GSS 230 - Sex & Gender in Reality TV Key Terms

sex

biological, chromosomal perceived difference

why is sex and gender distinction messy?

our ideas of biology are influenced by our social understandings of sex & society conflates sex and gender all the time

gender

social category based on the social norms imposed on each gender

What is the sex/gender system?

Arrangements where biological sex is categorized by human conventions.

How does the sex/gender system relate biological sex to gender?

It transforms biological sex into gendered meaning.

problem with marxism

men and women were under the same class oppressions, doesn't account for gender inequality + the unpaid housework and reproductive labor women have to bear

cultural artifact

any written or recorded product of a culture that sheds light on said culture

woman's role within capitalism

reproduction of the labor force in that they are doing housework and childrearing

"doing gender"

performing gender + doing it in a way that solidifies our stereotypes/ideas of gender

"undoing gender"

performing gender in a way that destabilizes our thinking of gender

difference between sex and gender

Sex refers to chromosomal, perceived biological difference while gender is the social categories that are assigned based on specific social norms imposed on each gender

why doesn't capitalism explain gender inequality?

there are a lot of non-capitalistic societies across the globe still maintain patriarchies

what explains gender inequality (according to Rubin)?

kinships + the gender/sex system

do West + Zimmerman agree that gender is a "role"?

no, because although gender is a performance, it is not a "role" since we are always doing it

three underlying premises of finding a sexual/romantic partner

compulsory heterosexuality, division of gendered labor, incest taboo

drag

a performance, and in a way, parody of the specific gender norms put in place for each gender

biological essentialism

idea that human beliefs, gender, and more is predetermined by biology and because of this, social stereotypes have been imposed on each sex that dictate what their roles in society are

sex category

how an onlooker would place one in a gender category based on your performance of the gender

rate busting

performing in a way so far from that norm that it becomes "deviant"

examples of rate busting

being a workaholic, helicopter parenting, drag

controlling images

media images that confirm/perpetuate stereotypes imposed on marginalized groups

intersectionality

interconnectedness of societal identities and how that influences our lived experiences

How are women perceived in societal relationships?

Women are perceived as "the gift"

How do men use women in societal relationships?

Men use women as gift-givers to better societal relationships between men.

goal of capitalism

to generate more capital

social stratification

social system which divides people into social categories that we arrange hierarchically, and push people into the "margins" and out of the mainstream

post-racial ideology

idea that since America has become a melting pot, racism no longer exists (this is FALSE)

white feminism

brand of feminism centered around the experiences of white women, often middle/upperclass

monism

when looking at the struggles of one specific identity and attributing inequality in general to only one source

invisibility

when certain intersectional identities become invisible within certain feminist movements and discourse (example: Black women, queer women)

What is the minstrelsy ethos?

Caricatures of Blackness that originated in minstrel shows.

How has the minstrelsy ethos influenced modern media?

It has been filtered down to TV media representation.

stereotypes of Black femininity

angry Black woman (sapphire)

sassy Black woman

jezebel/hyper-sexual

hoochie

maid/best friend

mixed-race character that has a tragic end

mammy/matriarchal

"(a)sexual"

single mother/"welfare mother"

"ratchet"

strain of reality TV that focuses on inappropriate behavior; almost all shows featuring Black + Latina women when describing these type of reality TV shows

stereotypes of Black masculinity

angry Black man

lazy Black man

incompetent

stereotypes in Love & Hip-Hop

jezebel - Somaya being hypersexualized

sapphire - Chrissy confronting Jim's behavior

single mother/maid - Emily being a stylist

does Butler think drag is "offensive"?

no because drag is a performance and gender is already an illusion which drag is parodying

"intensive mothering"

a specific historical and cultural idea where it is expected that a mother pours a lot of both regular and emotional labor into raising their child

intensive mothering vs helicopter parenting

intensive mothering is a cultural ideal rather than helicopter parenting which is seen as too extreme

social construct

set of ideas created by a society that informs one how to act + does not exist without society

examples of social constructs

money, gender motherhood, countries/borders

What is intersectionality in the context of motherhood?

Intersectionality examines how different social identities, such as race and gender, intersect to impact experiences and opportunities.

How are white mothers perceived in terms of parenting compared to POC mothers?

White mothers are often allowed 'bad phases' and to drink while still being deemed 'good parents,' whereas POC mothers are not afforded the same luxury.

feminism

desire for gender equality, dismantling the patriarchy, pro-female autonomy, taking into account experiences of women across different axes of being marginalized

professional feminism

women treated as the ultimate mouthpiece of being a feminist and if you deviate from it slightly, you're labeled a "bad feminist"

Lorber's main argument

feminists' primary goal should be a gender-free society; eradicating gender

gender feminism

removing gender from the body and looking at gender as a system, and how it is intertwined with other systems

equality feminism

seeking equality between genders

difference feminism

we should look at the differences between male and female, and celebrate that (looking at the body + biological capabilities)

standpoint feminism

privileging the voices of those in marginalized groups

multicultural/intersectional feminism

looking at how gender inequality intersects with other axes of identities (race, class, etc.)

are the different types of feminism mutually exclusive?

no

places you see gender binaries

parental forms, bathrooms, clothing stores/sizes, capitalism

social institution

a group of interdependent positions which fulfill a social role and persists over time

examples of social institutions

families/marriage, government, education, religion, economy/work

institutional marriage

a marriage in which the emphasis is on fulfilling societal roles

companionate marriage

marriage built on love, intimacy, and personal choice rather than social obligation

individualized marriage

a marriage in which the emphasis is on individual needs and benefits from the relationship

why do people still get married?

symbolic value, inforceable trust (locked into a relationship they are now committed to since one is involving the government, economy, and family into this social institution), marriage being viewed as a marker of prestige

functions of families

physical maintenance (domestic upkeeping, bathing, grooming, etc.)

taking care of vulnerable populations (children, sick, elderly)

providing a place where values are formed

why are families still persistent on reality tv?

there are micro-dynamics of families on reality TV that many people can relate to

expressive model

belief that gendered actions are the expression of a pre-existing gender ideal (FALSE since gender is an illusion, you're aren't born with your gender)

courtship

process by which people pair up and proceed towards the end goal of marriage

what does a courtship look like historically?

women are seen as the "controllers" of sex

ideology of men + women when it comes to courtship

men inherently want sex and it's a woman's job to regulate it

sexual economy

relative value that men and women have within this sexual, courtship exchange

what increases a man's value?

financial solvency

what increases a woman's value?

asserting the line between allowing sexual advances and also saying no; doing gender in a normative way

what does it mean when a woman is called "cheap"?

it is "easy" to have sex with a woman, decreasing her sexual value

what specific development led to anxieties about young people having sex?

creation of the automobile => a place where they can be alone and have sex

how did colleges combat unwanted sexual activity

creation of parietals to regulate interactions between genders

etiquette for men

paying for the date, appearing smart, taking/having control

etiquette for women

appearing helpless, dumb, submissive, also being put together and looking beautiful

expectation vs reality of hookup culture in colleges

many students think that hookup culture is ever present when in reality most students are hooking up 1-2 times per semester

gender roles in hookup culture

there is a gap in pleasure between men and women (ex. for every 2-3 orgasms a man has, a woman has 1)

what is driving the orgasm gap?

more cultural rather than biological = men don't care to try, and women don't expect it

homophily

dating someone from a similar background demographically (geographic region, politics, social class, race, age)

where do we see gendered expectations in The Bachelor?

women in bikinis while chris is walking in regular clothes and the only girl that was able to cover up was the one that won => sexual economy: their lure is being presented and after she won, he then gets to cover her up

rejection of gender norms in The Bachelor?

rejected ideas of submissiveness:

producer tells the women to take initiative in making time with the men ⇒ regret not taking action

participants "doing gender" in The Bachelor

wearing the ball gowns even though they'd mainly be in the house

compulsory heterosexuality ⇒ performing for male approval

condemn hypothesis

sex became a taboo topic that wasn't supposed to be talked about

does foucault agree with the condemn hypothesis?

no, because society is constantly talking about sex and institutions regulate how we talk about it (discursive explosion)

according to foucault, who controls how we talk about sex?

powerful social institutions and are telling us how to think abt sex + sexuality as a way to control other social hierarchies and regulating/controlling sexuality

examples of the regulation of talking about sex

religion (no sex until marriage, who is sinful vs who is good), government (pro-natalist discourse, education, medical field

sexual invisibles

lesbians, asian men, asexual

what do lesbians & bi men have in common?

they could not potentially be in a relationship with a straight man

why has reality TV been on the forefront of queer representation?

reality TV seen as a guilty pleasure => allowed to see things that are outside of the social norm without being completely scrutinzed

also easier for reality TV producers to use stereotypes when portraying minorities

gates argument on "televisual gutter"

reality TV doesn't air on major networks and isn't taken seriously => more room to be creative and free in representations

can play in that "gutter"

what was the difference in treatment between Mike and Emily on The Real World

emily: her bisexuality was glossed over and also seen as enticing

mike: his bisexuality was problematized and seen as revolutionary

why was there this push for the establishment of gender roles?

during world war 2, women entered the workforce but as men were now coming back, it brings the question of what the gender roles are defined as now (?)