Gender & Society - Midterm Review Flashcards

Vocabulary terms covering Module 1: Differentiating Terms, Module 2: Biological Sex, and Module 3: Understanding Sexuality and Sex response cycles.

Genderbread Person

A visual model created by Sam Killermann that illustrates gender and attraction as spectrums rather than fixed, binary concepts.

Sex (Biology and Medicine)

The set of physical and physiological traits, such as chromosomes ($XX$ or $XY$), reproductive anatomy, and hormone levels, that distinguish living things as male, female, or intersex.

Coitus

Another term for sexual intercourse, specifically the penetration of the vagina by the penis.

Gender Identity

A person’s internal perception of oneself based on socially constructed roles, behaviors, and customs, which is decided by the brain rather than sex.

Cisgender

A person whose gender identity corresponds to the sex they were assigned at birth; the term serves as a neutral antonym for transgender.

Misgender

To refer to someone using pronouns, nouns, or honorifics that do not align with their affirmed gender identity.

Gender Binary

A social and cultural framework that classifies gender into only two categories—man and woman—assuming everyone belongs to one based on their assigned sex at birth.

Nonbinary

An umbrella term describing individuals whose gender identity is not exclusively male or female, possibly identifying as both, neither, or another gender entirely.

Agender

Individuals who do not identify with any gender and may feel a sense of neutrality or absence regarding gender identity.

Sexual Orientation

A person’s enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attraction to others.

Heteronormativity

A cultural worldview where heterosexuality is promoted or assumed as the societal norm, often marginalizing other sexual orientations.

Bisexual

A person who experiences attractions to, or engages in relationships with, more than one sex or gender.

Asexual

Someone who experiences little to no sexual attraction and typically does not want to pursue sexual relationships; often shortened to "ace."

Pansexual

The romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attraction to people regardless of their gender.

Queer

An umbrella term and movement for sexual and gender minorities that focuses on anti-conformity and the rejection of binary gender boxes.

Gender Expression

The external presentation and communication of gender through cues such as clothing, hairstyles, makeup, voice, and body language.

Gender Roles

Societal expectations of how individuals should act, dress, and conduct themselves based on their assigned sex, such as associating women with caregiving.

Genetic Sex

The genetic determination of sex based on specific active genes, such as the $(SRY)$ gene on the $Y$ chromosome, which triggers male development.

Gonadal Sex

The classification of sex based on internal reproductive organs (gonads), specifically testes in males and ovaries in females.

Sex Hormones

Chemical messengers driving development and reproduction, including male-associated hormones like Testosterone and female-associated hormones like Estrogens and Progesterone.

Fundus

The uppermost and widest part of the uterus that connects to the fallopian tubes.

Epididymis

A long, coiled tube on the back of each testicle that stores and carries sperm cells created by the testicles.

Vulva

The collective term for female external reproductive organs, including the mons pubis, labia majora, labia minora, and clitoris.

Secondary Sex Characteristics

Physical features emerging during puberty not directly involved in reproduction, such as breast development or the deepening of the voice.

Alloromantic

A person who experiences romantic attraction towards others, encompassing identities like heterosexual, lesbian, and bisexual.

Androsexual

Attraction toward men, males, or perceived masculinity, regardless of the person's assigned sex at birth.

Demisexual

A person who typically only feels sexual attraction toward someone after a strong emotional bond has been established.

Monosexual

An umbrella term for sexual orientations where attraction is felt toward only one gender (e.g., lesbian or heterosexual).

Omnisexual

Attraction to all genders where the gender of the person is recognized and may still influence the attraction.

Spectrasexual

Being romantically and sexually attracted to multiple—but not all—sexes, genders, and gender identities.

Sexual Fluidity

A state where a person's sexual orientation is not fixed and may change over time.

Alfred Kinsey

Known as the "Father of sexual revolution," his 1940s research intended to show that human sexuality is diverse and falls within the range of biological normality.

Masters and Johnson

Gynecologists who pioneered the study of the human body’s physiological response to sex and identified the four stages of sexual response.

Excitement Phase

The initial stage of sexual arousal characterized by increased heart rate, muscle tension, and physical changes like penile erection or vaginal lubrication.

Orgasm Phase

The peak of sexual climax involving involuntary, rhythmic muscle contractions and the release of intense pleasure and tension.

Refractory Period

A natural recovery phase during the resolution stage where the body resets; in males, this lasts approximately $106\,minutes$.