CSP250/Beauty Within the Beast:
CLASS, GENDER AND RACE IN THE CULTURE OF
CAPITALISM
FALL 2009
“Taking Apart The Story”
Gender
Intersectionality
Representational
Realm
Realm of Social
Interaction
Social Structural
Realm
Intersections of Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality
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Representational Realm
 The representational realm includes the symbols,
language, and images that convey “meanings” in a
sociocultural system.
Social Interactional Realm
 Social interaction refers to the norms and
behaviors observable in human relations in a
sociocultural system.
Social Structural Realm
 The social structural realm involves the institutional
sites where power and resources are controlled and
distributed in a sociocultural system.
Conceptualizing…
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Essentialism:
A perspective that argues that members of a
segment of a population share essential
biological and psychological characteristics.
These characteristics are argued to be uniform
and unalterable.
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Constructionism:
A perspective that argues that differences and
similarities among and between members of
segments of a population are created through
socio-econo-political processes of socialization
(enculturation).
Conceptualizing…
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The Matrix of Domination:
To borrow Marilyn Frye’s (1983) words, the Matrix
of Domination refers to “a network of forces and
barriers which are systematically related and
which conspire to the immobilization, reduction,
and molding of ”the oppressed.” In other words,
in the U.S.A. stratified society Race, Gender,
Sexuality, Worldview, and Class constitute the
multifaceted, intertwined, and fluid system of
oppression and domination. While some
dimensions are more forceful than others, good
analysis cannot be done with isolating and
compartmentalizing these dimensions.
Conceptualizing…
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The Categorization Process (The Creation of the Other)
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1) Naming (Defining)
-Imposing
-Asserting
-Reclaiming
2) Aggregating/Disaggregating
-Lumping and dissecting
3) Dichotomizing (polarizing)
-Creating master and subordinate categories in the
form of _________:None-______
4) Stigmatizing (dehumanizing, objectifying)
-Through the use of stereotypes in different venues
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Conceptualizing…
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The Matrix of Domination:
-Racism
-Sexism
o
- Cissexism
-Hetrosexism
-Ageism
-Classism
-Other isms?
Conceptualizing Gender …
 Biological
Sex: Refers to an individual’s
chromosomes, hormones, interior and
exterior sex organs, body build, size of
breasts, and fat deposits: Intersexes,
Females, and Males.
Conceptualizing Gender …
 Gender:
Refers to the socially constructed
beliefs, characteristics, roles, and expectations
that are imposed on Biological Sex. Gender is a
product of the Categorization process (The
Creation of the Other) where members of the
same Biological Sex are perceived, or claim, to
share essential biological and psychological
characteristics that are distinct from members of
other Biological Sexes, hence labeled
accordingly. Gender is a constructed socio-econopolitical system (man/woman, boy/girl).
Conceptualizing Gender …

Transgender: Identifying with a gender different
from the one with which one is assigned by the
culture without utilizing scientific medicine to
accomplish that identification.

Transsexual: Identifying with a gender different
from the one with which one is assigned by the
culture utilizing scientific medicine to
accomplish that identification.
Conceptualizing Gender…
Manness: In the context of the social
construction of Gender, Manness refers to
the unearned, yet enjoyed, accumulated
differential advantages at someone else’s
expense. When confronted, one may take
responsibility, or one may invoke guilt,
shame, fear, helplessness, denial, ….
Ethnocentrism  Prejudice Discrimination
Genocide/Culturecide
 Ethnocentrism (Mental)
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Prejudice (Expressive)
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The use of verbal/written stereotypes in articulating
ethnocentrism
Discrimination (Behavioral)
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The naturalness of one’s own group in terms of values,
beliefs, and behavior vis-à-vis other groups
The implementation of Prejudice in terms of accumulated
advantages and disadvantages. This is done at both the
individual and institutional levels. It is also done overtly
and covertly.
Racism, Sexism, Classism, Heterosexism, Ageism
At the individual level, anyone, regardless of the group,
can discriminate (i.e be a racist, sexist, etc….). At the
institutional level, however, the dominant group,
regardless of individuals’ intentions, is the only one that is
capable of racism, sexism, etc….
Genocide/Culturecide (Behavioral)
The physical/cultural elimination of a group of people.
Sexism and Cissexism …
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Discrimination against individuals and/or groups
based on the socially constructed category of
Gender. This is done at both the individual and
institutional levels. It is also done overtly and
covertly.

At the individual level, anyone, regardless of the
group, can discriminate (i.e. be a sexist/cissexist).
At the institutional level, however, the dominant
group, regardless of individuals’ intentions, is the
only one that is capable of sexism & cissexism.