Gender at the Intersections Notes

Gender at the Intersections

Define and compare concepts of sex and gender
- Sex: Biological identity categorized as male or female.
- Gender: Social concept including roles, behaviors, and attributes associated with being male or female, existing along a continuum of masculinity to femininity.
Social Construction: Explain how sex, gender, and sexuality are social constructs and not solely biologically determined.
Feminism and Feminist Theory: Define and compare the main waves of feminism and feminist theories focusing on the quest for equality.
Intersectionality: Explain and apply this theory which analyzes how different aspects of identity (race, gender, class, etc.) intersect to create unique modes of discrimination and privilege.
Major Social Institutions: Examine how gender construction and inequality manifest in institutions such as sports, education, and politics.
Understanding of Sexuality: Define sexuality and analyze historical changes in its perception.

Differences:
- Sex is defined biologically, while gender is socially and culturally constructed.
- Recognizes that expectations around "masculine" and "feminine" behavior are learned through socialization.
- The male/female binary is challenged by the existence of intersex and non-binary individuals.
Complexities:
- Biological variations complicate strict definitions of sex (e.g., chromosomal variations, gender identities).
- Historical practices, such as sex verification in athletics, highlight the inadequacies of binary classifications.

Transgender and Non-Traditional Identities:
- Transgender: Identifying with a gender different from assigned gender at birth.
- Transman/Transwoman: A person assigned female/male at birth who identifies as male/female.
- Agender: Identifies as having no gender.
- Two-Spirit: A term used by some Indigenous cultures to describe a gender-variant experience.
- Gender Fluid: Gender identity that varies over time.
- Cisgender: Identifies with the gender assigned at birth.

Socialized Gender Roles:
- Gender roles are not innate but developed through social interactions and cultural expectations.
- Reinforced through media, family, education, and peer groups.
Judith Butler's Theory of Performativity:
- Gender is a performative act, shaped through repeated behaviors and societal norms.
- These performances create the illusion of gender as fixed or innate.

Cultural Norms: Sports maintain and exemplify gendered differences, labeling athletic success as male-dominated.
Media Representation: Significantly underrepresents women's sports, reinforcing gender inequality within athletics.

Gendered Curriculum: Teachers and educational settings often reflect and reinforce stereotypes about boys and girls.
Gender Beliefs: Beliefs about intelligence can be influenced by educators' biases towards gender, impacting students' self-perceptions and performance.

Gender Wage Gap: Women earn less than men across industries despite having higher participation rates in the workforce.
Occupational Segregation: Women often work in lower-paid, feminized roles compared to men in traditionally masculine jobs.
Double Shift: Women engage in both paid labor and unpaid domestic work, leading to increased stress and inequality.

Underrepresentation: Women are significantly underrepresented in political offices, impacting policy priorities and societal perceptions of women’s roles.
Policy Impact: Women in leadership positions often prioritize issues such as childcare and pay equity.

Evolution of Norms: Attitudes toward sexuality are evolving, with greater acceptance of diverse sexual orientations and identities.
Kinsey's Research: Alfred Kinsey's findings on sexual behavior challenged traditional norms and categories of sexual orientation, introducing a continuum of sexuality.
Heteronormativity: Despite progress, societal structures still promote heterosexuality as the default, marginalizing LGBTQ+ identities.

Overview of Feminism: Understand feminism as a movement for gender equality encompassing various waves and ideologies (e.g., first-wave, second-wave, radical, Marxist, and intersectional feminism).
Intersectionality: Introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw, focuses on how overlapping identities, such as race and gender, combine to create unique experiences of oppression.
Diversity in Feminism: Acknowledge the importance of including diverse experiences and perspectives in feminist discourse, particularly from marginalized communities.

Social Constructs: Both gender and sexuality are socially constructed through interaction, institutions, and cultural norms that evolve over time.
Continued Inequalities: Despite advancements in understanding gender and sexuality, disparities remain entrenched in various societal structures, necessitating ongoing advocacy and reform.

Gender Esteem: Valuation of gender roles and characteristics.
Performativity: Concept of performing gender through repeated actions.
Intersectionality: Framework for understanding multiple overlapping social identities and their associated inequalities.
Cisgender: Identifying with one's assigned gender at birth.
Agender: Identifying without a gender.