What does the phrase “the social construction of gender” mean as described in the paragraphs above? What are the limits described above? How is it described in the reading (P.22-23) and what examples does the author cite? (p. 22)

Refers to the many different processes through which the expectations associated with being a boy or a girl are passed on through society. Girls are different from boys in that while girls play with dolls, boys play with action figures, and this is something that has been passed across the society. Another example provided is that when a conflict occurs, girls are more likely to diffuse the situation. Finally, girls and boys are assigned different names and buy expected child gifts that reflect different images which depends on whether the child is a boy or a girl.

What is biological determinism (p. 27-28) and why do sociologists find this too limited for understanding gender?

Biological determinism refers to the assumption that hormonal differences including estrogen, progestin and testosterone, between men and women can be used to explain the presumed differences in aggressive behavior. However, sociologists find this assumption too limited to understand in that following menopause, women tend to have reduced hormonal levels of major estrogen and progestin than do men of the same age, but this does not make these older men feminine. As a result, this makes the biological determinism to limited to explain the behavioral differences between genders.

How does culture show the ways in which gender is about more than about biology? And that maybe there are more than 2 genders in different cultures. Be sure to include berdaches and hirjas in your examples. (p. 29-32)

The specific cultural expectations for men and women tend to vary from one society to another, but in every known culture, gender is a major category for the organization of culture and social relations. While some cultures presume man and woman as dichotomous categories with separate and opposite sexes with no overlap between the two, some cultures however, acknowledge the existence of overlaps in sex, and thus present more than three genders. For example, the berdaches in the traditional Navaho society were those who were anatomically normal men but were defined as a third gender and were considered to be intersexed. Another example is that of the hijras of India – a religious community of men who are born as males, but they come to think themselves as neither male nor female, and thus considered as a third gender with some dressing as women and others dressing like men.

What is the difference between gender and sex? (p. 31)

Gender is used to specifically refer to the social and cultural patterns that are associated with men and women in the society. Sex on the other hand, refers to the biological identity that signifies an individual either as a male or female.

What is homophobia and how does it illustrate the consequences for violating gender expectations for men? How does this socialize boys into become men? (p. 35-36)

Homophobia is defined as the fear and hatred of homosexuals. It acts as a system of social control as it encourages boys and men to act more masculine, as a way of indicating they are not gay. Homophobia socializes boys into becoming men as it discourages them from showing feminine traits including caring, emotional expression, nurturing and gentleness.

How are gender patterns also impacted by race, class and sexual orientation. Be specific (p. 36-39)

Women experience significantly more stress from children, spouses, parents and the chores of shopping and driving people around compared to men. Lesbians face discrimination and homophobic attitudes that contribute to stress. Also, lesbians have higher rates of poverty and barriers to access health services, with all these contributing to pilling mental health problems. African women, like White women, are socialized to place primary emphasis on nurturing their loved ones, but they are also socialized to be self-sufficient, to aspire to an education, to regard employment as part of the role of women, and to be more independent than white women.