Gender Studies Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and theorists from lecture notes on gender, society, socialization, sexuality, and politics.

Sex

Biological classification of individuals based on physical characteristics, typically male or female at birth.

Gender

A social and psychological construct encompassing roles, behaviors, and identities associated with being male or female.

Gender Roles

Societal expectations for how individuals should behave, express themselves, and interact based on their gender.

Sexual Orientation

A person’s emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to others.

Gender Identity

An individual’s personal sense of their gender, which may or may not align with their sex assigned at birth.

Society

A group of people living in a definable community, sharing cultural norms, values, and institutions.

Seven Spheres of Society

Family, Religion/Church, Education, Government, Media, Celebration (Arts, Entertainment, Sports), and Economy (Business, Science, Technology).

Family (Sphere)

Foundation of society that shapes values, relationships, and personal development.

Religion / Church (Sphere)

Influences moral and ethical beliefs, guiding spiritual and communal practices.

Education (Sphere)

Provides knowledge and skills for individual and societal advancement.

Government (Sphere)

Establishes laws, policies, and leadership structures that govern society.

Media (Sphere)

Shapes public perception, communication, and cultural narratives.

Celebration (Arts, Entertainment, Sports)

Expresses creativity, identity, and shared experiences.

Economy (Sphere)

Drives innovation, financial stability, and societal progress.

Hunter-Gatherer Society

Earliest human society reliant on hunting animals and gathering plants for survival.

Pastoral Society

Society based on the domestication of animals for food, trade, and transportation.

Horticultural Society

Society focused on small-scale farming using simple tools.

Agricultural Society

Society characterized by advanced, large-scale farming and surplus production.

Feudal Society

Medieval European system (9th–15th c.) structured around land ownership, loyalty, and service.

Industrial Society

Society marked by mechanized production, factories, and urbanization.

Post-Industrial Society

Society centered on information, technology, and services rather than manufacturing.

Gender-Equal Society

A society where all genders have equal access to opportunities, rights, and resources.

Gender Socialization

Lifelong process through which individuals learn cultural norms and expectations about gender.

Primary Socialization

Early-childhood learning of norms and values, primarily through family.

Secondary Socialization

Learning that occurs later in life through schools, peers, media, and workplaces.

Resocialization

Adapting to new environments by learning new norms and behaviors.

John Locke

17th-century philosopher who proposed empiricism and the tabula rasa (blank slate).

Tabula Rasa

Locke’s idea that human knowledge and behavior are shaped entirely by experience.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Pioneering feminist who argued that gender differences are socially constructed.

Auguste Comte

“Father of Sociology”; founded positivism and supported traditional gender roles.

Harriet Martineau

First woman sociologist; analyzed how social structures reinforce gender inequality.

Herbert Spencer

Social Darwinist who viewed gender roles as biologically evolved for social stability.

Georg Simmel

Sociologist who studied how everyday interactions reflect and reproduce gender norms.

Emile Durkheim

Saw clearly defined gender roles as vital to social cohesion and order.

George Herbert Mead

Symbolic interactionist who viewed gender identity as constructed through social interaction.

Social Devaluation

Process by which individuals or groups are regarded as less valuable within society.

Nature

Genetic inheritance shaping human traits and behaviors.

Nurture

Environmental influences such as upbringing, culture, and education.

Structural Functionalists

Theorists emphasizing socialization’s role in maintaining societal stability.

Sexuality

Central aspect of identity encompassing orientation, desire, intimacy, and reproduction.

Genderlects

Speech varieties or communication styles associated with a particular sex.

Gender Stereotype

Generalized view about characteristics or roles expected of men or women.

Cisgender

Person whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth.

Masculinity

A configuration of social practices associated with male bodies and behaviors.

Human Sexuality

The ways people experience and express themselves sexually.

Sexual Attraction

Desire to engage in sexual activity with another person.

Romantic Attraction

Expression of love and emotional connection within a relationship.

Reproductive Role

Domestic responsibilities related to child care and household tasks.

Health

State of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.

Reproductive Health

Ability to have a responsible, satisfying, and safe sex life.

Biological Approach (Family 1)

Explains gender differences via biological factors such as genes and hormones.

Socialization Approach (Family 2)

Views gender differences as products of differential treatment of boys and girls.

Cognitive Approach (Family 3)

Sees children as active constructors of gender knowledge through interpretation.

Sigmund Freud

Psychoanalyst who proposed psychosexual development and the id, ego, superego.

Id

Innate component of personality driven by the pleasure principle.

Ego

Realistic part of personality that mediates between id and reality.

Superego

Moral conscience guiding what we should and should not do.

Oral Stage

Freud’s stage (0-1 yr) where pleasure centers on the mouth.

Anal Stage

Freud’s stage (2-3 yrs) focusing on bowel and bladder control.

Phallic Stage

Freud’s stage (3-6 yrs) where pleasure centers on the genitals; includes Oedipus/Electra complexes.

Latency Period

Freud’s stage (6-puberty) when sexual urges are repressed.

Genital Stage

Freud’s stage (puberty onward) where sexual urges mature.

Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

Three-level model: pre-conventional, conventional, post-conventional morality.

Pre-Conventional Morality

First Kohlberg level where behavior is judged by direct consequences.

Conventional Morality

Second Kohlberg level emphasizing social approval and law-and-order.

Post-Conventional Morality

Third Kohlberg level recognizing universal ethical principles beyond law.

Gilligan’s Theory of Moral Development

Posits male moral reasoning stresses independence; female stresses interdependence.

General Strain Theory

Criminological theory linking strain (e.g., anger) to deviant behavior.

Socialist Feminism

Marxist-influenced feminism focusing on class and gender oppression.

Social Constructionism

Theory that shared understandings create social reality.

Essentialism

Belief that characteristics are significantly influenced by biology.

Cognitive-Developmental Theory

Children’s adherence to gender roles depends on their cognitive understanding of gender.

Gender Labelling

Children’s ability to identify themselves and others as boys or girls.

Gender Stability

Recognition that gender is stable over time.

Gender Consistency

Understanding that gender remains constant across situations.

Albert Bandura

Psychologist who developed Social Cognitive Theory emphasizing observational learning.

Social Learning Theory

Behavior is learned by observing and imitating others, with rewards and punishments.

Attention (Mediational Process)

Degree to which a learner notices a behavior.

Retention (Mediational Process)

Ability to remember observed behavior.

Reproduction (Mediational Process)

Capability to perform the observed behavior.

Motivation (Mediational Process)

Will or drive to imitate observed behavior.

Jean Piaget

Cognitive theorist emphasizing children’s active role in constructing knowledge.

Schema

Mental framework of rules guiding social or cultural interactions.

Standpoint Theory

Holds that knowledge is shaped by the social positions (standpoints) of knowers.

Standpoint

Location shared by a group within the social structure that shapes perspective.

Situated Knowledge

Idea that all knowledge is rooted in specific contexts and circumstances.

Sexual Division of Labor

Assignment of tasks based on sex, often leading to exploitation.

Gender Equality

Equal opportunities and freedoms for all genders without stereotypes or prejudice.

Gender Equity

Fair treatment of men and women according to their respective needs.

Gender Mainstreaming

Strategy to integrate gender concerns into all policy stages and levels.

Gender Aware Planning

Project planning that considers gender needs from identification through evaluation.

Gender Neutral Approach

Approach that ignores gender differences and risks marginalizing certain groups.

Gender Aware (Responsive) Approach

Designs programs to meet both women’s and men’s specific needs.

Gender Transformative Approach

Actively examines, questions, and changes rigid gender norms and power imbalances.

Women in Development (WID)

1970s approach aiming to integrate women into development processes.

Gender and Development (GAD)

1980s approach focusing on relations between women and men in development.

Human Rights-Based Approach

Development strategy that systematically incorporates human rights principles.

Smart Economics

View of gender equality as integral to economic development and growth.

Empowerment

Process of gaining control over one’s life, skills, and resources.

Women Empowerment

Enhancing women’s self-confidence, resource control, and ability to transform institutions.