Chapter 11 - Gender and Politics

Authority

Power derived from a position in a legitimate organization.

Biology-based ideologies

Beliefs that gender follows a natural male-female binary, measurable by biology.

Burkas

Tentlike garments that cover a woman's entire body, leaving a tiny transparent bit of cloth for her to see out of and negotiate the world

Coercive power

The ability to force compliance through threats or deception.

Cultural relativism

A perspective that encourages us to view other cultures through their own lens rather than through ours

Deference

Behavior that supports a dominant group's power over oneself.

Descriptive or numerical representation

The proportion of a group in positions of power.

The double jeopardy hypothesis

The idea that Black women face compounded discrimination due to their race and gender.

Emasculation

Reducing or removing masculinity, by men or women.

Ethic of care

Women’s focus on helping others in moral dilemmas.

Ethic of justice

Men’s focus on protecting individual rights in moral dilemmas.

Feminization of poverty

The higher economic disadvantage of female-headed households.

Gender naturalization work

Reinforcing the male-female binary to avoid gender panic.

Gender panics

Reactions to challenges of the male-female binary, often through frantic reaffirmations of the naturalness of the binary

Geography of fear

Women's assessment of risky spaces due to potential violence or harassment.

Head and master laws

Laws giving husbands final control over household decisions and property.

Hegemonic definition of manhood

The societal standard for masculinity and male power.

Hijab

A modest dress code for women, often a headscarf or full-body covering.

Human trafficking

Coercive exploitation of individuals for labor or sex.

Identity-based ideologies

Beliefs that gender identity, not biology, defines gender.

Institutionalized power

How large organizations and institutions reinforce gender norms.

Interaction routines

Regular patterns of behavior in social interactions.

Marital rape

Nonconsensual sex within marriage.

Political efficacy

The belief that individual actions can bring about political change.

Political elite

the small group of people who hold high-level positions of power and responsibility in a government

Political socialization

The process of learning political expectations and norms.

Power

The ability to influence others through persuasion, authority, or force.

State feminism

Government actions aimed at advancing women's rights and status.

Substantive representation

The extent to which elected representatives advocate for their group's interests.