Understanding Sex and Gender

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following best describes the difference between sex and gender?

  • Sex and gender are interchangeable terms.
  • Sex is biological, referring to anatomical and biological characteristics, while gender is a social construct, referring to socially constructed roles, behaviours, expressions, and identities of girls, women, men, and boys. (correct)
  • Sex is a social construct, while gender is biological.
  • Sex refers to personal identity, while gender refers to physical characteristics.

The understanding of sex as a strict binary (male/female) is universally accepted as a biological reality.

False (B)

What does 'gender expression' primarily refer to?

  • An individual's internal sense of self.
  • The set of behavioral expectations associated with a particular gender.
  • The external manifestation of gender identity through clothing, acting, and symbolic means. (correct)
  • The biological characteristics that define a person as male or female.

Define intersectionality and explain why it is important in understanding gender.

<p>Intersectionality is the understanding of how various social and political identities (e.g., race, class, gender, sexual orientation) combine to create unique modes of discrimination. It highlights that gender experiences are shaped by simultaneous interactions of multiple group memberships.</p> Signup and view all the answers

________ masculinity refers to a set of ideas about the characteristics of men that functions to legitimize and justify gender inequality.

<p>Hegemonic</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is 'gender dysphoria'?

<p>Discomfort or distress caused by a mismatch between a person's biological sex and gender identity. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match each term with its correct definition:

<p>Cisgender = Individuals whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth. Transgender = Individuals whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Genderqueer = Individuals who do not subscribe to conventional gender distinctions. Nonbinary = Individuals who identify as neither entirely male nor entirely female.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Compulsory heterosexuality refers to the idea that all individuals are naturally attracted to the opposite sex.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is heterosexism?

<p>The belief in the inherent superiority of heterosexuality; it is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Explain the concept of 'gendered microaggressions' and provide an example.

<p>Gendered microaggressions are subtle but offensive comments or actions directed at individuals based on their gender. An example is assuming a female colleague is a nurse.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is 'deadnaming'?

<p>The act of referring to a transgender person’s birth name rather than their chosen name. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Men are more open to gender diversity than women.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'hidden curriculum' in education?

<p>The transmission of societal roles, values, and norms through subtle, informal learning processes in educational institutions. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A social system in which men as a group hold political, cultural, and social power is known as ________.

<p>patriarchy</p> Signup and view all the answers

Explain the concept of the 'glass escalator'.

<p>The glass escalator is a phenomenon where men in female-dominated professions are promoted more quickly than their female counterparts.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Sex

Anatomical and biological characteristic of women and men. Assigned at birth based on gonads.

Intersex

Conditions where individuals are born with indistinct genitalia or extra chromosomes, challenging binary sex classifications.

Gender

Characteristics that a society or culture delineates as masculine or feminine. A social status that carries inequality.

Gender

Sociological term referring to a status and characteristics that society assigns to women and men, carrying inequality.

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Gender Identity

Individual internal sense of self as male, female, both, or neither, which may or may not align with assigned sex.

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Gender Expression

External presentation of one's gender identity through clothing, behavior, and other symbolic means.

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Gender Binary

Hierarchical system that ranks and values genders differently, privileging masculinity and subordinating femininity.

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Hegemonic Masculinity

Dominant and idealized form of masculinity, reinforcing male dominance and social hierarchy.

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Gender Dysphoria

Discomfort or distress caused by a mismatch between one's biological sex and gender identity.

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Sexual Orientation

Romantic/sexual attractions towards other people.

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Heteronormativity

The assumption that everyone is heterosexual and that heterosexuality is superior to all other sexualities.

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Transphobia

Irrational fear, hatred, or dislike of transgender people.

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Hidden Curriculum

Transmission of societal roles and values in education.

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Patriarchy

A social system in which men as a group hold political, cultural, and social power.

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Gender Inequality

Unequal distribution of wealth, power, and privilege between men and women, and between cisgender and gender-diverse people.

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Study Notes

  • Gender is a primary organizer of social life, a relatively recent sub-discipline influenced by the women's rights movement in the 1970s.
  • Existing gender inequalities benefit men.

Sex

  • Refers to the anatomical and biological characteristics that distinguish males and females.
  • Sex assignment is typically based on gonads with limited hormonal testing.
  • The traditional understanding of sex includes the assumptions that:
    • Only two sexes exist.
    • Each person belongs to only one sex.
    • Sexual categories are mutually exclusive and opposite.
    • Sex is unchanging.
    • Sex organs objectively identify individuals.
  • Intersex conditions involve individuals born with ambiguous genitalia or extra chromosomes, making sex classification at birth difficult.
  • The binary understanding of sex is now viewed more as a social convention than a biological reality, although sex is rooted in biology it also has social conventions.
  • Treating sex as a strict binary overlooks human intervention and categorization.
  • It is important to question the norms rather than the so-called deviants within those norms.

Intersectionality

  • It is problematic to consider male/female categorizations independently, as experiences in the world differ.

Gender

  • Defined as a sociological status comprising characteristics that society assigns to men and women, which carries inequality.
  • Gender is culturally specific and allows examination of hierarchical understandings, including dominant and subordinate roles.
  • Gender identity is an individual's internal sense of self, while gender expression is the external manifestation of gender through clothing or behavior.

Gender Roles

  • Sets of behavioral expectations.

  • Males and females cannot be used as nouns.

  • Gendered traits often involve physical attractiveness, task-oriented vs. detail-oriented approaches, and catering roles.

Raewyn Connell (1987) outlined aspects of the Gender Binary

  • Femininity is socially constructed roles and emphasized femininity includes physical attractiveness, catering to men, and making the home.
  • Masculinity is physical strength, aggression, serving as the family provider and hegemonic masculinity.
  • Mutually exclusive polar opposite traits assume distinct groups, deviations from which are considered deviant.
  • Gender inequalities are socially constructed rather than being natural

Cisgender

  • Alignment of mind and body.

Transgender

  • Mismatch between assigned sex and gender.
  • Gender dysphoria is the discomfort or distress resulting from a mismatch between biological sex and gender identity.
  • Historical events, such as European colonization, attempted to eradicate gender diversity.

Examples of Gender Diversity

  • Kathoey (Thailand)
  • Hijra (South Asia)
  • Muxe (Southern Mexico)
  • Two-spirit (genderful indigenous individuals)
    • This includes masculine and feminine spirits in one body known as Nadleeh.

Role Models

  • Dr. James Makokis is a 2-Spirit Cree doctor at Maskehksoihk clinic located on Turtle Island (North America).

Examples:

  • Jenna Talackova

  • Janet Mock

  • Jamie Clayton

  • Laverne Cox

  • Caitlyn Jenner

  • Hari Nef

  • Jazz Jennings

  • Jen Richards

  • Valentina Sampaio

  • Chaz Bono

  • D'Lo

  • Laith Ashley

  • Zach Barack

  • Elliot Page

  • Logan Rozos

  • Ian Alexander

  • Transgender women and men challenge the binary and have subjective meanings that can be both liberating and restrictive.

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