Scribd
Upload
3 views

SOCI1004B Lecture 5_2025 Spring_Student version

The lecture covers key concepts in gender and sexuality, differentiating between sex as a biological category and gender as a cultural construct. It discusses the complexities of sexual orientation, societal norms, and the impact of gender stratification on inequality. Various sociological theories are presented, alongside feminist perspectives and the importance of gender socialization in shaping societal roles and expectations.

Uploaded by

erincmc.55
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
3 views

SOCI1004B Lecture 5_2025 Spring_Student version

The lecture covers key concepts in gender and sexuality, differentiating between sex as a biological category and gender as a cultural construct. It discusses the complexities of sexual orientation, societal norms, and the impact of gender stratification on inequality. Various sociological theories are presented, alongside feminist perspectives and the importance of gender socialization in shaping societal roles and expectations.

Uploaded by

erincmc.55
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 30

SOCI1004B Introduction to Sociology:

The world’s on fire (and other problems)

Lecture 5: Gender and Sexuality

February 27, 2025


By Dr. Steve Wai-lung Cheung
Today’s agenda

1. Sex and sexuality

2. Gender stratification

More senior courses on gender and sexuality


● SOCI2011 Gender and crime
● SOCI2081 Sexuality, culture and identity
Opening reflection and sharing

● If you could choose your sex in the next human life, would
you prefer to be a male or a female? Why?
Sex and sexuality
Part 1
Sex and gender
● Sex: “the biological distinction between females and males”
(Macionis, p. 213)

○ E.g. Reproductive organs and chromosomes

● Gender: “an element of culture and refers to the personal traits and
patterns of behavior that a culture attaches to being female or male”
(ibid, p. 214)

○ Further discussed in the next part


Sex as biological categories

● Our society tends to assume sex categories to be clear-cut, but the


reality is more complex

● Intersexual people: “people whose bodies (including genitals) have


both female and male characteristics” (ibid, p. 214)

○ Watch What It's Like To Be Intersex

● Transexual people: “people who feel they are one sex even though
biologically they are the other” (ibid, p. 214)
Sex as sexuality
● Sexual orientation: “a person’s romantic and emotional attraction to
another person”

○ Is it a product of society or a product of biology?

● Heterosexuality (hetero = the other of two) and homosexuality (homo


= the same)
● Bisexuality
● Asexuality: “a lack of sexual attraction to people of either sex” (ibid,
p. 220)
The social dimension of sex and
sexuality
● Social norms for ‘proper’ sex and sexuality

● Cultural variation on ideas and practices related to sexuality

○ E.g. incest taboo: a norm forbidding sexual relations or


marriage between certain kins relatives (culturally defined)
Sociological theories on sexuality

1. Structural-functional approach

2. Symbolic-interaction approach

3. Social-conflict and feminist approaches


1) Structural-function approach

● Regulation of sexuality is functional to the maintenance of the


family and kinship system

● Latent functions of prostitution (Kinsley Davis)


2) Symbolic-interaction approach

● Social construction of sexuality (e.g. changing understanding


and importance of virginity)

● Social construction of S-E-X


Suggested reading: Steele, T. (2010). “Doing it”: The social construction of S-E-X. In L. Cargan & J. H.
Ballantine (Eds.), Sociological footprints: Introductory readings in sociology (11th ed., pp. 56-64). Wadsworth
Cengage Learning.
Social construction of S-E-X

● “sex, rather than being natural and instinctual is, in fact, principally
a learned behavior that is produced within specific cultural
contexts.” (Steele, p. 57)

● Traditional views:

○ e.g. Sex is holy and spiritual (religious view)

○ e.g. Men are naturally more sexually aggressive than women


(biological view)
Social construction of S-E-X (Cont’d)

● The meaning of S-E-X in the contemporary American society

● Essential elements:
1. Penetration and male agency
2. Heterosexuality
3. Orifice specification
4. Orgasm
5. Consent on the part of sexual recipient is not emphasized
Social construction of S-E-X (Cont’d)
Source:
https://www.clic.org.hk/en/topics/sexual_offences/I_Non-
● Practical implication on the legal codes consensual_Sexual_Offences/B_Rape/1_Elements_of_the_
offence/a_Sexual_Intercourse
3) Social-conflict and feminist
approaches
● Sexuality reflects and creates social inequality

● Queer theory: “a body of research findings that challenges the


heterosexual bias” (Macionis, p. 231)

○ Our society is characterized by heterosexism, a view that labels


anyone who is not heterosexual as ‘queer’ – e.g. gays, lesbians,
bisexuals as queer
Gender stratification
Part 2
Basic terms
● Gender: “the personal traits and social positions that members of a
society attach to being female or male” (ibid, p. 347)

● Gender stratification: “the unequal distribution of wealth, power,


and privilege between men and women” (ibid, p. 347)

○ Is it due to the biological differences between men and women?


Gender hierarchy

● Patriarchy (males dominates females)

○ Common in most societies; justified by sexism: “the belief that


one sex is innately superior to the other” (ibid, p. 350)

● Matriarchy (females dominates males)

○ E.g. Musuo in China

○ Watch Mosuo Women: Inside China's Last Matriarchal Tribe


(00:00-03:42)
Gender socialization

● The learning of gender roles (aka sex roles): “attitudes and activities
that a society links to each sex” (ibid, p. 351)

● Agents of socialization: e.g. Family, peer groups, schooling, mass


media
The power of gender socialization

Suggested reading: Taub, D. E., & McLorg, P. A. (2010). Influences of gender socialization and athletic
involvement on the occurrence of eating disorders. In L. Cargan & J. H. Ballantine (Eds.), Sociological footprints:
Introductory readings in sociology (11th ed., pp. 56-64). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

● Eating disorder is not just a health issue but also a social issue

● This reading explores the relationship between eating disorders and


gender socialization

○ Females are more likely to suffer from eating disorders than


men
The power of gender socialization
(Cont’d)
● The gender norm of ideal body shape: Females should be thin (slim
body)

● Gender socialization

○ The slim ideal is always promoted by the mass media

○ Role models (e.g. models, movie stars)

● Dieting as a response to the gender norm of slimness


Gender inequality

● Exists in many social domains like education and politics

● Our focus here: the world of working men and women


Gender inequality (Cont’d)

● Gender-based occupational
segregation

○ Male-dominated occupations:
e.g. architects, engineers

○ Female-dominated
occupations: e.g. administrative
support work and service work
(‘pink-collar jobs’) Source: https://www.census2021.gov.hk/en/main_tables.html
Gender inequality (Cont’d)

● The earning differences between men


and women

○ Gender pay gap: Women in


general earn less than men

Source: https://www.census2021.gov.hk/en/main_tables.html
Gender inequality (Cont’d)
Source: https://www.amazon.com/Second-
● Who do women earn less? Shift-Arlie-Russell-Hochschild/dp/0380711575

1. The type of work they do


2. The social expectation on women’s family roles

○ Women’s second shift (double burden of works


outside and at home)

3. Discrimination against women


Reflection

● Do men also suffer from our gender institution (even if it is


patriarchal in nature)?
Theories of gender

● Structural-functional approach: Sex-based division of labor is


functional (e.g. Talcott Parsons: gender helps integrate the society)

● Symbolic-interaction approach: Gender affects everyday


interaction (e.g. women typically engage in more eye contact than
men)

● Social-conflict approach: Gender and inequality


Theories of gender (Cont’d)

● Intersection theory: “analysis of the interplay of race, class, and


gender, which often results in multiple dimensions of disadvantage”
(Macionis, p. 365)

○ No single woman’s experience

○ E.g. African American women earned less than non-Hispanic


white women
Feminism
● “support of social equality for women and men, in opposition to
patriarchy” (ibid, p. 366)

● Basic principles of feminism


● Take action to increase equality
● Expand human choice (beyond the two opposing and limiting
spheres of the female world and the male world)
● Eliminate gender stratification throughout society
● End sexual violence
● Promote sexual freedom
Types of feminism
● Liberal Feminism: Accept the basic organization of our society but
seek to increase the rights and opportunities of women; stressing
the individual efforts for changes
● Socialist Feminism: End social classes and family gender roles
which encourage domestic slavery through socialist revolution
● Radical Feminism: Fight for ending the gender institution
completely, even more than a socialist revolution
● Multicultural and Global Feminism: Beyond seeing women as a
single category and acknowledge the social and cultural differences
of women

You might also like