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reflectrelate5e_lectureppt_ch06.pptxChapter 6
Understanding Gender
Understanding Gender
We are moving away from gender polarization in which “virtually every other aspect of human experience” is connected to male–female sex distinctions.
Gender fluid or genderqueer
Sex, Gender, and Gender Identity (1 of 3)
Sex: Anatomical, biological distinctions
External genitalia
Internal reproductive sex organs
Hormones
Chromosomes
Sex, Gender, and Gender Identity (2 of 3)
Gender Identity: Deeply felt awareness or inner sense of being
A boy, man, or male;
A girl, woman, or female; or
An alternative
Genderqueer
Gender-nonconforming
Gender-neutral
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Sex, Gender, and Gender Identity (3 of 3)
Gender: The social, psychological, and behavioral attributes that a particular culture associates with an individual’s biological sex
Beliefs about individual characteristics
Strength, leadership, emotionality
Beliefs about roles in society
Parent, teacher, politician, CEO
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Gender Is Learned
A variety of sources contribute.
Family and friends
Schools
Mass media
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Gender Is Socially Constructed
Primary way we understand gender is by interacting with others in society, as well as with societal structures
Hospitals
Stores
Public restrooms
Doing Gender
Gender is not static.
We cannot opt out of doing gender.
Gender is interactional.
Typical expectation: Gender expression coincides with sex.
Examples of societal resource for doing gender:
Public restrooms
“Lady Doritos”
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Considering Gender Roles
Gender roles: Shared societal expectations for conduct and behaviors that are deemed appropriate for girls or women and boys or men
Girls and boys across the world encounter unequal gender expectations and stereotypes.
Differences are socially, not biologically, determined.
Gender and Verbal Communication
Do differences exist?
Do we focus on the differences or the similarities?
Bulk of recent research suggests a lack of gender differences in verbal communication.
Gender and Nonverbal Communication
The ways we use our bodies, voices, faces, and personal space
Emotional “mask” for boys and men
How we choose our clothing, accessories, personal objects
How we convey our emotions
Gender and Relationships (1 of 3)
Same-sex friendships
Are men’s same-sex friendships more “task-based or activity-orientated” and women’s more “supportive and disclosive”?
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Gender and Relationships (2 of 3)
Romantic relationships
Assumptions:
Heterosexual bias
Men and women completely different
Men and women as homogenous groups
The Rules; Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
Gender and Relationships (3 of 3)
Reflecting on gender in our relationships
We are never just one category, or piece of ourselves, but rather the sum total of all of our individual experiences, cultures, and co-cultures.
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Moving Beyond Gender Stereotypes
Hostile sexism
Hostility toward women
Attitudes like “women are too easily offended”
Benevolent sexism
Promotion of traditional roles
Attitudes like “women should be cherished”
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