Gender Studies Quiz: Understanding Gender and Society

Gender, Sex, and Sexuality

• Sex refers to biological differences between males and females, including primary characteristics (reproductive organs) and secondary characteristics (height, muscularity)
• Gender refers to behaviors, personal traits, and social positions attributed to being female or male. Gender characteristics vary significantly across societies.
• Femininity and masculinity have different meanings in different cultures. For example, what is considered feminine in some cultures (e.g., dresses, skirts) may be considered masculine in others (e.g., sarongs robes or gowns).
• Concepts of masculinity and femininity are socially constructed and change over time.
• Gender order refers to how societies structure notions of masculinity and femininity into power relationships.
• The idea that gender is binary (either male or female) isn't universal. Some cultures recognize a more fluid and diverse range of gender identities.
• "Third gender" identities exist in some cultures. Example: Fa'afafine in Samoa, a gender identity encompassing individuals biologically assigned male but embody both masculine and feminine traits. The New Guinea Sambia also demonstrate fluid concepts of sexuality.

Violence Against Women

• Women and girls are killed in "honor killings" (for the "dishonour" of being raped)
• Violence varies across cultures: Thailand has a significant number of prostitutes (8%) compared to the female population.
• Rape is a significant issue in war zones.
• Female genital mutilation affects millions of girls.
• Unsafe abortions are also a concern (50 million) (20 million unsafe ones).
• Gender order and patriarchy play a crucial role in shaping these issues.

Sexuality

• Sexuality is characterized by physical, mental, emotional, and sexual attraction. It's not a simple dichotomy.
• Commonly divided into: heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, pansexuality, and asexuality.
• Heteronormative societies assume sexual orientation is biologically determined and unambiguous.
• Sexuality is better understood as a continuum rather than limited to strictly opposing categories (e.g., gay or straight).
• The Kinsey scale visually represents the spectrum of sexual orientation.
• Some cultures have nonsexual same-sex relations/emotional connections ("homosocial").
• Understanding sexuality is complicated by the societal expectations placed on men and women regarding roles and behaviors. There are double standards attached to sexual behaviour and attitudes for men and women in many cultures. Also important, is the division of labour in which men, more often than women in many cultures are employed in high earning jobs.

Gender Identity

• Gender identity is a person's deeply held internal perception of their gender, which may or may not align with the sex assigned at birth
• Transgender people: individuals whose internal sense of gender differs from their sex assigned at birth.
• Transsexual people: individuals who use medical interventions to alter their bodies to align more closely with their gender identity.
• Gender identity is influenced by biology, psychology, and social constructs.
• Terms like “Gender Identity Disorder” or "Gender Dysphoria" are used to describe these conditions. They are now viewed more as difficulties in gender identity rather than disorders.

Gender Roles and Socialization

• Gender roles are concepts of how men and women are expected to look and behave. They are culturally determined and often influenced by society's norms and standards.
• Children are exposed to gender roles through socialization: parents and other influencers often treat boys and girls differently from infancy onwards.
• They also learn through play and interaction with peers, leading to expectations about what is deemed masculine or feminine behavior and activities
• Societies often employ the use of symbols and labels in their roles and expectations placing them on children and adolescents. Mass media plays a significant role.
• Girls are often expected to play more passive, nurturing roles, while boys are often encouraged to be more aggressive and dominant.
• Gender roles are often reinforced in schools, through various agents of socialization, including family, education, peers, and mass media.
• Early exposure to gender roles and associated stereotypical expectations can lead to significant disparities.

Socialization

• Socialization is the process of internalizing cultural values, beliefs, and attitudes
• Socialization plays a key part in how people behave and what they deem appropriate according to social norms.
• Socialization also plays an important role in perpetuating and upholding inequality and differences amongst individuals and groups.
• Cultural factors greatly impact socialization of children.

Theoretical Perspectives

• Structural Functionalism: emphasizes the family's role in maintaining social order by establishing gender roles early.
• Conflict Theory: views differences in gender roles as stemming from the struggle for power and resources between men and women.
• Feminist Theory: emphasizes gender inequality and the ways in which gender shapes social structures.
• Symbolic Interactionism: examines how individuals construct meanings of masculinity and femininity through social interaction.

Additional Notes

• "Child marriage" is a significant concern globally related to oppressive gender norms and expectations.
• Forms of discrimination related to gender and sex can occur both on explicit and implicit levels, and can stem from stereotypes, misconceptions and misunderstandings.
• There are many significant variations within cultures on how these issues are perceived and addressed.
• The idea of a "double standard" in sexuality is still present in many societies: different expectations are placed on genders when it comes to sexual behaviour and attitudes.