Midterm #1 Flashcards
The belief that the cultures in which we are raised determine our character, personalities, emotional lives, and behaviours
Cultural determinism
A school of thought that maintains that the sex-based division of labour arose because it was necessary for the survival of early human societies.
Functionalism
the practice of reckoning kinship, naming, inheritance, and descent through the father
patrilineality
those who study kinship in cultural anthropology, particularly of blood relationships
Descent theorists
Those who study the constitution of society from the perpective of family formation, especially how women circulate as marriage partners in a given society
Alliance theorists
the exaggerated display or adherence to behaviours, traits, and beliefs seen as masculine
Hypermasculinity
the concentration of men and women in gender specific roles and locations within a society
Sex segregation
The term used by anthropologists to describe a variety of rituals observed by men whhose wives are pregnant in order to “mimic” pregnancy.
Couvade
Islamic practice of social seclusion of women, completely separate from men
Purdah
the segregation of sexes through rituals that provide a sense of identity and group membership
Ritual segregation
Alteration of female genetalia in forms ranging form the removal of the hood of the clitoris to infibulation
Female gential mutiliation
removal of the clitoris and much of the tissue of the external genetalia, after which the vaginal opening is either stitched or held together with thorns until it heals into a closed structure with only a small opening to permit urination and menstruation
infibulation
Among the Navajo, a third gender assigned to either individuals of ambiguous sex or biological males. People may also choose this role
Nadle
Anthropological term to describe third gender individuals of the male sex
Berdache
A term to describe transgender or gender variant people in north american indigenous cultures
Two-spirited
Among the Mojave people, a boy who underwent a transformation to the social role of a female
alyha
Among the Mojave, a girl who underwent transformation to a male social role
hwane
Zapotex Mexican term for males who take on feminine modes of dress and social roles
muxes
Omani biological male whose social and sexual role is female
xanith
The practice of reckoning kinship, naming, inheritance and descent through the mother, rather than the father
matrilineality
The belief that any individual’s beliefs and behaviours should be understood in the context of his or her own culture rather than as the product of innate or universal tendencies and values
Cultural relativism
a woman centered form of social organization in which women, particularly mothers, are at the centre of prestige and power
matriarchy
the idea that men are from Mars and women are from Venus, or that men and women are opposites who exhibit complete and universal gender difference
interplanetary theory
a system that grants greater power, value, authority and access to resources to men, also termed as patriarchy
male dominance
the view that the behaviour and character or an organism, a group or a system are determined by biological factors
biological determinism
Associated with the nurture side of the nature nurture debate, asserting men and women are different becuase they are socialized differently from birth
differential socialization
Chromosomal, anatomical, and hormonal differences between females and males
sex differences
the meanings attached to the anatomical differences between men and women, or a way to refer to the social construction of the relationship between the sexes
gender
the chromosomal, chemical, and anatomical organization of human bodies that determines biological maleness or femaleness
sex
the theoretical orientation that sees the expression and organization of gender not as the outcome of biology, but as the result of historical and cultural change, the socialization of individuals and the continuous interplay between gendered individuals and gendered institutions
social constructionism
recognition of the attribute “race” and it’s consequences asa process rather than the outcome of obvious characteristics
racialized people
The advantages that come from being a member of a dominant group
priviledge
the idea that those who are dominant in a society may not be aware of their dominance or special status but can see themselves as universal human beings or citizens
invisibility of priviledge
something that is upheld as the model for all in a given society
hegemonic
a theory developed by R.W Connell to explain male gender ideology. Emphasizes competition among men for power and dominance within systems of gender inequality or patriarchy
hegemonic masculinity
R.W Connell’s model of female gender ideology, which asserts that femininity is displayed as compliance with gender inequality and is “oriented to accomodating the interests and desires of men”
emphasized femininity
differences between men and women that appear to be gender differences but may be the result of different pwoer positions within society
deceptive distinctions
differences in the average scores of men and women on standardized tests which may be taken as representative of absolute differences between the sexes
mean differences
any society in which social institutions
gendered society
the idea that whle people have gender, institutions are gender-neutral
institutional gender neutrality
field of study that studies and explains human psychology and mind as a result of evolutionary adaptation
evolutionary psychology
when people performing a certain task feel themselves to be at risk of confirming negative stereotypes abotu a group to which they belong. The resulting anxiety is shown to make people perform less well than they would without such condition
stereotype threat
a psychological theory that explains why individuals who are disadvantaged by a system justify it. Theory argues that individuals use system justifications to lessen their anxiety, guilt, and discomfort, even though it may be against their own interests
palliative system justification motive
Previously used name for congenital adrenal hyperplasia
androgenital syndrome
One of a number of conditions producing intersex children
congenital adrenal hyperplasia
a defect on a chromosome that impairs androgen reception, preventing a XY fetus from responding to testosterone. AIS children are born resembling girls, but are chromosomally male
androgen insensitivity syndrome
an argument that rests on the naturalness of social relations and their rootedness in biology
biological essentialism
only thinly related to the theories and wok of Charles Darwin, a theory that applies natural selection theory to differences, competition, and inequality among races, nations, families, and between women and men
social darwinism
an umbrella term for a diverse body of theory and practice based upon the theories of mind and personality, developed by Sigmund Freud
psychoanalysis
a component of Freud’s concept of the psyche that represnets basic animal needs and knows only that it wants gratification
id
a component of Freud’s concept of the psyche. It is rational, problem-solving, that translates id impulses into effective strategies for gratification
ego
a component of Freud’s concept of the psyche: an outgrowth of ego’s efforst to seek acceptable outlets for id’s gratification. The seat of morality, accepting of the legitimacy of social limitations on gratification
super-ego
In Freudian theory, the critcal part of the genital stage during which a boy learns to desire sex with women, repudiate femininity, and identify as a man
oedipal crisis
Freudian, deep seated fear of castration arising when boys see female genitalia and conclude that firls and women have been castrated.
castration anxiety
Carl Jung’s name for a girl’s situation during the Oedipal crisis when she discovers anatomical differences between the sexes and believes that her and her mother have been castrated. Leads to penis envy.
electra complex
according to Freudian theoyr, a girl’s assumed reaction to her discovery of anatomical sex difference
penis envy
a broad body of theory, drawing from both psychology and sociology that studies individual’s socialization into gender roles and acquisition of gender identities
sex-role theory
a multi-component test designed by Lewis Terman and Catherine Miles and used for over 30 years to assess “successful” acquisiiotn of masculine of feminine gender identity
M-F Test
field that studies individual psychology as the result of interactions between individuals and their environments, whether defined as “other people” or as institutions and social structures
social psychologists
For Talcott Parsons, roles that exist to perpetuate the occupational system. They demand rationality, autonomy, and competitiveness
instrumental roles
According to Talcott Parsons, roles existing to perpetuate the kinship system, that demand tenderness and nurturing
expressive roles
Talcott Parson’s theorized result of the long period of contact with feminity characterstic of boys in modern nuclear families. Boys rebel against femininity to establish thei masculine identity
cult of compulsive masculinity
A theory developed by Sandra Bem through her use of the Bem Sex Role Inventory, that holds the idea that htough children do develop ideas of gender through gender schemas, adults vary in rigidity of their schemas
gender schema theory
an understanding regarding gender and gender roles, allowing one to assess traits, behaviours, personalities and occupations as “for males” or “for females”
gender schema
