Introduction to Sociology SOC101Y Introduction to Sociology Professor Robert Brym Lecture #6 Gender and Sexuality 27 Oct 10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyhrYis509A&list=QL&feature=BF

Sex refers to anatomical, chromosomal and hormonal features that typically make one male or female. Gender consists of the feelings, attitudes and behaviours typically associated with being male or female. Gender identity is one’s sense of belonging to a particular sex biologically, psychologically and socially. Adopting a gender role involves behaving according to widely shared expectations about how males or females are supposed to act.

Essentialism stresses the biological roots of gender and sexuality, ignoring their historical and cultural variability Gender differences change over time. Gender inequality varies across societies. Mate selection criteria vary across societies.

Gender Empowerment Measure*, Top 10 and Bottom 10 Countries, 2007 Canada = 10th of 93 countries for which data are available. GEM = women’s share of seats in Parliament; women’s share of administrative, managerial, professional and technical jobs; women’s earnings relative to men’s

Indicators of Gender Inequality cjsonline.ca/articles/brymetal05.html Ratio of males to females in primary, secondary, and tertiary education. The higher the ratio, the higher the level of gender inequality. Men as a percent of parliamentarians in the lower house (or the single house in unicameral political systems). The higher the ratio, the higher the level of gender inequality. Participation rate of women in the paid labour force. The lower the rate, the higher the level of gender inequality. Prevalence of female genital mutilation. The higher the prevalence, the higher the level of gender inequality.

Main Determinants of Gender Inequality Worldwide (Ranked): Multiple Regression Analysis 1. GDP per capita (-) Effect of variation in economic development for countries matched in percent Muslim and former communist regime Effect of variation in percent Muslim for countries matched in economic development and former communist regime Variation in gender inequality 2. Percent Muslim* (+) Effect of variation in former communist regime for countries matched in economic development and percent Muslim 3. Former communist regime (-) * Indicator of extent of cultural practice, not religious doctrine.

The “White Rock Girl” 1894 1947 2002

Percent of Adults Who are Obese, Selected Countries, 2003-06 Sex Note: Obese adults have a BMI of 30 or higher (BMI = weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres.)

Body Dissatisfaction, University Graduates, North America, 1972-97 (in percent, n=4,000) Percent dissatisfied Sex / Body Part

Percent of University Students Who Severely Assaulted a Dating Partner in the Past Year, by Country, 2001-05 (n = 6,700) Greece (27.5%) South Korea China Mexico United Kingdom United States (13.8%) Russia Hong Kong New Zealand Canada Lithuania Israel Australia Belgium Germany Percent of students who used knife or gun on partner, punched or hit partner with something that could hurt, choked partner, slammed partner against wall, beat up partner, burned or scalded partner, or kicked partner in year preceding the survey. Brazil Switzerland Singapore Portugal Netherlands Sweden (1.7%)

People are transgendered when their gender identity does not exactly match the sex assigned to them at birth. They blur widely accepted gender roles by, for example, cross-dressing. About 1 in every 5,000 to 10,000 people in North America is transgendered. Transsexuals identify with the opposite sex from that assigned to them at birth, causing them to change their appearance or resort to medical intervention. About 1 in every 30,000 people in North America is a transsexual. Homosexuals are people who prefer sexual partners of the same sex, and bisexuals are people who prefer sexual partners of both sexes.

Homosexuality Indicators, USA 1992, North American University Students 2004, and SOC101 2010 (in percent) Percent M M M F F M M M F F F F USA92 UN04 SOC10 USA92 UN04 SOC10 USA92 UN04 SOC10 USA92 UN04 SOC10 = USA92 = UN04 = SOC10 M = Male F = Female