In-Depth Notes on Gender, Sexualities, and Intimacies

6.1: Distinguish the difference between sex and gender, and identify critiques of the gender binary.
6.2: Illustrate the power of masculinities and femininities in contemporary Canadian culture and the consequences of pushing back against these concepts.
6.3: Contrast the ways in which different identities impact experiences at work.
6.4: Describe the ways sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality are entwined in culture.
6.5: Illustrate how gender and sexuality are intersectional and cannot be understood apart from other identities.

Gender Identity: Self-concept regarding one’s gender.
Gender Expression: The performance and reading of gender behaviors and styles.
Biological Context: Sociologists refer to the term sex assigned at birth, which is distinct from gender identity and expression.
Sexuality: Refers to physical and emotional attractions toward others.

Biological facts influence discussions of sex, gender, and sexuality, but cultural ideologies shape these narratives.
Cultural norms dictate interactions and behaviors presented in biological contexts, e.g., gender norms.

Both masculinity and femininity are shaped by cultural contexts and societal expectations.
Hegemonic Masculinity: The dominant form of masculinity, often used as a standard.
Hegemonic Femininity: Corresponding dominant form of femininity.
Gendered Scripts: These are societal expectations of behavior based on gender and sexuality.

Efforts to challenge toxic masculinity and rape culture are reshaping expected behaviors in relationships.
The term femme represents individuals embracing feminine qualities, including those from the LGBTQ2S+ spectrum.
Drag Kings expose the performative nature of masculinity, deconstructing gender norms.

Key sociological questions include:
- Expected labor division based on gender.
- Valuation of different types of labor (financial, social, cultural).
- How labor affects different social identities, such as race, class, and ability.

Refers to the work necessary to sustain human life, often predominantly done by women.
Second Shift: The double burden of women engaging in paid work and domestic labor.

Gender impacts labor market participation and experiences.
Women's increased participation post-WWI contrasts with their continued engagement in low-paying precarious jobs.
Wage Gap: Compensation differences between men and women, requiring an intersectional perspective.
Motherhood Penalty: The disadvantage faced by mothers in the workplace regarding salary and perceived competence.
Glass Ceiling and Glass Escalator: The barriers to women’s promotions versus the fast-tracking of men in organizational hierarchies.

Gender and sexuality vary across cultures, influencing our beliefs and roles in society.
Different cases show how culture shapes gender roles: rural experiences, reproductive justice, and honor killings.

Intersectionality recognizes that gender and sexuality can't be viewed in isolation but in relation to race and other identities.
Colonial Impact: How colonial policies affect Indigenous contexts, creating differing gender dynamics.

White women gained voting rights in 1918, while racialized groups faced longer exclusion.
Suffragettes’ Role in Eugenics: Some prominent suffragists were also involved in discriminatory eugenics policies against racialized groups.

Many Indigenous cultures recognize two-spirit individuals, celebrating gender and sexual diversity within their communities.

Understanding gender and sexualities requires acknowledging the complexity of identities and the intersections they entail.
Intersectional Analysis: Challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about gender and sexuality, highlighting the need for inclusive discussions in sociological studies.