GEE15 Gender and Society Chapter 1

Study Notes

Sex: Refers to physical and biological differences between males and females, determined by genetic and physiological attributes.
Gender: Encompasses socially and culturally constructed roles, behaviors, and attributes associated with being male or female.
Sexuality: Relates to emotional and sexual attraction towards others, determining orientation.

Sex
- Universal and congenital; does not change over time.
- Based on biological determinants including chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive organs.
- Differentiates individuals as male (XY chromosomes, testes, testosterone) or female (XX chromosomes, ovaries, estrogen).
Gender
- Culturally defined; varies across different societies and can change over time.
- Includes perceptions, roles, and societal expectations categorized into masculinity and femininity.

Heteronormativity: Norm that dictates behaviors should conform to traditional gender roles based on biological sex.
Gender Identity: Personal sense of self as male, female, or neither; how individuals perceive themselves.

Transgender: Individuals whose gender identity does not align with their biological sex; may opt for gender reassignment surgery.
Sexual Orientation:
- Heterosexual: Attraction to the opposite sex.
- Homosexual: Attraction to the same sex (gay or lesbian).
- Bisexual: Attraction to both sexes.

Early civilizations held women in high regard, equating their sacredness to childbearing.
Egalitarian Societies: Balance of power and roles between men and women.
Shift towards stronger gender disparity during the agricultural and industrial eras due to the recognition of male lineage.

Derived from Greek "Patriarkhes," meaning "rule of the father."
Describes a social system where men dominate political and personal spaces, maintaining unequal power dynamics.
Characterized by patrilineal inheritance, where only men can pass on property and family names.

Ancient Greek philosophers, such as Aristotle and Plato, perceived women as inherently inferior and subservient to men, reinforcing traditional gender roles.