Gender Flashcards
In reference to rites of passage
Many of these define the gender identities of those involved, by making them into certain types of men and women.
Gender
Principally a social performance, enacted by individuals in reference to the society around them. Is there something consistent in cross-cultural gender roles of men and women, which can explain universal between the sexes.
Foucault
Claimed that the concept of fixed gender identities emerged during the 19th century. Gender is a practice that must be enacted, rather than a fact that simply exists.
Butler
Redefined gender as social performance.
Queer theory
Since the 1990s it has questioned the relationship between sex and gender. The framing of gender as social performance helps us to understand important questions about relations between the sexes.
Ortner
Claims the subordination of women to men is a human universal. Biological differences do not fully explain sexual inequality.
Female bodies
Are more explicitly related to the natural processes of procreation than male bodies. This therefore place women in domestic roles that are less socially valued.
Gender role of women
This creates a ‘feminine psyche’ that perpetuates exclusion from the public sphere.
Cultural restrictions
On women’d activities are due to their associations with the domestic sphere. Ortner’s analysis shows that even universal features of gender identifies are social constructs.
Third gender
People who are neither male nor female play an important part in defining societal gender roles.
Hijra
Indian Hijra force men and women to confront and reiterate their gender identify.
Outside of ritual frameworks
Cultural practices such as ‘drag’ perform similar functions
Different genders
Compliment one another, and people’s identities change according to their social actions.
