WGSS Mid-Term

What is the difference between sex and gender?

Sex refers to biological characteristics (primary and secondary sexual characteristics), while gender refers to the social symbols associated with masculinity and femininity.

What are primary sexual characteristics?

Organs directly involved in sexual reproduction.

What are secondary sexual characteristics?

Bodily processes associated with different sexes, such as hair growth patterns and body fat distribution.

What does the Gender Binary refer to?

The idea that there are only two opposing types of people: masculine men and feminine women.

What terms are used to describe gender assignment at birth?

Assigned male at birth (AMAB) and assigned female at birth (AFAB).

How does the Gender Binary affect perceptions of bodies?

It assumes that male and female bodies are distinct and that all bodies within each category look similar.

What is intersex?

Individuals with reproductive organs that are not exclusively male or female.

What is the Gender Spectrum?

An alternative view that sees gender as a continuous process with multiple possibilities, rather than a strict binary.

What does hegemony refer to in gender studies?

The organization of social, cultural, and economic ideas where certain groups dictate the characteristics required for dominance.

What is hegemonic masculinity?

An idealized form of masculinity used to measure men and assert dominance over women.

What are marginalized masculinities?

Forms of masculinity that do not adhere to hegemonic standards.

What is positionality?

How an individual's social location and identity influence their understanding of the world and interactions with others.

What is privilege?

Unearned advantages or benefits received due to perceived membership in a social group.

What is sexism?

The general favoring of men over women, manifesting both individually and institutionally.

What is patriarchy?

The practice where select adult men control women, children, and other men, with varying degrees across different societies.

How does cultural attitude uphold the Gender Binary?

Through stereotypes associated with masculinity and femininity and media portrayals.

What role does media play in gender construction?

Media portrayals reinforce cultural attitudes and stereotypes about men and women.

How does the Gender Spectrum allow for identity fluidity?

It permits movement and fluctuation between masculine and feminine identities, creating individualized identities.

What are some characteristics of hegemonic masculinity?

Characteristics often drawn from racialized, classed, and sexualized grounds that define ideal masculinity.

What is the societal view on femininity compared to masculinity?

Femininity is often looked down upon, while masculine performances from women are more accepted.

What is the significance of gender bending in society?

It highlights the flexibility of gender performances and challenges traditional gender norms.

What is the impact of hegemonic masculinity on non-conforming individuals?

Those who do not adhere to hegemonic masculinity are often marginalized or viewed as periphery.

How does social location influence identity?

Social location encompasses factors like race, class, gender, and sexual orientation that shape one's identity and experiences.

What are the implications of policing hegemonic masculinity?

It can lead to toxicity and reinforce harmful stereotypes, as seen in figures like Andrew Tate and Ben Shapiro.

What is the relationship between sexism and patriarchy?

Sexism is a broader societal phenomenon, while patriarchy specifically refers to the control exerted by men over others.

What is the best way to describe the societal structure in the US regarding gender?

The US is a modified patriarchy where women have formal gender equality, but power remains conflated with men and masculinity.

What term describes the centering of society around men's experiences?

Androcentrism

What is benevolent sexism?

The act of attributing positive traits to women that justify their subordination to men.

What does misogyny refer to?

Men's fear and/or hatred of women.

How is gender defined in social terms?

Gender is socially constructed, not an innate biological property.

What influences the social construction of gender?

Social interaction, norms, and cultural influences.

What are gender norms?

Social definitions of behavior that society assigns to sex categories.

What are gender stereotypes?

Overgeneralizations of attitudes, traits, or behavior patterns of women and men.

How do we learn about gender roles?

Through family, peers, schools, media, and other environmental sources.

What is meant by 'doing gender'?

The various ways we actively obey and break gender roles.

What is the gender binary?

A classification system that divides gender into two distinct categories: male and female.

What is intersectionality?

A concept coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw to examine multiple forms of oppression through the lens of overlapping identities.

What does privilege refer to in social contexts?

Unearned social and economic advantages based on one's position in a social hierarchy.

How did the first wave of feminism primarily focus?

On voting rights, but only for white women.

What significant speech did Sojourner Truth deliver at the Seneca Falls Convention?

Her 'Ain't I a Woman' speech, addressing racist treatment in the suffragette movement.

What shift occurred in the second wave of feminism?

A broader focus on social issues concerning women, but still primarily centered on white women.

What characterizes the third wave of feminism?

An emphasis on inclusivity, incorporating narratives from LGBTQ and non-white women.

How does intersectionality apply to healthcare for women of color?

It highlights specific forms of oppression faced by women of color, such as difficulties in accessing sufficient healthcare.

What historical context contributes to the oppression faced by women of color in healthcare?

Historical oppression extending back to slavery.

What is gender policing?

Negative reactions to individuals who break established gender rules.

What are some examples of breaking gender rules?

Wearing different clothing or acting in ways that defy traditional gender expectations.

What does the learning model of socialization describe?

A lifelong process of learning and relearning social expectations regarding gender.

What is the impact of socialization on gender perception?

It leads individuals to believe that gender roles are natural rather than socially constructed.

What are some reasons people follow gender rules?

Habits, rituals, monitoring by others, and the desire to avoid negative reactions.

What is an example of extreme rule-breaking in gender expression?

Drag queens, who challenge traditional gender norms through performance.

What stereotype is associated with Asian males?

The 'effeminate Asian male' stereotype.

What pressures do immigrant women face in their families?

They face added pressure when taking care of their families.

What two categories are commonly intersected with gender in social studies?

Gender and class.

How does intersectionality help examine gender and class?

It can be examined through work and the gendering of occupations.

What is the gender pay gap?

The difference between the incomes of the typical man and woman who work full-time.

What is the current status of the gender pay gap?

It still exists today despite efforts to close it.

How does gender intersect with immigration?

Immigrants may face new gender rules that differ from their home culture.

What challenges do sexual minorities face when seeking asylum?

They must 'prove' their sexuality to gain asylum.

What is ableism?

Individual and institutional biases that deny critical resources to differently abled bodies.

How does disability affect gender perception?

Disabilities can change how bodies are gendered, affecting perceptions of masculinity and femininity.

What societal view is often ascribed to people with disabilities?

They are commonly viewed as asexual and innocent.

What is ageism?

An institutionalized preference for the young and the cultural association of aging with decreased social value.

How is ageism reflected in the beauty industry?

Women are marketed skincare and anti-aging products targeting aspects of aging.

What is the relationship between wealth and aging in society?

Wealthier individuals can afford procedures to reduce aging, unlike those with fewer resources.

How are racial groups defined?

By shared physical and social characteristics.

What historical concept influenced the biological construction of race?

Social Darwinism.

What movement was justified by the ideas of Social Darwinism?

The Eugenics movement.

What does Critical Race Theory (CRT) assert about race?

Race is socially constructed and embedded in the social structure.

How does CRT view racism?

As a systemic phenomenon rather than just personal prejudices.

Who coined the term 'double consciousness'?

Sociologist W.E.B. DuBois.

What does 'double consciousness' describe?

How African Americans view themselves as both American and 'Negro'.

What does the term 'the color line' refer to?

The racial segregation faced in post-slavery America.

What was the focus of scholarship in the 60s and 70s regarding race?

Looking at race as something socially constructed and not innately natural.

What are controlling images?

Stereotypes that dehumanize Black women and exploit their labor.

Who coined the term 'controlling images'?

Patricia Hill Collins.

What does the Mammy stereotype depict?

Black women as servants or caretakers.

What does the Matriarch stereotype imply?

Black single mothers are the cause of impoverished conditions.

What is the Welfare Mother/Queen stereotype?

It depicts poor Black mothers as responsible for diminishing life in Capitalist society.

How is the Black Lady stereotype characterized?

Middle-class Black career women are seen as uptight and overworked.

What does the Jezebel stereotype suggest?

Black women are hypersexual and hyperfertile.

What is colorism?

The privileging of lighter skin complexions over darker skin tones.

How does Eurocentrism relate to beauty standards?

It centers knowledge and values around European ideals, privileging whiteness over blackness.

What role does the beauty industry play in colorism?

It often promotes skin lighteners and has a limited range of foundation shades.

What is a common naming convention for foundation shades?

Lighter shades are often named 'Ivory', while darker shades are named 'Sand' or 'Cocoa'.

How is welfare racialized in society?

Welfare is often associated with Black mothers, viewed less sympathetically than white mothers.

What do Neubeck and Cazanave argue about welfare perceptions?

White mothers on welfare are viewed more sympathetically than mothers of color.

What stereotypes exist regarding Asian women?

They are often viewed as exotic and demure.

How are East Asian men stereotyped?

They are often viewed as effeminate.

What stereotype is commonly associated with Latina women?

They are viewed as 'spicy' and angry, sometimes promiscuous.

What stereotype is often applied to Black men?

They are seen as hypermasculine and predatory.

What are the consequences of racial stereotypes?

They can lead to harassment, violence, and institutional hardship.

How does the association of blackness and masculinity affect policing?

It results in higher policing of Black men.

What is the impact of exoticization on women of color?

It leads to dehumanization and increased vulnerability to violence and harassment.

What systems of power privilege most men over women?

Patriarchy and sexism

What is exculpatory chauvinism?

The justification of men's dominance over women due to negative characteristics associated with them.

What attitudes contribute to the upholding of masculinity and power?

Attitudes about parenting and leadership, and the phrase 'boys will be boys.'

How is masculinity measured in the hierarchy of masculinity?

By the most to least masculine, with the assumption that more masculinity is better.

What drives the hierarchy of masculinity?

The fear of emasculation, or the loss of masculinity.

What is fragile masculinity?

A form of masculinity built on the idea that manhood is difficult to earn and easy to lose.

What is precarious masculinity?

The belief that manhood is something that is done and earned, unlike womanhood, which is bestowed at birth.