Key Concepts in Gender and Sexuality Studies

Amenorrhea

absence of menstruation

Primary amenorrhea

failure to menstruate during the beginning of puberty

Secondary amenorrhea

disruption of a normal, healthy period for three months or more

Cisgender

someone whose biological sex matches their gender identity

Gender essentialism

The idea that there is an internal masculine essence that leads humans with XY chromosomes to become men and an internal feminine essence that humans with XX chromosomes to become women

Gender identity

our internal sense of our gender

Gender-role expectations

how society frames how women and men should act/dress

Heteronormativity

a world view that understands heterosexuality as the only normal or natural sexual orientation

Homologous organs

corresponding anatomical parts such as the clitoris/glands of the penis; the hood of the clitoris/foreskin etc.

Homophobia

negative attitudes, such as fear, intolerance, resentment, and discomfort, toward homosexual people

Infertility

inability to conceive a child

Intersex

Describing a person with a less common combination of hormones, chromosomes, and anatomy that are used to assign sex at birth

Sexual differentiation

the process by which the male and female sexual organs develop from neutral embryonic structures

Sexual dimorphism

the term for when different sexes of the same species have different physical characteristics, including traits that aren't directly related to reproduction

Sexual fluidity

Variability in same-sex and other-sex attraction and involvement at different times and in different situations throughout the life span

Sexual orientation(s)

about who you're attracted to and want to have relationships with.

Social construction

a concept or idea that is created and accepted by a society, and is not based on objective reality

Transgender

identities of those who do not identify or exclusively identify with their sex assigned at birth

Self-selection/volunteer bias

volunteers for sex research are more sexually experienced and hold more positive attitudes toward sexuality and sex research than do non-volunteers

Social desirability bias

The bias that is introduced when people distort or falsify their responses to maintain or enhance their social image.

Demographic bias

A kind of sampling bias in which certain segments of society (such as White, middle-class, white-collar workers) are disproportionately represented in a study population.

Kinsey

pioneered in conducting sex surveys; noted that sexual behavior is influenced by educational level and that sexual identity is often not an all-or-none, fixed state

Masters & Johnson

used direct observation in a laboratory setting to observe 10,000 completed sexual response cycles and learn about physiological changes during sexual arousal

Sex vs. Gender

sex refers to the biological sex characteristics associated with being male, female, or intersex; gender refers to each individual's personal, subjective sense of their gender.

Sexual orientation

refers to the people we are sexually, emotionally, and/or romantically attracted to

Experimental method

Studies using this method, typically conducted in a laboratory environment, have a major advantage over other methods because they provide a controlled environment in which all possible influences on participants' responses, other than the factors that are being investigated, can be ruled out

Non-experimental methods

qualitative, survey, direct observation.

survey

da technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group

direct observation

observing behavior as it occurs

qualitative

Examines a small group of people in depth; survey = Data gathered from relatively large groups of people by means of questionnaires or interviews

quantitative

Data that is in numbers

Health problems for males

penile cancer, testicular cancer, cleaning foreskin, prostatitis: inflammation of the prostate, prostate cancer

Health problems for females

UTI, vaginitis: Inflammation of the vaginal walls caused by a variety of vaginal infections, ovarian cancer

Kinsey Scale

a seven-point continuum that ranges from 0 (consistent and exclusive contact with and erotic attraction to the other sex—often labeled heterosexual or straight)

Klein Sexual Orientation Grid (KSOG)

sexuality is not a fixed identity; we can change our orientation over time due to participating in new experiences and awakenings

Vulva

The external genitals of the female, including the pubic hair, mons veneris, labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, and urinary and vaginal openings

Mons veneris

A triangular mound over the pubic bone above the vulva.

Labia majora

outer lips, extend downward from the mons on each side of the vulva

Labia minora

or inner lips, are located within the outer lips and usually protrude between them.

Clitoris

A highly sensitive structure of the female external genitals, the only function of which is sexual pleasure

Hymen

Tissue that partially covers the vaginal opening.

Introitus

opening to the vagina

Population vs. sample

sample: subset of a population; population: a group of people

population

group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area

sample

a subset of the population

Primary vs. secondary sex characteristics

>Primary Sex Characteristics: the main sex-specific reproductive organs
>Secondary Sex Characteristics: physical changes during puberty that are not directly related to reproduction but that indicate the difference between the sexes

primary sex characteristics

the body structures that make sexual reproduction possible

secondary sex characteristics

nonreproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair

Qualitative vs. quantitative research

qualitative: derives data from observation, interviews or verbal interactions and focuses on meaning and interpretation of participants
quantitative: is based on collected objective data that can be subjected to statistical analysis

Sex/gender binaries

refer to overarching social systems that conceptualize sex (male or female) and gender (masculine or feminine) as consisting of two opposite, nonoverlapping categories

Socialization

the process by which individuals internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of a given society and learn to function as members of that society (i.e. parents wanting their daughter to play with dolls instead of trucks)

The social construction of gender

The idea that we learn gender as a system of meaning, including gender rules, and reproduce the system of gender through all manner of interactions

Psychosocial orientation integration of these three dimensions (, , ,) have a crucial impact on sexual attitudes, values, and behaviors.

biological, psychological, and social

Safety & efficacy of medication abortion

-medical abortion is 99% effective in ending pregnancies of less than 7 weeks and 91% effective at 8 weeks of pregnancy
-it is safer than the abortion procedures done later in pregnancy and safer than childbirth itself

Stereotypes related to gender and sexuality

women = weak, domestic, baby-makers, feminine
men = strong, breadwinners, masculine

penis

Male reproductive organ

shaft

The external, longer portion of the penis, excluding the head

glans

Head of penis covered by the prepuce (foreskin)

root

The portion of the penis that extends internally into the pelvic cavity

spongy body

A cylinder that forms a bulb at the base of the penis, extends up into the penile shaft, and forms the penile glans

foreskin/prepuce

the loose skin that partially or completely covers the glans in males who have not been circumcised

corona

The rim of the penile glans.

frenulum

A highly sensitive thin strip of skin that connects the glans to the shaft on the underside of the penis

scrotum

a loose pouch of skin directly underneath the penis

cryptorchidism

undescended testicles

vas deferens

A sperm-carrying tube that begins at the testis and ends at the urethra.

The text uses the term "other sex" instead of "opposite sex" to

emphasize that men and women are more alike than different

A woman who has a rigid view of gender roles

may feel reluctant to express her sexual desires to her male partner

When overall gender equality is greater, individuals of both sexes perceive male and female sexuality more similarly

true

Mainly as a result of LGBT activism, by the mid-1990s television began to

incorporate some LGBT characters into programming

Across all cultures, women face more restrictions on, and experience greater sanctions against, their sexuality than do men

False

Components of sexual intelligence include all of the following EXCEPT:

knowing others sexuality

In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association removed what diagnosis from the diagnostic categories of mental disorders

homosexuality

Few societies have rules governing sexual behavior

False

Kinsey's research documenting the frequency of sexual behaviors such as masturbation and same-gender sexual activity contributed to a growing acceptance of variety in sexual expression

True

Approx. one-third of the 1,193 state abortion restrictions since Roe v. Wade have been enacted

in the past decade.

A disadvantage of the survey method of research is that

nonresponse rates can be high, and subjects may still distort their responses

A group chosen in such a way that each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected is known as a

random sample.

An advantage of the survey method of research is that

they are relatively inexpensive and data can be obtained from large groups of people

A kind of sampling bias in which certain segments of society (white, middle-class, young adults, for example) are disproportionately represented in a study population is known as

demographic bias

Assume that you wanted to research a sensitive subject and that you planned to have a fairly large sample size. Helping the respondents to feel at ease as well as giving them an opportunity to elaborate on their answers is crucial. Adequate funding for your study is not a problem. Which of the following research methods would BEST suit your needs?

Survey by interview

The sex organ whose only known function is to provide pleasure is

the clitoris

All of the following are layers of the walls of the uterus EXCEPT the:

perineum

Rugae refer to the

folds of tissue in the vagina.

The opening of the vagina is referred to as the

introitus

It is normal for one breast to be slightly larger in size

True

A comma-shaped structure lying over the testes, which stores sperm cells while they mature, is called the

epididymis

All of the following are components of the penis EXCEPT the

interstitial cells

All of the following are found in the scrotal sac EXCEPT the

Cowper's glands

Ejaculation and erection are voluntary behaviors.

False

The foreskin is also known as the prepuce.

True

Generally speaking, the brains of males and females are more alike than different

true

There are two and only two genders

False

Socialization is the process by which society conveys behavioral expectations to us and guides us into behavior patterns by means of information, rewards, and punishments.

True

Although Trina is not particularly attracted to other women, she agrees to perform oral sex on one of her boyfriend's female friends after her boyfriend repeatedly asks her to do this. Trina

has engaged in performative bisexuality.

Gay conversion programs succeed with over half of all participants.

False

Countries that are most supportive of LGBTQ rights tend to have:

high levels of economic development.

A person may have less difficulty coming out to their family if:

their family is less rigid and authoritarian.

As late as 1951, the surgical procedure _________ was performed as a cure for homosexuality.

lobotomy

A person who is sexually and emotionally attractive to and is romantically in love with people of any sex or gender identity would be:

pansexual