Gender Flashcards
Sex
Biological characteristics of males, females, and intersex people, such as reproductive organs, chromosomes, hormones, etc.
Intersex People
have biological characteristics that cannot be dichotomized into male or female
Ex. XX people can be born with a penis. XY people can be born with a vagina
Gender
Consists of identity and expression as masculine or feminine. For example, masculinity refers to the practices, behaviors, attitudes, and expectations culturally associated with people who are understood to be male. People of any gender identity can express masculinity and femininity, or combinations of them. It is socially constructed
Name three Gender Identites
Transgender people are those whose gender identity and expression is different from the gender they were assigned at birth
Cisgender people are those whose gender identity and expression matches the gender they were assigned at birth
Nonbinary are people who identify to be neither exclusively male or female
Gender Socialization
People learn about gender from family, peers, the media, schools, religion, and other factors. It has changes over time, including how it related to children’s clothing. Usually occurs before birth, such as gender parties
Generally, gender socialization is often subtle and informal
Gender Socialization: Children’s Toys
Toy marketing is significant in gender roles. They did this because it made money, as parents bought separate toys for their children. It refined gender stereotypes, but soon, boy and girl toys stopped marketing to gender
Gender Socialization: Schools
Preschool teachers have differential responses to boys’ and girls’ behaviors. They permit informal behaviors for boys (ex. lying down during circle time, being loud, etc.), but they require more formal school behavior for girls (ex. sitting up straight and using indoor voices)
Intersectionality Perspective of Gender and Sexuality
How gender and sexuality intersect with other social relations (ex. ethnicity, race, age, etc.) to create a multitude of experiences, unequal interactions, and institutions
4 Agents of Gender Socialization
Education
Music
Media
Toys
West and Zimmerman on Gender
We express actions that produce gender and we take into consideration what’s believed to be appropriate for our gender. We can relate this to symbolic interactionism or impression management
Butler on Gender
We have unspoken agreements to perform gender in socially acceptable ways and to make it believable that it appears to be natural. This reinforces ideas we have about gender
The Effects of Abstinence-only Sex Education
Dominant culture shames sexuality and thus we have a lack of sex education and the absence of parent-child conversations about sex. Because of this, pornography becomes the only channel for sex education, which sets unrealistic expectations
The Troubles of Pornography
People get addicted to the visual stimulation. Excessive consumption results in social isolation
Misconceptions of sexual activities. It becomes the social norms for teenagers with no experience
Normalize the objectification and commodification of women’s bodies. This results in normalized brutality and sexism that’s associated with the sexual act. May be difficult to develop healthy relationships with women
Rape Culture and Hookup Culture
Rape culture teaches people to consciously/unconsciously not see the humanity in women
Hookup culture refers to how men do not see women as people who have the ability to give consent
Why Sexist Culture Persists
Men gain solidarity with other men–the Bro Code, the Brotherhood. It results in a hierarchy where men are superior to women
Men also fear marginalization. This creates a peer culture that keeps men silent because they are afraid of losing status in their peer culture
Gender Norms
Social definitions of behavior assigned to particular sex categories. They change throughout time but are socially-determined and socially-enforced. Expected to match biological sex, but perceptions can be deceiving
Naturalizers
Parents who interpreted gendered childhoods as biological in origin, and though acting occasionally to adjust them, primarily reproduce them
Cultivators
Parents who promote gendered childhoods for sons and daughters. They have little concern about judgement of others. Purposely reproduce gender norms
Refiners
Parents who highlight biological and social forces and act with equal measures of resistance and conformity and are attentive to the judgement of others
Innovators
Parents who resist gendered structures and are unconcerned about judgements
Resistors
Parents that are opposed to gendered structures, but display significant concern about being judged by others
Three Levels at which Social Construction of Gender Occurs
- ) Individual - self-interests
- ) Interactional - social judgement
- ) Institutional - jobs, wage gaps, economic dependence, etc.
All of which can result in gender inequality. For example, society expects pre-school teachers to be women, but it’s low in income. Therefore, they have to be dependent on men
