Skip to ContentGo to accessibility pageKeyboard shortcuts menu
OpenStax Logo
Introduction to Sociology 3e

Key Terms

Introduction to Sociology 3eKey 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 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 or, 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
PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-3e/pages/1-introduction
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a digital format, then you must include on every digital page view the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-3e/pages/1-introduction
Citation information

© Aug 5, 2024 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.