SOC 250 Midterm

SOC 250 exam one

Sexual orientation

identity based on enduring sexual attraction

sexualitiy

sexual desires, attractions, and behaviors—which may

or may not align together congruently

essentialism

that sexual orientation is fixed and inborn

social contruction

its meaning is bound to place,space, and time

heteronormativity

heterosexuality as desirable and afforded social privilege

sexual socialization

individuals acquire knowledge, attitudes, and values about sexuality through interactions with their environment, including family, peers, media, and culture

sex/gender/sexuality system

Sex, gender, and sexuality are often constructed as binary

opposites and mutually bound up: a system based on belief of

only two sexes, genders, and sexual orientations

gender schema

a mental structure that organizes information based on gender

doing gender

meeting ideals of masculinity and femininity through

everyday interactions and practices

Sexual desire

influenced by physical conditions and psychological, social, and cultural factors

benevolent sexism

a set of beliefs and attitudes that seem positive toward women but actually reinforce traditional gender roles and inequality

transphobic sexism

when people have deeply rooted negative beliefs about what it means to be transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming

hostile sexism

a type of sexism that involves negative views of people who don't conform to traditional gender roles

hegemony

to maintain position of power by cultivating acceptance among subordinates

hegemonic masculinity

sustains gender inequality and the subordination of women

toxic masculinity

embraces these negative views and behavior

complicit

non-hegemonic men who still receive a “patriarchal dividend”

marginal

men who are already oppressed in society

hybrid masculintiy

when subordinate and marginal masculinities are incorporated into hegemonic ideals

hypermasculinity

a sociological and psychological term for exaggerated masculine traits and behaviors

emphasized feminitity

exaggerating feminine gender behavior to accommodate the interests of men

hyperfemininity

places primary value on a sexualized body: hetero-gendered pressures around beauty

Pariah femininities

when women are sanctioned or stigmatized for behaving in ways seen acceptable in men

“Fag” discourse

subordinate masculinities

“Bitch” / “Slut” Discourse

pariah femininities

Controlling images

Like men of color, women of color face stereotypes at nexus of

race, gender, & sexuality

colorblind racism

Racial essentialism replaced by cultural essentialism today “i see no color”

Hetero-sexy images

Peer pressure, connoting objectification and complicity with male gaze

transforsexation

forced production of normative masculinity or femininity through invasive clinical practices, where secrecy is needed for successful normalization

sexing the body

the process of gender embodiment

Agender

used to describe someone who does not identify with any specific gender

Socialization

is the process through which individuals acquire their society’s culture – active and reciprocal

primary socialization

How we learn to become mature, responsible, and contributory members of society

secondary socialization

More specific formal training throughout life (e.g., learning a skill or role in profession)

sexual scripting: cultural

discourses creating taken-for-granted “ways of

knowing” sex and sexuality

sexual scripting: interpersonal

interactional cues, language, and rituals for

navigating sexual encounters

sexual scripting: intrapsychic

internal motivations, desires, and anxieties related to sexual subjectivities

sexual ascription

Parents are deeply invested in and concerned about their

children’s sexual behaviors and attitudes—namely because

they are expected to result in negative consequences

Neoliberalism + biopower

Americans responsible for their own

well-being, including through controlling sexual behavior

Making up children

children are socially defined in a binary regarding sexual knowledge and practice

Doing difference

my asexual innocent child versus others’ hypersexual threats