sex, gender & culture
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Sex, Gender & Culture. Males & Females. Facts that separate these two groups are carried out largely among all species Different reproductive organs. Sex, Gender & Culture. No society we know treats females and males exactly the same Females usually have fewer advantages to males - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Males & Females
Facts that separate these two groups are carried out largely among all species
Different reproductive organs
Sex, Gender & Culture
No society we know treats females and males exactly the sameFemales usually have fewer advantages to
males Gender Concepts
U.S. & many western societies○ Only two genders
Assigned at birth based on external biological attributes
○ Not all individuals feel comfortable with their gender assignments
Male-Female Division Very common cross-
culturally Cheyenne Native
Americans of the Great Plains recognize a third gender Referred to by as “two
spirits” Usually biological males
○ Gender status of a “two spirit” was often recognized after a boy finished his vision quest
○ During pre adolescent years
Two-Spirits○ Wear women’s dress○ Take on many activities of a woman○ May even be taken as a second wife by a man○ Unknown if they engaged in sexual activities
Role of a “Two Spirit” person was not equivalent to becoming a womanTwo spirit females are rare
○ Have occurred in a number of Native American populations such as the Kasha of Yukon Territory, the Klamath of Southern Oregon, and the Mohave of the Colorado River
The Oman Arab state in southwest Asia on the
southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest.
Women•Wear bright colors & patterns•Long hair•Secluded in house •Can only leave house with husbands permission
Xaniths•Wears unpatterned pastels•Mid-length hair•Free to come & go from household•May serve as servant•May serve as prostitute
Males•Wear white•Short hair
Xaniths Cont.
Gender role is not necessarily forever May decide to marry
Considered a “man” if marriage is consumated
Physique & Physiology
WOMEN MEN
Wider pelvis Larger proportion of
weight in fat
Typically taller Heavier skeleton Larger proportion of
weight in muscle Greater grip strength Larger heart & lungs Greater aerobic capacity
Men v. Women
North American culture tends to view “taller” and “more muscular” as better…
This may reflect a bias toward males
Natural Selection’s Role in Physique & Physiology Natural selection: The process whereby organisms
better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
Women grow taller soonerBear children
○ Less ultimate height so that the nutritional needs of a fetus would not compete
○ With a growing mother’s needs.
Gender Roles: Productive & Domestic Activities all societies assign or divide labor
somewhat differently between males and females
Strength Theory
Focuses on the generally greater strength of males and their superior capacity to mobilize their strength in quick bursts of energy
Compatability-with-Child-Care Emphasis on women’s tasks needed to
be compatible with child careWHY
Males can take care of infants Most traditional societies rely on breast
feeding
Chaz Bono
Portia de Rossi
Ricky Martin
Tyler Clementi
Ted Haggard
Gender Roles Cont.
In most societies women breast feed infants for two years on average
Women’s tasks may be those that do not take them far from home for longTasks that do not place children
in potential dangerTasks that can be stopped and
resumed if an infant needs care
Compatibility-With-Child-Care Cont. There are practically no universal female
only roles/activities because of the need for nursing and child care
Also explain why men performHuntingFishingCollecting honeyLumberingMining
○ Tasks are dangerous for infants○ Difficult to coordinate with child care
Why do men almost always…. Perform soil preparation for planting Make objects out of wood/bone
These are all tasks that could be stopped to tend a child
SO WHY???
Economy-of-Effort Theory Helps explain what cannot readily be
explained by the strength and compatibility theories
May be advantageous for men to make wooden musical instruments because men generally lumberMore knowledgeKnow physical properties of wood
EoE Theory Cont
It would be advantageous for one gender to perform tasks that are physically located near each other
Women have to be near home to take care of nursing and young children
Economical for them to perform chores near home
Expendability Theory
Suggests that men, rather than women, will tend to the dangerous work in a societyLoss of men is less disadvantageous
reproductively than loss of women
Critics of Strength Theory Point out that women in some societies
do engage in very heavy labor If women in these areas can develop the
strength to do such work, perhaps strength is more a function of training
Critics of Compatibility Theory
Suggests labor is divided to conform to the requirements of child care
However, women who spend a good deal of time in agricultural work have others watch their childrenWet nurses