Now you're ready for this week's assignment. Take a trip to a local toy store (or visit one on-line). Answer the questions in as much detail as possible and in 300-400 words, write a report that addresses the questions. The report should be in narrative

What is Gender? How does it relate to Biological Sex? Gender/ Sex Dichotomy Sex Male/Female Nature Gender Masculinity/ Femininity Nurture SEX Sex is biological and determined by one’s chromosomes. XX or XY. The normal embryo inherits 23 from mother and 23 from father. The 23 rd pair are the sex chromosomes and determine the biological sex of the fetus. GENDER The socially defined Character traits of masculinity and femininity LEARNED through the socialization process. It is socially constructed Biological Sex Anatomy Hormones Genetics XX or XY chromosome Estrogen and Androgen How Many Sexes? Anne Fausto - Sterling theorizes that there are at least 5 sexes” 1. female 2. male 3. hermaphrodite 4. male pseudo hermaphrodite (“merm” Y) 5. female pseudo hermaphrodite (“ferm XX) Intersex The last 3 can be grouped together under the umbrella term “Intersexed” Those born with ambiguous sexual genitalia. They can’t be characterized as being either girls or boys just by looking at them Gender: A PROCESS OF SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION A SYSTEM OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AN INSTITUTION WHICH STRUCTURES EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES DUE TO ITS EMBEDDEDNESS IN FAMILY, THE WORKPLACE, THE STATE, AS WELL AS IN SEXUALITY, LANGUAGE, CULTURE A SYSTEM OF MEANING WHICH ORGANIZES HUMAN SOCIAL LIFE IN CULTURALLY PATTERNED WAYS Gender, cont. ONE OF THE MAJOR WAYS PEOPLE ORGANIZE THEIR LIVES - SO PERVASIVE IT TENDS TO BE INVISIBLE EXCEPT WHEN MISSING OR DEVIANT CONSTANTLY CREATED AND RECREATED OUT OF HUMAN INTERACTION, OUT OF SOCIAL LIFE - DEPENDS ON PEOPLE CONSTANTLY “DOING GENDER” Judith Butler Gender is a “Performance” It’s something we DO, not something we are West and Zimmerman Doing Gender Rather than seeing gender as a fixed or learned set of roles, gender is an ongoing and fluctuating series of behaviors that is enacted through social interaction Gender Identity The subjective experience of being either male or female Usually established by ages 3 - 5 Gender Dysmorphia Gender identity in conflict with physical sex Transgender Umbrella terms for a variety of individual, behaviors and groups. People who don’t fit neatly into the binary concepts of male and female. Transsexuals Transvestites and Cross Dressers Drag Kings and Queens Berdache Native cultures have historically recognized that the binaries of male and female were not enough and embraced the notion of a gender identity that is different from one’s anatomical sex. Almost sacred status Hijra of India Considered member of a third sex, neither male or female Most are physically male or intersex, but refer to themselves and dress as women. Androgyny High preference for both feminine and masculine PERSONALITY Characteristics. Situationally Appropriate Bem Scale