3: Sex and Gender
- Page ID
- 337442
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- 3.1: Learning Objectives
- This page outlines the learning objectives for the chapter "Sex and Gender".
- 3.2: Introduction
- This page provides a brief introduction to the chapter “Sex and Gender” and highlights the key topics that will be explored.
- 3.3: Defining Sex and Gender
- This page establishes several working definitions associated with sex and gender.
- 3.4: The Gender Binary
- This page examines the traditional gender binary that categorizes individuals as strictly masculine or feminine, highlighting its limitations and the complexity of gender shaped by cultural, historical, and social influences. It discusses contemporary scholarship that challenges these rigid classifications and provides global examples of diverse gender identities, such as Two-Spirit people, fa’afafine, and muxes, illustrating the existence of gender diversity beyond Western frameworks.
- 3.5: The Social Construction of Gender
- This page examines the social construction of gender, asserting that gender roles are shaped by cultural and societal influences rather than biology. It highlights the role of childhood socialization in reinforcing gender stereotypes. The text contrasts essentialist views, which see gender differences as inherent, with social constructionist perspectives that view them as learned behaviors.
- 3.6: Doing Gender
- This page explores the theory of "doing gender," introduced by West and Zimmerman, which views gender as a social accomplishment revealed through daily interactions. It draws parallels to Goffman's dramaturgical perspective, likening social interactions to performances.
- 3.7: Sex Assignment and Intersex Variations
- This page examines the complexities of sex assignment at birth, including intersex variations that do not fit conventional binary classifications. It also considers medical practices involving intersex children.
- 3.8: Gender Identity
- This page examines gender identity and defines terms like cisgender, transgender, and nonbinary. It highlights the challenges faced by transgender and nonbinary individuals, including misgendering and deadnaming.
- 3.9: The Policing of Gender and Sexuality
- This page examines how gender and sexuality are policed through social expectations surrounding masculinity, femininity, heterosexuality, and gender conformity.
- 3.10: Gender Inequality and Patriarchy
- This page defines gender inequality and patriarchy and examines how they shape power, opportunities, and roles in society and family life.
- 3.11: Feminism
- This page explores the development of feminism from the first wave to contemporary movements, highlighting how feminists have challenged gender inequality in politics, work, sexuality, and family life. It also emphasizes how race, class, sexuality, and other social inequalities shape feminist experiences and activism.
- 3.12: The Gendered Division of Household Labor
- This page examines how household labor and caregiving are divided by gender, with women continuing to perform a greater share of unpaid work.
- 3.13: Gender and the Labor Market
- This page examines how gender shapes experiences in the labor market, including occupational segregation, pay inequality, leadership opportunities, emotional labor, and body labor. It also explores how workplace inequalities are shaped by broader social expectations and intersect with race, social class, and caregiving responsibilities.
- 3.14: Conclusion
- This page provides concluding remarks for the chapter “Sex and Gender” and highlights the key ideas and themes covered throughout the chapter.
Thumbnail Attribution
Chapter header image: The Genderbread Person by Sam Killermann, via ItsPronouncedMetrosexual.com / Genderbread.org. Uncopyrighted; used with attribution.