Introduction to Gender Studies

Gender Studies

An interdisciplinary academic field analyzing the situation of women, men, and gender relations, exploring how meanings of masculinity and femininity vary and contribute to inequality.

Sex

The biological categorization of individuals as male or female.

Gender

The social meanings, stereotypes, and roles attached to biological sex (masculinity vs. femininity).

Gender Identity

How an individual internalizes gender roles and stereotypes to shape their own sense of self.

Doing Gender

The concept that gender is a performance of prescribed activities and traits, not an innate quality.

Socialization

The process of learning to behave according to group expectations, where gendered behaviors are learned through observation and reward.

Biological Essentialism

The belief that biology determines personality and behavior, viewing gender differences as immutable and often used to justify inequality.

Gender Polarization

The assumption that men and women are opposites; if a trait is "masculine," it cannot be "feminine."

Androcentrism

Viewing masculinity as the default human standard, positioning women as the "other" or a deviation.

Default Male Hypothesis

The cognitive bias where people assume a subject is male unless specified otherwise (e.g., assuming a "person" in a story is a man).

Hostile Sexism

Antipathy towards women who challenge male power, often viewing them as incompetent or manipulative.

Benevolent Sexism

Paternalistic attitudes (cherishing, protecting) that view women as weak and in need of men's protection, rewarding them for staying in traditional roles.

Ambivalent Sexism

The combination of hostile and benevolent sexism working together to maintain patriarchy.

Modern Sexism

The denial that discrimination still exists and resentment toward demands for gender equality.

Glass Ceiling

An invisible barrier preventing women from reaching top leadership positions.

Glass Cliff

The phenomenon where women are promoted to leadership roles during crises, setting them up for a higher risk of failure.

Glass Escalator

The rapid promotion of men in female-dominated fields.

Glass Slipper Effect

The pressure for women to fit into a specific "feminine" role or seek rescue rather than power; or the idea that leadership roles are designed for a "masculine" fit.

Liberal Feminism (1st Wave)

Focuses on legal/political reform and equal rights (voting, property), arguing women have the same rational capacity as men.

Radical Feminism (2nd Wave)

Views patriarchy as the primary system of power and focuses on violence, reproductive control, and compulsory heterosexuality.

Cultural Feminism

A branch of radical feminism that celebrates "female" traits (nurturing, peace) as superior to "male" violence.

Marxist/Socialist Feminism

Links women's oppression to Capitalism, highlighting how women's unpaid domestic labor supports the economy.

Psychoanalytic Feminism

Critiques Freud's male-centered view and argues that dual parenting is needed to break the cycle of gendered personality development.

Care-Focused Feminism

Argues that society undervalues "feminine" ethics of care and that these values should be elevated to central moral importance.

Ecofeminism

Connects the exploitation of women to the exploitation of nature/the environment.

Existential Feminism

Associated with Simone de Beauvoir ("One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman"), arguing women are positioned as the "Other" and must transcend this to become free subjects.

Queer Theory

Associated with Judith Butler, it challenges the gender binary entirely and argues that gender is a performance ("performativity").