Lesson 1: Society & Gender - GNED 10A PDF

LESSON 1: SOCIET Y WHAT IS SOCIETY A grouping of individuals, which is characterized by common interest and may have distinctive culture and institutions. (New world encyclopedia) Human beings are essentially social creatures, with the desire and need to be in close contact with oth...

LESSON 1: SOCIET Y WHAT IS SOCIETY A grouping of individuals, which is characterized by common interest and may have distinctive culture and institutions. (New world encyclopedia) Human beings are essentially social creatures, with the desire and need to be in close contact with others.  TYPES OF SOCIETY Gerhard Lenski, a sociologist, differentiates societies into four levels based on their level of technology, communication and economy. 1. Hunters/ Gatherers 2. Tribal Societies 3. Chiefdoms 4. Civilizations  CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN SOCIETY Criteria for membership- related to purpose or common goal Characteristic patterns of organization, defining relationships among members Social norms of acceptable behavior within the society Have shared belief or common goal that binds them together  FOUR CONDITIONS TO THE DISSOLUTION OF SOCIETY 1. if members are killed off 2. if members become apathetic 3. if society falls into a state of chaos from which it cannot free itself 4. if society is absorbed into another society SOCIETY IN VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES 1. Evolutionary- people depend on each other for survival and subsistence. 2. Political- a system was established as a necessary measure for their protection. The government was established to provide a control mechanism. 3. Economical- to produce and sustain man’s basic and material needs to live. GENDER refers to the differentiated social roles, behaviors, capacities and intellectual, emotional, and social characteristics attributed by a given culture to women and men. There are two genders: masculine which is ascribed to the male sex, and feminine, ascribed to the female. SEX Sex refers to the biological distinction between females and males (Macionis, 2017). Sex is the biological dimension of gender and sexuality of a person. It pertains to the identity of a person depending on sexual anatomy and physiology. Sex is determined by examining the genitals, the external organs necessary that are associated with reproduction. The female produces an egg cell or ovum, and the male provides the sperm that fertilizes it.  SEXUALITY is the totality of our own experience of our sex and gender. It is a common theme found everywhere in sports, campus, workplace, and the mass media.  SEXUAL ORIENTATION Sexual orientation refers to a person’s romantic and emotional attraction to another person. 1. Heterosexuality – sexual attraction to someone of the other sex (straight) 2. Homosexuality – sexual attraction to someone of the same sex (gay or lesbian) 3. Bisexuality – sexual attraction to people of both sexes (bi) 4. Asexuality – a lack of sexual attraction to people of either sex It is important to remember that sexual attraction is not the same thing as sexual behavior. GENDER EXPRESSION Masculine- a person with qualities and characteristics traditionally associated with a man. Feminine- a person with qualities and characteristics traditionally associated with a woman. Gender Neutral- a person with qualities and characteristics differ from those traditionally associated with a man or woman. Androgynous- a person with qualities and characteristics that are combination of those traditionally associated with a man or woman.  WHAT ABOUT TRANSSEXUALS? A third category exists, the intersexed or intersexuality. These are people who are born with both male and female or incomplete genitalia (Dionisio, nd). Transsexuals are people who feel they are one sex even though biologically they are the other. Some people in this satiation respond to this feeling by undergoing gender reassignment. It is a surgical alteration of their genitals and breasts,