Gender and Sexuality

• Intersectionality

sociological perspective that holds that our multiple group memberships affect our lives in ways that are distinct form the effects of any single group membership

• Sex

biological and anatomical differences distinguishing females from males

• Gender

social expectations about behavior regarded as appropriate for the members of each sex, socially formed traits

• Gender binary

classification of sex and gender into two discrete, opposite, and nonoverlapping forms of masculine and feminine

• Intersex

individuals who possess both male and female genitalia

• Gender identity

how a person sees and describes their own gender

• Non binary

gender identity that does not fit squarely into the male/female gender binary classification

• Cisgender

a person whose gender identity matches their biological sex

• Transgender

a person who identifies as or expresses a gender identity that differs from their sex at birth

• Gender expression

how a person chooses to convey gender identity through behavior, voice, mannerisms, etc

• Sexual orientation

individuals enduring emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to other people

• Sexual and gender minority

broad label applied to populations that include lesbian, gay, trans, etc

• Biological essentialism

view that differences between men and women are natural and inevitable consequences of the intrinsic biological natures of men and women

• Gender socialization

learning of gender roles through social factors such as schooling, peers, the media, and family

• Social construction of gender

perspective holding that gender differences are a product of social and cultural norms and expectations rather than biology

• Hegemonic masculinity

social norms dictating that men should be strong, self reliant, competitive, and unemotional

• Patriarchy

dominance of and privilege afforded to men over women

• Gender inequality

differences in status, power, and prestige that women and men have in groups

• Gender typing

designation of occupations as male or female

• Sex segregation

concentration of men and women in different occupations

• Glass ceiling

promotion barrier that prevents women's upward mobility within an organization

• Sexual harassment

unwanted or repeated sexual advances, remarks, or behaviors that are offensive to the recipient and cause discomfort or interfere with job performance

• Second shift

excessive work hours borne by women relative to men

• Housework

unpaid work carried out in the home, usually by women

• Infanticide

intentional killing of a newborn

• Rape

forcing of nonconsensual intercourse

• Rape culture

social context in which attitudes and norms perpetuate the treatment of women as sexual objects and instill in men a sense of sexual entitlement

• Toxic masculinity

cluster of potentially destructive values or behaviors that historically have been part of boys' socialization such as devaluation of and aggression toward women

• Feminist theory

sociological perspective that emphasizes the centrality of gender in analyzing the social world and particularly the experiences of women

• Liberal feminism

form of feminist theory that believes that gender inequality is produced by unequal access to civil right and certain social resources

• Radical feminism

form of feminist theory that believes that gender inequality is the result of male domination in all aspects of social and economic life

• Black feminism

strand of feminist theory that highlights the multiple disadvantages of gender, class, and race that shape the experiences of non white women

• Suffragettes

members of early women's movements who pressed for equal voting rights for women and men

Translation feminism

branch of feminist theory that highlights the ways in which global processes shape gender relations and hierarchies