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Introduction to Sociology 2e

Key Terms

Introduction to Sociology 2eKey Terms
biological determinism
the belief that men and women behave differently due to inherent sex differences related to their biology
doing gender
the performance of tasks based upon the gender assigned to us by society and, in turn, ourselves
DOMA
Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 U.S. law explicitly limiting the definition of “marriage” to a union between one man and one woman and allowing each individual state to recognize or deny same-sex marriages performed in other states
double standard
the concept that prohibits premarital sexual intercourse for women but allows it for men
gender
a term that refers to social or cultural distinctions of behaviors that are considered male or female
gender dysphoria
a condition listed in the DSM-5 in which people whose gender at birth is contrary to the one they identify with. This condition replaces "gender identity disorder"
gender identity
a person’s deeply held internal perception of his or her gender
gender role
society’s concept of how men and women should behave
heterosexism
an ideology and a set of institutional practices that privilege heterosexuals and heterosexuality over other sexual orientations
homophobia
an extreme or irrational aversion to homosexuals
queer theory
an interdisciplinary approach to sexuality studies that identifies Western society’s rigid splitting of gender into male and female roles and questions its appropriateness
sex
a term that denotes the presence of physical or physiological differences between males and females
sexism
the prejudiced belief that one sex should be valued over another
sexual orientation
a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and sexual attraction to a particular sex (male or female)
sexuality
a person’s capacity for sexual feelings
social construction of sexuality
socially created definitions about the cultural appropriateness of sex-linked behavior which shape how people see and experience sexuality
transgender
an adjective that describes individuals who identify with the behaviors and characteristics that are other than their biological sex
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