Babies and Babes Gender socialization

Women are made, not born Sex vs. Sexuality vs. Gender Social Construction Gender: women & femininity Sex: female

Sex The biological aspects of a person; male or female Does biology determine behavior? The way we understand sex is socially constructed

Sexuality biological, behavioral and political components involved in personal attraction Complex and changes over lifetime

Gender The socially learned & observable behaviors and expectations associated with male and female masculinity and femininity Gender “performance” changes throughout time & culture Race, class and sexual orientation all impact one’s gender performance

Socialization The process by which we learn the norms of the culture and acquire a sense of self or personality How we learn to perform masculinity and femininity

Social Construction of Gender Process by which the expectations associated with being male and female are passed on through society Sex Category Gender Status Naming, dress, activities

Gender Identity Gendered sense of self Gender is the most important thing we feel we need to determine about a person

Gender Ranking The basis for sexism The valuation of one gender over another Male over Female The valuation of one performance of a specific gender over another Madonna over whore Young over old White angel over black mammy

Femininity & Women The social environment places constraints on individuals’ bodies & behaviors Femininity is based on binary aspects that create a narrow path for appropriate behavior Current definitions of femininity emphasize “superwoman”, which leaves majority with feelings of inferiority

The Social Construction of Sex How many sexes and genders do exist? How can we discuss gender and sexual diversity when all the mechanisms of legal and extralegal render transgendered and intersexed lives invisible?

Atypical Gender Differentiation Variables of gender Chromosomal gender Prenatal hormonal gender Prenatal and neonatal brain hormonalization Internal organs External genital appearance Pubertal hormonal gender Assigned gender Gender identity

Brain Differentiation Evidence indicates that differences exist between human male and female brains Shape Functioning These differences may develop after birth rather than prenatally “Embodiment” Environment HormonesOrgansBeing

Variability Within Gender Is Larger Than Mean Difference Between Genders.