/Openstax Introduction to Sociology Chapter Twelve

Biological determinism

The belief that men and women behave differently due to inherent sex differences related to

their biology

Doing gender

the performance of tasks based upon the gender assigned to us by society and, in turn, ourselves

DOMA

Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 U.S. law explicitly limiting the definition of "marriage" to a union between

one man and one woman and allowing each individual state to recognize or deny same-sex marriages performed

in other states

Double standard

the concept that prohibits premarital sexual intercourse for women but allows it for men

Gender

a term that refers to social or cultural distinctions of behaviors that are considered male or female

Gender dysphoria

a condition listed in the DSM-5 in which people whose gender at birth is contrary to the one they

identify with. This condition replaces "gender identity disorder"

Gender identity

a person's deeply held internal perception of his or her gender

Gender role

society's concept of how men and women should behave

Heterosexism

an ideology and a set of institutional practices that privilege heterosexuals and heterosexuality over

other sexual orientations

Homophobia

an extreme or irrational aversion to homosexuals

Queer theory

an interdisciplinary approach to sexuality studies that identifies Western society's rigid splitting of

gender into male and female roles and questions its appropriateness

Sex

a term that denotes the presence of physical or physiological differences between males and females

Sexism

the prejudiced belief that one sex should be valued over another

Sexual orientation

a person's physical, mental, emotional, and sexual attraction to a particular sex (male or female)

Sexuality

a person's capacity for sexual feelings

Social construction of sexuality

socially created definitions about the cultural appropriateness of sex-linked

behavior which shape how people see and experience sexuality

Transgender

an adjective that describes individuals who identify with the behaviors and characteristics that are other

than their biological sex

Transsexuals

transgender individuals who attempt to alter their bodies through medical interventions such as surgery

and hormonal therapy

12.1 Sex and Gender

The terms "sex" and "gender" refer to two different identifiers. Sex denotes biological characteristics differentiating males

and females, while gender denotes social and cultural characteristics of masculine and feminine behavior. Sex and gender

are not always synchronous. Individuals who strongly identify with the opposing gender are considered transgender.

12.2 Gender

Children become aware of gender roles in their earliest years, and they come to understand and perform these roles

through socialization, which occurs through four major agents: family, education, peer groups, and mass media

12.3 Sex and Sexuality

When studying sex and sexuality, sociologists focus their attention on sexual attitudes and practices, not on physiology or

anatomy.