Refers to the degree to which an individual sees her, himself, themselves as feminine or masculine
gender identity
refers to male or female anatomy and physiology
sex
social attitudes and behaviors associated with the two sexes
gender role
individuals who have ambiguous genital anatomy
intersex
individuals who are uncomfortable with the gender that society has assigned them
transsexual & transgender
refers to challenging a gender mandate on purpose
gender bending
Every society, to some extent, differentiates humans according to gender
gender differentiation refers to cultural expectations about how men and women should behave
Men assumed to have instrumental characteristic traits that enable them to accomplish difficult tasks or goals
3 major culturally defined obligations:
Men are expected to distance themselves from anything considered feminine
.
Men should be tough, confident, self-reliant
.
Men should be financially successful and supporting his family
.
Women are assumed to have expressive character traits that allow them to be concerned about others
a divided perception according to which a woman’s aware of and often troubled by two conflicting messages: first that caregiving is most important for her: and second, that caregiving is not as highly valued across society as it career success
Bifurcated consciousness
migration tends to change masculine and feminine roles among those from cultures, where family life involves female dependence on and acceptance of decision of male family heads
Immigration and Gender
Hispanics and Gender
Increased independence among Asian women in the United States
Asian Americans and Gender
increase in female-headed families and the number of women tribal leaders has doubled over the last thirty years
Native American Indians and Gender
African Americans and Gender
This model sees human’s behavior as primarily associated with the unconscious need to pass on one’s genetic material to future generations
Biological Predisposition Model
Society-Based Argument
Gender Structures
Research shows where the husband is more religious than the wife, particularly in Islam and evangelical Protestantism, the more strictly gendered divisions of labor can lead to family tension and decreased marital satisfaction, particularly for the wife
Traditional family ideal
Interaction-Constructionist Perspective
Social Learning Theory