Gender Patterns in New Guinea Societies Quiz

Gender and Biological Terms

• Simplifying individuals based on traits assumed to be inherent to their gender is termed gender stereotyping.
• The relationship between sex (biological characteristics) and gender (social roles and identities) is described as complex and socially constructed.
• Approximately 1% of individuals do not fit into the traditional XX or XY chromosomal categories.
• The term intersex describes individuals born with biological characteristics of both sexes.

Development and Social Constructs

• In fetuses with a Y chromosome, male sex organs develop due to the influence of the testes determining factor (TDF), leading to the formation of testes that produce testosterone.
• Gender refers to the social meaning assigned to biological sex, encompassing roles and behaviors culturally associated with femininity and masculinity.

Research Methods in Gender Studies

• The main focus of qualitative research methods is to explore and understand deeper meanings behind gender-related phenomena through subjective experiences.
• The impact of reading fashion magazines on women's self-esteem is analyzed using qualitative research methods.
• The primary focus of critical research methods revolves around questioning power dynamics, assumptions, and inequalities related to gender.
• The quantitative method aims to gather measurable data through structured tools like surveys and experiments.

Surveys and Cultural Studies

• Surveys aim to collect data and identify patterns in gender-related attitudes and behaviors in communication research.
• The method providing detailed descriptions of gender enactment in diverse cultures is usually ethnography.

Observations in New Guinea Societies

• In the New Guinea societies studied by Margaret Mead, the Mundugumor group was socialized to be aggressive, independent, and competitive.
• The Arapesh people exhibited cooperative and nurturing gender patterns, contrasting with Western notions of gender norms.

Concepts within Gender Identity

• The term 'cis' refers to individuals whose gender identity aligns with their biological sex assigned at birth.
• Mead's study of the Tchambuli society revealed a gender reversal, with women being dominant and men exhibiting nurturing behaviors, deviating from contemporary American norms.
• A masculine cisgender woman is characterized by identifying with womanhood while embodying traits traditionally seen as masculine.
• In Chambri society, gender patterns differ significantly from American norms, emphasizing distinct roles not typically associated with Western gender classifications.