Ch 5 - Gender, Gender Roles, and Sexuality

encourages us to accentuate or invent psychological, emotional, mental, and behavioral differences between men and women

effect of culture on gender

Assigned female at birth (afab) or assigned male at birth (amab)

terms used to categorize bodies typically based on external genital anatomy but sometimes based on internal gonads, chromosomes, or hormone levels

sex

consists of a set of biological attributes in humans primarily associated with physiological and reproductive features

genetic sex

refers to one’s chromosomal and hormonal sex characteristics such as whether one’s chromosomes are X Y or X X or another combination and whether estrogen or testosterone dominates the hormonal system

anotomical sex

refers to a set of biological attributes in humans primarily associated with physiological and reproductive features which includes gonads, uterus, vulva, vagina, penis, and so on

gender

the socially constructed roles, behaviors, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men, and gender diverse people, including the norms that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex

gener roles

attitudes, behaviors, rights, and responsibilities that cultural groups associate with one’s assumed or assigned sex

gender role stereotype

a rigidly held, oversimplified, and overgeneralized belief about how each gender should behave

gender identity

a person’s internal experience of gender

cisgender

term used to describe a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex they were assigned at birth

gender binary

term whereby gender is an either-or option of female or male

gender variant, gender nonconforming, genderqueer

A spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine

assigned gender

based on anatomical appearance at birth, assigned gender tells others how to respond to us

agender

term that includes those who do not identify with any gender

gender fluid

term that includes those whose gender expressions and/or identity is not static

transgender

an umbrella term for those whose gender expression or identity is not congruent with the sex assigned at birth

men and women are polar opposites

tradional western view of gender

instrumentality

term describing traditional western male gender stereotypes; task-oriented

expressiveness

term describing traditional wester female gender stereotypes; emotion-oriented

sexism

discrimination against people based on their sex rather than their individual merits; Often associated with gender stereotypes; May prevent individuals from expressing their full range of emotions or seeking certain vocations

misogyny

a more hostile form of prejudice that involves the hatred of or disdain for women

heteronormativity

These negative stereotypes which hold that people fall into distinct genders, with natural roles, and are presumed to be heterosexual; imply that same-sex behavior is somehow associated with a failure to fill traditional gender roles

cognitive social learning theory

theory that states attitudes and behaviors are a result of social learning and that consequences control behavior; include cognitive processes like using language, anticipating consequences, and making observations

cognitive development theory

theory that focuses on children’s active interpretation of messages received from the environment; states learning, including about gender, differs depending on age

social construction theory

theory that sees gender as a set of practices and performances that occur through language and a political system

queer theory

theory that states gender and sexuality are systems that are not gender neutral and cannot be understood by the actions of heterosexual individuals

parents, teachers, peers, and media influencers

socialing agents of gender roles

gender schema

the cognitive organization of the world according to gender; form the basis of cultural norms, status, taboos, and privileges and often undermine and undervalue the uniqueness of individuals; make multiple associations between gender and other non-sex-linked qualities such as affection and strength

gender script

behaviors, rules, and expectations of a role

sexual orientation

a multidimensional construct encompassing emotional, romantic, and sexual attraction, identity, and behavior

androgyny

a combination of masculine and feminine traits or a nontraditional gender expression

gender affirming care

a supportive form of health care consisting of medical, surgical, mental, and non-medical care for transgender and nonbinary people

gender dysphoria

a diagnosis that emphasizes the individual’s felt sense of “incongruence” with natal gender, including intense discomfort and distress

intersex or differences of sex development (DSD)

a medical diagnosis used to describe a group of congenital conditions in which the external appearance of the individual does not coincide with the chromosomal constitution or gonadal sex

intersex traits

an umbrella term for differences in sex traits or reproductive anatomy resulting in a discrepancy between the external genitals and the internal genitals

46XX, 46XY, true gonadal intersex, and complex or undetermined intersex differences

categories of intersex

46XX

type of intersex condition in which the person has the chromosomes of a woman, the ovaries of a woman, but the external genitals that appear male

46XY

type of intersex condition where a person has the chromosomes of a man, but the external genitals are incompletely formed, ambiguous or female while the internal testes are normal, malformed, or absent

true gonadal intersex

type of intersex conditon where the person has both ovarian and testicular tissue, which may be in the same gonad or the person may have one ovary and one testis. The person may have XX, XY, or both chromosomes

Complex or undetermined intersex differences of sexual development

type of interesex condition in which many chromosome configurations can result in disorders/differences in sex development, but these do not result in a condition in which there is a discrepancy between internal and external genitalia

turner syndrome (45X)

genetic condition in which a female does not have the usual pair of two X chromosomes

klinefelter syndrome

genetic condition in which males have one or more extra X chromosomes

androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS)

condition that occurs when a person is genetically male but is resistant to male hormones or androgens

congenital adrenal hyperplasia

a group of inherited disorders of the adrenal gland; can affect both males and females

5-Alpha reductase deficiency

a condition whereby a genetic male will not produce enough of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

title IX

an educational amendment that protects people from sex discrimination in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance