Chapter 10
Constructing
Gender and Sexuality
Overview

Defining Sex and Gender


Gender Role Socialization


In-Class Exercise
Video Presentation: “Killing Us Softly 4”
Gender Inequality

Theoretical Perspectives
 Life Chances


The Women’s and Men’s Movements
Sexual Orientation
2

Sex:
Defining Sex and Gender
 Humans
divided into two biologically distinct categories
3
Defining Sex and Gender
 Sex:
An
ascribed status
 One
in 2,000 births is “intersexed”
A
person whose chromosomes or sex
characteristics are neither exclusively male or
female
Human
sexual dimorphism
 The
extent to which physical differences define
distinctions between sexes
4
Defining Sex and Gender
 Sex:
An
ascribed status
 One
in 2,000 births is “intersexed”
A
person whose chromosomes or sex
characteristics are neither exclusively male or
female
Human
sexual dimorphism
 The
extent to which physical differences define
distinctions between sexes
5
In-Class Exercise

Male Characteristics

Female Characteristics
Nature and Nurture:
Approaches to Gender Identity

Gender identity
 The
roles and traits a social group assigns to a
particular gender

Essentialist
 Gender


roles have a genetic or biological origin
Therefore cannot be changed
Constructionist
 Gender

is socially determined
Dichotomy is just one possibility among many
7
Defining Sex and Gender

Gender:
 Traits
that a group considers
normal for males and females
Concepts of masculinity and
femininity
 Culturally learned
characteristics
 Natural differences are slight
Social differences are great

 Gender

across cultures
Berdache and Hijra
 “Two
Spirit People”
8
Gender Role Socialization
 Lifelong
process of learning to be masculine
or feminine
Primarily
through agents of socialization
 Family
 Schools
 Peers
 The
Media
9
Video Presentation:
“Killing Us Softly 4:
Advertising’s Image of Women”
 What
did you learn that you didn’t know
or realize before?
 What shocked, surprised or upset you?
 What cheered you up or encouraged you?
11
Gender Inequality
Stratification system dividing people worldwide
 A feature that societies use to control members

 Partiarchy—a

male dominated society
Females are a minority group

Larger % of population
 Denied equal access to social rewards
 Sexism is widespread
12
Hourly Earnings for Men and Women by Education Level, 1973–2005
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Female-to-Male Earnings Ratio, 1960–2007 (Figure 10.2)
The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 W.W. Norton & Company
Gender Inequality:
Theoretical Perspectives

Functionalism

Gender differences are functional for society



“Biology is destiny”
Instrumental and expressive roles
Conflict Theory
 Inequality


benefits dominant group
Oppression and exploitation of minority group
Symbolic Interactionism
 Gender

role socialization
Learned through interactions
15
Theory in Everyday Life
Sex, Gender and Life Chances
Health
 Marriage and Divorce
 The Family
 Crime
 Education
 Work
 Income and Poverty
 The Military

17
The Women’s Movement

Three “waves”
of feminism
 “Biology IS
NOT destiny”

Has feminism
become a “dirty
word”?
18
Equal Rights for Women

What do you believe?
Do you condemn gender discrimination?
Do you have any political or philosophical
commitment to challenging sexism?
Would you join others to promote social
change?
Do you agree with the following statement?
 “Equality
of rights under the law shall not be
denied or abridged by the United States or by
any State on account of sex.”
19
The Men’s Movement
Men’s Liberation
 Men’s Rights

 Million

Man March
Pro-Feminist Men’s
Movement
20
Sexual Orientation
A
Sexual Continuum?
The
Kinsey Scale
21