Gender Studies Test

What is the traditional distinction between sex and gender?

Sex is biological (eg, genitalia and chromosomes), and gender is social/cultural (eg, masculinity/femininity).

What are the problems with binary thinking about gender?

Excludes variation and lived experiences → oversimplifies identity and reinforces rigid roles.

How are biological and social differences interpreted in gender?

Biological traits (odour, hair), are socially interpreted; gender roles arise from upbringing and cultural expectations.

Why is binary thinking about gender problematic?

It ignores variation, leads to essentialism, and excludes non-conforming individuals, rights and mental health.

What does it mean to break the binary in gender?

Recognising gender as a spectrum and moving beyond rigid categories.

Who are key figures in challenging the binary?

John Money (intersex surgeries) and Anne Fausto-Sterling (sex as a continuum).

What are some alternatives to binary gender models?

Legal recognition of multiple genders, use of spectrums/continuums like the Genderbread person.

What are the main ways gender is socially constructed?

Through socialisation (eg, family, media), as an institution (laws, roles), and through performance (Judith Butler’s theory).

What is patriarchy?

A system where men dominate, and masculinity is privileged over femininity.

What is privilege in gender contexts?

Unearned advantages based on identity, often invisible to those who have them.

What is intersectionality?

Analysing how multiple social identities (eg, race, class, gender), intersect to shape experiences of oppression or privilege.

How is climate change gendered?

Women often face greater vulnerabilities (eg, in food security, labour), yet are underrepresented in climate leadereship.

How does masculinity affect environmentalism?

Masculinity may discourage eco-friendly behaviours by labelling them as ‘unmanly.’

What does feminist economics highlight?

Gender disparities in economic roles, care work, and global supply chains, advocating for structural reform.

What is the current global gender gap status?

It will take 95+ years to close at current rates. Women remain underrepresented in leadership and overrepresented in low-paid sectors.

Focus of 1st Wave Feminism

Legal rights - women’s suffrage (late 19th- early 20th C)

Focus of 2nd Wave Feminism

Workplace, reproductive rights, domestic issues (1960s-early 1980s)

Focus 3rd Wave Feminism

Identity, diversity, self-expression (1990s-present)

What are the multiple masculinities?

Hegemonic (dominant), subordinate, complicit, and marginalised.

What is toxic masculinity?

Harmful traits like emotional suppression and aggression, reinforcing gender inequality. Questions over whether this is truly a form of masculinity (does it reinforce binary thinking).

What is the gender pay gap?

The average difference in earnings between men and women, reflecting social practices and inequality.

What causes the gender pay gap?

Part-time work, unequal caregiving responsibilities, occupational segregation, and undervaluation of female-dominated jobs.

What did the John/Joan case reinforce?

Development is a combination of biology and social experience, is not malleable.