Typically defined as the biologically determined physical distinctions between males and females
Gender
socially generated attitudes and behaviors usually organized dichotomously as masculinity and femininity
Gender Stereotypes
summary descriptions of masculinity and femininity that are oversimplified and generalized
Gender Structure
a system for deferentially distributing opportunities and imposing constraints based on sex categories with consequences on three levels; the individual, the cultural, and the institutional
Paradigm
A framework used by researchers to determine the problems to be studied, the methods for studying them, and to explain what is found in the research
Paradigm Revolution
Occurs when members of a scientific discipline reject the dominant paradigm in favor of a paradigm that better explains past (or current) conditions
Sexism
the differential valuing of one sex over the other
Dualistic Research
contains subjective and objective dimensions
Group Consciousness
Develops when individuals recognize that problems are not just personal, but are also share by others like them
Social Stratification
Ranking of various social groups based on differential evaluation of social worth
Sexual Politics
the examination of gender inequalities as rooted not only in the public sphere, but also the private sectors of gender interaction
Three major categories of Feminist Theory
Gender-Reform
Gender-Resistance
Gender-Rebellion
Secondary Sex Characteristics
Sex distinctions that are not directly related to reproduction
A and Not A
The description of groups who occupy dominate positions in social hierarchies vs. groups who do not hold their positions
Hegemonic Masculinity
The socially constructed and dominant view of appropriate (normative) masculine ideals at a particular historical moment