Gender, Sexuality, and Society

Sex

Biological identity → male or female.

Gender

Socially and culturally defined roles, behaviors, and expectations considered appropriate for males or females. Shaped more by society and culture. Includes norms, attitudes, and behaviors associated with masculinity or femininity.

Trans community

People whose gender identity, expression, or behavior does not match the sex they were assigned at birth, or who do not identify strictly as male or female.

• Gender binary: The idea that there are only male and female genders.

• Beyond the binary: Genderqueer, bigender, third gender, gender non-conforming.

• Gender ≠ sexual orientation: Trans people can be heterosexual, lesbian, gay, or bisexual.

Gender identity

• Our personal, internal sense of being male, female, or another gender.

  • Society shapes ideas of masculine and feminine traits.

  • Masculine traits: Aggressive, independent, direct, objective, leadershiporiented.

Feminine traits: Nurturing, intuitive, empathetic, emotionally aware, more docile.

Different Types of Feminism: 

Liberal Feminism: Women’s inequality comes from imperfect institutions that can be fixed through reform. 

• Equal pay, political representation, reproductive rights.

• Social Feminism: Inequality is caused by both capitalism and male domination (patriarchy). 

  • Transform both the economic system and patriarchy.

• Radical Feminism: Gender inequality is the root of all other inequalities.

  • Change all institutions (religion, politics, economy) because inequality is everywhere.

• Multicultural Feminism: Seeks to end inequality for all women, considering race, class, nationality, sexual orientation, ability, and age.

  •  Intersectional approach to understanding oppression

Functionalist

Believe some roles are better suited to one gender. Society is more stable when men and women fulfill “appropriate” tasks. Men → instrumental role: provide material support, authority. Women → expressive role: provide emotional support, nurturing.

Critical

Focus on power and inequality. Men historically control most resources and privileges. Patriarchal systems maintain male dominance and support hegemonic masculinity (power, wealth, independence, sexual dominance).

Interactionists

• Focus on how gender is socially constructed and performed in everyday life (doing gender). Gender inequality is maintained through interactions and social expectations.

Different Types of Masculinities:

A performed gender identity; socially constructed

• Hegemonic:This is the “ideal man” in society. It emphasizes traits like power, dominance, independence, and control.

• Subordinate: Men who don’t fit the ideal. For example, men who are more emotional or caring. Society treats them as lower status compared to men who fit the hegemonic ideal.

• Complicit: Men who go along with the “ideal man” idea and don’t challenge it. They get the benefits of being a man in society even if they aren’t exactly like the “ideal man.”

• Marginal: Men who are outside traditional roles in society. Examples: stay-at-home dads, male nurses, or men in fields dominated by women.

Heteronormative

Treating heterosexuality as normal, which marginalizes other sexual orientations./To treat someone or a group as less important, less powerful, or outside the main focus of society.

Glass ceiling

An invisible barrier that prevents women from reaching the highest positions or pay, even when they are qualified. Example: Women hold very few CEO positions in top companies. Often linked to stereotypes about women taking care of children or needing maternity leave

Glass Escalator

An invisible advantage that helps men rise faster in female-dominated fields. Men are often promoted more quickly and given higher raises, even in jobs mostly held by women. Based on stereotypes that men are the “breadwinners.”

The second shift

A term by Arlie Hochschild describing how women work a “second shift” at home after their paid job. Includes housework, childcare, and managing the home.

Doing gender

Gender is socially constructed and maintained in daily life. Gender is not natural, but a learned behavior we perform in interactions with others.

Undoing gender

means challenging and breaking traditional gender roles and expectations that say men and women must act a certain way.