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Introduction to Sociology 3e

Key Terms

Introduction to Sociology 3eKey Terms

Key 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
a set of principles that applies differently to one group of people or circumstances than to another when they should be applied equally; an example is the belief that men, but not women, are allowed to engage in premarital sexual intercourse
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 experience a deep sense of distress or discomfort due to incongruence between their sex assigned at birth and their gender identity. This condition replaces "gender identity disorder"
gender identity
a person’s deeply held internal perception of one's gender
gender role
society’s concept of how men and women should behave
glass ceiling
an invisible barrier that women encounter when trying to win jobs in the highest level of business
heterosexism
an ideology and a set of institutional practices that privilege straight people and heterosexuality over other sexual orientations
homophobia
an extreme or irrational aversion to gay, lesbian, bisexual, or all LGBTQ people, which often manifests as prejudice and bias
intersex
people born with sex characteristics (including genitals, gonads and chromosome patterns) that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies.
misogyny
the hatred of, aversion to, or prejudice against women
pay gap
the difference in earnings between men and women
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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