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Key Terms Chapter 12: Gender, Sex, and Sexuality

  • Page ID
    143149
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    Example and Directions
    Words (or words that have the same definition)The definition is case sensitive(Optional) Image to display with the definition [Not displayed in Glossary, only in pop-up on pages](Optional) Caption for Image(Optional) External or Internal Link(Optional) Source for Definition
    (Eg. "Genetic, Hereditary, DNA ...")(Eg. "Relating to genes or heredity")The infamous double helix https://bio.libretexts.org/CC-BY-SA; Delmar Larsen
    Glossary Entries
    Word(s)DefinitionImageCaptionLinkSource
    Biological Determinismthe belief that men and women behave differently due to inherent sex differences related to their biology    
    Doing Genderthe performance of tasks based upon the gender assigned to us by society and, in turn, ourselves    
    DOMADefense of Marriage Act, a 1996 U.S. law explicitly limiting the definition of “marriage” to a union between one man and one woman and allowing each individual state to recognize or deny same-sex marriages performed in other states    
    Double Standardthe concept that prohibits premarital sexual intercourse for women but allows it for men    
    Gendera term that refers to social or cultural distinctions of behaviors that are considered male or female    
    Gender Dysphoriaa condition listed in the DSM-5 in which people whose gender at birth is contrary to the one they identify with. This condition replaces "gender identity disorder"    
    Gender Identitya person’s deeply held internal perception of his or her gender    
    Gender Rolesociety’s concept of how men and women should behave    
    Heterosexisman ideology and a set of institutional practices that privilege heterosexuals and heterosexuality over other sexual orientations    
    Homophobiaan extreme or irrational aversion to homosexuals    
    Queer Theoryan interdisciplinary approach to sexuality studies that identifies Western society’s rigid splitting of gender into male and female roles and questions its appropriateness    
    Sexa term that denotes the presence of physical or physiological differences between males and females    
    Sexismthe prejudiced belief that one sex should be valued over another    
    Sexual Orientationa person’s physical, mental, emotional, and sexual attraction to a particular sex (male or female)    
    Sexualitya person’s capacity for sexual feelings    
    Social Construction of Sexualitysocially created definitions about the cultural appropriateness of sex-linked behavior which shape how people see and experience sexuality    
    Transgenderan adjective that describes individuals who identify with the behaviors and characteristics that are other than their biological sex    
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