Untitled Flashcards Set

Module 7: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

• Sex → Biological differences between male and female (e.g., reproductive organs, chromosomes).

• Gender → Social roles, behaviors, and expectations assigned to people based on sex.

• Sexual Dimorphism → Physical differences between males and females in a species (e.g., body size, muscle mass).

• Intersex → A person born with both male and female biological traits.

• Cisgender → A person whose gender identity matches their assigned sex at birth.

• Transgender → A person whose gender identity does not match their assigned sex at birth.

• Gender Fluidity → A gender identity that changes over time.

• Gender Performance (Judith Butler) → Gender is something people "do" through actions and behaviors, not something they "are."

• Third Gender → A gender category beyond male and female, recognized in some cultures (e.g., Hijras in India, Two-Spirit in Indigenous cultures).

• Gender Stratification → Unequal distribution of power, resources, and rights based on gender.

• Honor Killings → When family members kill a relative (often a woman) for "bringing shame" to the family.

• Rape Culture → A society where sexual violence is normalized due to attitudes about gender and power.

📖 Module 8: Social Inequality, Race & Ethnicity

• Social Stratification → The ranking of people into different levels of power and privilege.

• Class System → A social system where people can move up or down based on their achievements (e.g., Canada, U.S.).

• Caste System → A rigid social system where people are born into a fixed status and cannot move up or down (e.g., India).

• Achieved Status → A social position earned through effort (e.g., a doctor, athlete).

• Ascribed Status → A social position given at birth (e.g., race, royalty).

• Race → A socially constructed category based on physical traits like skin color.

• Racialization → The process of assigning social meaning to race (e.g., stereotypes).

• Ethnicity → A cultural identity based on shared language, traditions, and history.

• Structural Racism → Discrimination built into laws, policies, and institutions (e.g., residential schools in Canada).

• Individual Racism → Personal prejudices and discriminatory actions.

• Microaggressions → Small, everyday actions or comments that reinforce stereotypes.

• Rwandan Genocide (1994) → Mass killing of Tutsis by Hutu extremists, influenced by Belgian colonial policies that created divisions.

📖 Module 9: Political Organization & Social Control

• Political Power → The ability to influence or control people through laws, leadership, or force.

• Structural Power → Power that shapes institutions and social structures (e.g., governments, legal systems).

• Social Power → The ability to influence society through culture and norms (e.g., media, religion).

• Hegemony (Antonio Gramsci) → Maintaining power by making people accept the system as "normal" instead of using force.

• Bands → Small, kin-based societies with no formal leadership (e.g., Ju/’hoansi in Africa).

• Tribes → Larger societies with informal leadership based on kinship (e.g., Nuer in Sudan).

• Chiefdoms → Societies with a hereditary leader (e.g., Trobriand Islands).

• States → Large, organized societies with laws, governments, and social hierarchy.

• Militarization (Catherine Lutz) → The process of organizing a society around military values and preparing for war.

• Globalization → The increasing connection of countries through trade, migration, and technology.

• Transnational Citizenship → Being connected to more than one country (e.g., dual citizenship, diaspora communities).

• Diaspora → A group of people living outside their ancestral homeland (e.g., Chinese diaspora, Jewish diaspora).