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sex

Physical or physiological differences between males and females.

primary sex characteristics

Sex organs (penises and vaginas).

secondary sex characteristics

Traits like hair growth, muscularity, and voice changes.

gender

Behaviors, traits, and social positions society attributes to being male or female.

gender identity

A person's deeply held internal perception of their gender.

doing gender

Performing tasks and behaviors based on the gender society assigns to us (how we sit, speak, act).

transgender

Identifying with behaviors or characteristics different from one's biological sex.

nonbinary

A gender identity that doesn't fit under 'male' or 'female.'

cisgender

When a person's gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth.

biological determinism

The belief that behavior and personality come entirely from biological/genetic factors.

gender essentialism

The idea that men and women act differently due to fixed, natural differences between sexes.

intersex

When biological sex characteristics don't fit neatly into 'male' or 'female.'

gender stratification

Unequal access to resources based on gender identity.

gendered division of labor

Assigning work tasks based on gender or sex.

double standard

Social rule allowing sexual freedom for men but not for women.

gender roles

Society's expectations for how men and women should look and behave.

U.S. gender role traits

Masculine = strength, dominance; Feminine = nurturing, passive.

third gender

Example: Samoan Fa'afafine: people born male but embody both masculine and feminine traits.

family

A socially recognized group (by blood, marriage, or adoption) forming an emotional and economic unit.

family of orientation

The family into which a person is born.

family of procreation

The family one forms through marriage or partnership.

Functionalists' view on families

Families perform essential roles that keep society stable and balanced.

Conflict Theorists' view on families

Families can be places of power struggle and inequality.

Symbolic Interactionists' view on families

Families face stress through symbolic choices and interactions over time.

prenuptial agreement

A legal contract before marriage about rights and property if the marriage ends.

technology

Applying science to solve daily life problems.

media

Print, digital, and electronic communication tools.

Post-industrial society

Society where power comes from information and knowledge.

Industrial society

Society with power from machines and production (factories).

Functions of media (Functionalist view)

Commercial, Entertainment, Social Norm, and Life-Changing.

Narcotizing dysfunction

When media overload leads to awareness without action.

Digital divide

Unequal access to technology across race, class, or geography.

E-readiness

The ability to sort and interpret digital information.

Knowledge gap

The gap between people who have access to technology and those who don't.

Panoptic surveillance

Constant monitoring that causes people to self-regulate behavior.

Panopticon Effect

The feeling of being watched leading to self-discipline and conformity.

Symbolic interactionism's view on technology

Technology acts as a social symbol—status, identity, and belonging.

Luddite

Someone who resists or dislikes technology.

Technophile

Someone who embraces technology as positive progress.

Cultural capital

Cultural knowledge and style that act like social 'currency' (Pierre Bourdieu).

Meritocracy

A system where success is based on effort or merit.

Social stratification

The ranking of people into social tiers based on wealth, income, race, education, and power.

Income vs Wealth

Income = earnings; Wealth = total assets and money owned.

Davis-Moore thesis (Functionalist)

Inequality exists because some jobs are more important and need higher rewards.

Class analysis (Conflict Theory - Marx)

Society is divided between those who own production and those who work for them.

Class

A group sharing similar wealth, income, education, and occupation status.

Status consistency

How consistent one's rank is across categories like income, education, and job.

Social mobility

The ability to move up or down the social hierarchy.

Open vs closed systems of stratification

Open = mobility possible (class system); Closed = mobility limited (caste system).

Compassion gap

The difference between society's moral ideals and how it treats the poor.

Manifest function

Intended and visible purpose of a social system.

Latent function

Unintended or hidden consequence of a social system.

Conspicuous consumption

Buying things to display social status.