This document discusses the social construction of gender, sex, and sexuality. It defines key terms like sex, gender, gender identity, and sexuality. It explains that while sex refers to biological differences, gender and gender roles are socially constructed. It discusses gender socialization and the different roles, expectations, and levels of power afforded to different genders in micro, meso, and macro levels of society. It also examines theories of gender stratification like symbolic interactionism, structural functionalism, and feminist theory.

1.  SEXUAL REVOLUTION- (also known as a time of "sexual liberation") was a social
movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and
interpersonal relationships throughout the Western world from the 1960s to the
1980s.Sexual liberation included increased acceptance of sex outside of traditional
heterosexual, monogamous relationships (primarily marriage). Contraception and the
pill, public nudity, the normalization of premarital sex, homosexuality and alternative
forms of sexuality, and the legalization of abortion all followed.
Gender roles are socially constructed
Gender roles are created by humans to meet the needs of their societies
Life chances in the stratification system depend upon the combination of age and sex
(and other categories as well)
Sex, gender, and stratification
Sex- usually thought of as a biological term referring to ascribed genetic, anatomical,
and hormonal differences between males and females, but it is actually determined by socially
accepted biological criteria, e.g.:
o
Intersexed- persons with ambiguous genitalia (usually ascribed one or another sex in
different cultures)
Gender identity - the socially constructed meanings associated with males or females
and how individuals construct their gender identity within these constraints
o
Gender roles- rigidly assigned tasks or expected behaviors of individuals because of their
sex category
Sexuality - how we experience our own bodies and our bodies in relation to others
The three terms are frequently used interchangeably, but are all distinct
Sex, gender, and sexuality at the micro-level
Agents of socialization teach us from birth how to display “proper” gendered behaviors
o
Failure to comply often results in sanctions
o
Compliance is celebrated
Sex, gender, and sexuality at the meso-level
Adults roles and responsibilities in social institutions differ by age and sex

2. Rites of passage differ by age and sex
Women’s reduced power in micro-level settings is often related to a lack of power in
meso-level organizations and institutions
Sex, gender, and sexuality at the macro-level
Inequality at the global/national level is independent of personal prejudices
Institutionalized discrimination- patterns of social action that are imbedded in the entire
social system may influence women and men, providing unrecognized privileges or
disadvantages
Gender socialization
Gender socialization is the process by which people learn the cultural norms, attitudes,
and behaviors appropriate to their gender through sanctions
The workplace itself is gendered
Gender discrimination
De jure discrimination- done legally & deliberately because of cultural images of women
as inferior/weaker to or fundamentally different from men
De facto discrimination- unequal treatment that is unintended,customary
o
Side effect discrimination
o
Past-in-present discrimination
Theories of sex-based stratification
Symbolic interactionism- gender is socially constructed; physical, biological differences
come to be regarded as symbols that differentiate rights and rewards in society
o
Gender is not intrinsically related to sex
o
Humans have agency to influence the society around them
o
“Doing” gender is an option
Structural-functionalist theory- each sex has a role to play in the interdependent groups
and institutions of society

3. Conflict theory- by keeping women in subordinate roles, men ensure that they control
the means of production and protect their privileges
o
Men will not voluntarily give up their current beneficial positions of power
Feminist theory- patriarchy is the cause of women’s oppression
o
Patriarchy- a few men dominate and hold authority over all others, including women,
children, and less powerful men
o
Class, race, and gender intersect in a way that privileges some women over others,
though most women are still subordinate to most men
Gender and minority group status
Women are a “minority group” because:
o
Distinguished by physical, cultural, or social characteristics
o
Share of desired goods is limited by the dominant group
o
Ideological or other justifications are used to deny them equal treatment
o
They have a collective identity used to help insulate them from unequal treatment
o
Minority group status is generally determined by rules of descent, with members born
into a status they cannot change
o
Benefited from the Civil Rights Era
Gender, homosexuality, and minority status
The government and dominant religious group determines how gay men and lesbians
are treated in society
o
Lesbians seen as threatening because they are not reliant on men
o
Gay men seen as inferior because they are perceived to be more feminine
Homophobia and heterosexism
Homophobia- intense fear and hatred of homosexuality and homosexuals
o
Highly correlated with a belief in traditional gender roles
o
Homosexual slurs are used to reinforce gender conformity

4. Heterosexism- society reinforces heterosexuality and marginalizes anyone who does not
conform to this norm
Micro costs and consequences of gender stratification
Rigid stereotyping can have psychological and social consequences for individuals
o
For men- guilt, anxiety; early death
o
For women- superwoman image; beauty image
 Gender roles are socially constructed
 Gender roles are created by humans to meet the needs of their societies
 Life chances in the stratification system depend upon the combination of age and sex
(and other categories as well)
 SEX- either of the two major forms of individuals that occur in many species and that are
distinguished respectively as female or male especially on the basis of their reproductive
organs and structures.
 HERMAPHRODITE-A person or animal having both male and female sex organs or other
sexual characteristics, either abnormally or naturally.
 MALE PSEUDO HERMAPHRODITE –with fully developed male sex organ.
 FEMALE PSEUDO HERMAPHRODITE-with fully developed female se organ.
 GENDER-is the range of physical, mental and behavioral characteristics pertaining to,
and differentiating between, masculinity and femininity.
 SEX STRATIFICATION- The ranking and differential reward system of the sexes.
 Interactionist researchers often examine gender stratification on the micro level of
everyday behaviour. Studies show that men initiate up to 96% of all interruptions in
cross-sex (male-female) conversations. Men are more likely than women to change
topics of conversation, to ignore topics chosen by members of the opposite sex, to
minimise the contributions and ideas of members of the opposite sex, and to validate
their own contributions
 GENDER STRATIFICATION- a society's unequal distribution of wealth, power and
privilege between the two sexes.
 Sex- usually thought of as a biological term referring to ascribed genetic, anatomical,
and hormonal differences between males and females, but it is actually determined by
socially accepted biological
 Gender identity - the socially constructed meanings associated with males or females
and how individuals construct their gender identity within these constraints

5.  Gender roles- rigidly assigned tasks or expected behaviors of individuals because of their
sex category
 Sexuality - how we experience our own bodies and our bodies in relation to others
 The three terms are frequently used interchangeably, but are all distinct
 MALE AND FEMALE DIFFERENCES
 Keep in mind that researchers like these are writing about average differences between
most males and females .They're not arguing that all boys are one way and all girls
another.
 Just as important as the average, males and females are different at the extremes.
Females tend to cluster in the middle. Males tend to end up at the top of the heap or
the bottom of the barrel. That's why you see more geniuses who are male and also so
many males who are mentally retarded.
 Even so, here are the average differences between the sexes.
 Spatial Abilities: Males are far and away better than females on abilities like seeing an
object in their minds from different angles. On a more practical note, I would say men
are also better at packing odd-shaped luggage and parcels in the trunk of a car, a similar
spatial skill.
 Verbal Abilities: Females talk earlier, use more words, and are better at language and
verbal skills throughout their lives. They often win arguments with men because the
men can't handle so many words.
 Aggression: This is a hot topic. Males are generally more physically aggressive but
females are more aggressive in subtle, interpersonal ways. "Mean Girls" is what the
movies call it. "Relational aggression" is what the psychologists call it. Boys may gang up
on each other in a fight. But girls fight too, with gossip, trying to isolate certain girls and
make them unpopular.
 Activity Levels: Boys are more active than girls, engage in more rough and tumble play,
and emphasize their large motor skills like riding bicycles and running around the
playground (when they're allowed to. Many schools now frown on letting boys run
around outside). Girls are more apt to talk together or do other activities that don't
involve lots of continual movement.
 Interests: Females as a group are more apt to want to go into fields involving people or
helping others like becoming teachers, social workers, or veterinarians. Indeed twothirds of students in veterinary schools are now women. Males as a group have more
physical and abstract interests, wanting to become plumbers, engineers, or scientists in
fields like computers or physics.
 These differences aren't all biological. Social learning makes a difference as well.
Mothers talk more to girls, according to some researchers, which could have some
effect on girls' greater verbal abilities. But then again, maybe mothers talk more to girls
because the girls are more verbal and talk more to them.
 Contraceptives:

6.  57% of women not currently using contraception intend to use a method in the future
 28% of these non-users intend to use a method within the next 12 months
Preferred method for women who intend to use contraception in the future
SOURCE: (http://www.adn.com/2009/10/05/962108/whats-the-difference-betweenmales.html) THE USED OF CONTRACEPTIVE METHOd

7. SUBMITTED BY:
KENETH CABARLE
AND
GERALDINE PEREZ