Chapter 9: Constructing Gender and Sexuality

Sex

Male or Female; based on biological factors

Primary Sex Factors

Biological factors, such as chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive organs, that distinguish male from female

Secondary Sex Factors

Physical differences between male and female, including facial and body hair, muscular true, and bone structure, hat are unrelated to reproduction

Intersex

Used to describe a person whose chromosomes or sex characteristics are neither exclusively male nor exclusively female

Gender

The physical, behavioral and personality traits that a group considers normals for its male and female members

Essentialalists

Those who believe gender roles have a genetic or biological origin and therefore cannot be changed

Gender Binary

A system of classification with only, two distinctive and opposite gender category

Constructionists

Those who believe that notions of gender are specifically determined, such that a binary system is just one possibility among many

Gender Identity

An individual’s self-definition or sense of gender

Cisgender

Term used when gender identity and/or expression aligns with the sex assigned at birth

Transgender

Term used when gender identity and/or expression is different from the sex assigned at birth

Gender Expression

An individual’s behavioral manifestation of gender

Gender nonconforming

Term used when gender identity and/or expression differ from societal expectations about gender role

Nonbinary

Individuals who do not identify as exclusively men or women or who identify as both, somewhere in between, or outside of such categories altogether

Sexuality

The character or quality of being sexual

Heterosexuality

Sexual attraction towards members of the other gender

Homosexuality

Sexual attraction towards members of one’s own gender

Bisexuality

Sexual attraction towards members of both gender

Asexuality

The lack of sexual attraction of any kind

Queer Theory

Social Theory about gender and sexual identity; emphasizes the importance of difference and rejects ideas of innate identities or restrictive categories

LGBTQ+

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer ( “I” is added for intersex, “A” is added for asexual)

Gender Role Socialization

The lifelong process of learning to be masculine or feminine, primarily through agent of socialization

Heteronormativity

The belief that heterosexuality is and should be the norm

Social Learning

The process of learning behaviors and meaning through social interaction

Patriarchy

“Rule of the father” a male- dominated society

Privilege

Unearned advantage accorded to members of dominant social groups

Sexism

The belief that one sex, usually male, is superior to the other

Misogyny

An ingrained prejudice against women; dislike, concept, or hatred of women

Discrimination

Unequal treatment of individuals based on their membership in a social group; usually motivated by prejudice

Prejudice

An idea about the characteristics of a group that is applied to all members of that group and is unlikely to change regardless of the evidence against it

Homophobia

Fear of or discrimination toward gay, lesbian, and bisexual people

Transphobia

Fear of or discrimination toward transgender or other gender- nonconforming people

Heterosexism

Belief in the superiority of heterosexuality and heterosexuals

Cisgenderism

Belief in the superiority of cisgender persons and identities

Coming out

Openly declaring one’s true identity to those who might not be aware of it

Hegemonic Masculinity

A masculine ideal that promotes characteristics such as independence, aggression, and toughness, and rejects any alternate qualities in men

Toxic Masculinity

A masculine ideal that espouses extreme and harmful attitudes and behaviors and many lead to various negative effects for women and men

Rape Culture

A set of beliefs, norms, and values that normalize sexual violence against women

Microaggression

Everyday uses of subtle verbal and nonverbal communications that convey denigrating or dismissive messages to members of certain social groups

Instrumental Rule

The position of the family member who provides material support, often an authority figure

Expressive Rule

The position of the family member who provides emotional support and nurturing

Second Shift

The unpaid housework and child care often expected of women after they complete their day’s paid labor

Feminization of Poverty

Women are more likely than men to be poor, and that poverty increasingly affects women

Feminism

Belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes; also the social movements organized around that belief

First Wave

The earliest period of feminist activism, from the mid-nineteenth century until American women won the right to vote in 1920

Suffrage Movement

The movement organized around gaining voting rights for women

Second Wave

A feminist movement from the 1960s to the 1980s that focused on achieving equality in work, family, and society challenging gender rules and discrimination

Third Wave

The most recent period of feminist activism focusing on issues of diversity, globalization, and the variety of identities women can possess

Men’s Liberation

A movement that originated in the 1970s to discuss the challenges of masculinity

Men’s Right Movement

An offshoot of men’s liberation whose members belief that feminism promotes discrimination against men

Pro-Feminist Men’s Movement

An offshoot of men’s liberation whose members support feminism and believe that sexism harm both men and women