL CONSTRUCTS AROUND
SEXUAL DISTINCTIONS: How a particular culture defines appropriate behavior for males and
females is referred to
as gender or gender roles
CULTURAL CONSTRUCTS AROUND
SEXUAL DISTINCTIONS: Gender is
However, within certain cultural contexts gender roles can range from
an ascribed status.
However, within certain cultural
contexts gender roles can range from
very rigid rules for behavior to more
creative expressions—or even
reversals of sexual roles
SEXUALITY AND SOCIETY: Aside from incest taboos, culture largely defines
there may be very rigid
boundaries regarding appropriate
sexual identities and types of sexual
behavior. However,
sexuality
there may be very rigid
boundaries regarding appropriate
sexual identities and types of sexual
behavior. However, these cultural
definitions change over time and
through space
GENDER AND INEQUALITY:
Males are still __ compared to females
Females make ___ than males for the same work
Female” gendered occupations tend to have ___
Working women are often required to do a double shift as they must still deal
Males are still privileged compared to females
Females make less than males for the
same work
Female” gendered occupations tend to
have lower social status and lower
compensation
Working women are often required to do a
double shift as they must still deal with
most of the domestic and “emotional” work
and child-rearing obligation
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:Structural Functionalism focuses on
sexuality in relation
to stability of the
wider society
Strict rules against incest, child
pornography, and extramarital sex are
seen as a way to protect children and
gender roles help maintain traditional
family relations
Deviant sexual behavior (e.g.,
Prostitution and Pornography) serve a
latent (unintended or unrecognized)
function in society
SEXUAL RELATIONS AND
POWER RELATIONS: Conflict theories of sexuality point outthat sexual norms and their
enforcement variesdepending on how
much
depending on how
much power a group has in society
Thus, women, minorities, non-
heterosexuals are much more likely to
be seen as sexual deviants than
White, heterosexual, males
SYMBOLIC INTERACTION AND
SEXUALITY: The basic insight here is that
How we talk about and define our
gender and sexuality
sex and gender means different things to
different people—even within the
same society
influences norms
for sexual behavior and gender roles
Sex means different things to men,
women, sex workers, young people,
social classes, racial/ethnic groups,
people with different sexual
orientations, etc.
DISCUSS: THE SEXUAL/GENDERED
DIVISION OF LABOR:Functionalist Perspective:If men or women predominate in some
occupations, it must be because they are
If men or women predominate in some
occupations, it must be because they are
better suited, more efficient, function better
in those roles
DISCUSS: THE SEXUAL/GENDERED
DIVISION OF LABOR: Conflict Perspective:
If you look at the occupations that men
and women predominate you will see that
they reflect the
they reflect the power relations in the
wider society (patriarchy). Occupations
that are predominately male tend to be
more prestigious, better paid, etc.
PATRIARCHY: MALE DOMINATED SOCIETY: Most societies today, and throughout history have been characterized by
male dominance with women in a subservient
position vis-à-vis men
