COMS360 - Notes 1 PDF

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Professor Silverstein. All class notes from each lecture....

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1) Confusing Attitudes a) We usually don’t have the same exact ideals as our parents or grandparents as it pertains to gender. b) While many of us think that men and women are eqal, on some level we may still hold some traditional values/beliefs. i) Many people believe that woman should be the one who takes time away from work to care for the children. 2) Differences between men and women a) Pop culture suggests that men and women are opposites. b) While there are many ways that the sexes differ they are actually more similar than dissimilar. c) This idea of “opposition” also assumes that all woman are alike and all men are alike. d) When we reduce such large scale phenomenon to something simple and stable, the process is called essentializing. e) When we do this we assume that certain groups have particular traits that are essential to their difference. 3) Sex a) Sex: a designation based on biology b) While sex and gender often go hand in hand (a male acts masculine) this is not always the case. c) Biological sex is usually based on external genitalia. d) Sex = biology, Gender = identity 4) Gender a) Gender: socially constructed and expressed. b) Gender Identity: a personal perception of one’s sex i) Unlike sex, gender is neither innate nor stable. c) While we may be born as a particular sex we need to learn to act in masculine and/or feminine ways. d) Masculinity i) Strong ii) Ambitious iii) Successful iv) Rational v) Emotionally controlled e) Femininity i) Physically attractive ii) Emotionally expressive iii) Nurturing iv) Interesting in aesthetics v) Concerned with people and relationships f) Gender is not strictly personal, it is formed, maintained, and changed by cultural and social expectations. g) We get so used to seeing gender in a particular light that it is hard for us to imagine it differently.

h) This is apparent though through our own history of gender and how it differs from other cultures. 5) Beyond Sex and Gender a) We often classify people into three categories i) Sex ii) Gender iii) Sexual Orientation b) We often assume that people fit into certain categories across the board but this isn’t always so. 6) Culture a) Culture: structures and practices that reflect and uphold a particular social order b) They share beliefs, values, and expectations using an agreed upon symbol system. c) In our own cultures the way we communicate about gender indicates to individuals how they ought to act. d) The media we engage in changes our perception of gender. e) Customs we engage in change our perceptions of gender. f) The social structures that exist in our culture entrench notions of gender. Chapter 2 1. Theories a. Theory: a way to describe, explain, and predict relationships among phenomena b. Theories of gender development and behavior can be classified into 4 categories i. Biological ii. Interpersonal iii. Cultural iv. Critical 2. Biological Theories a. Biological Theory: biological characteristics account for gender differences b. X and Y chromosomes are distinct and different from one another c. Estrogen and testosterone have different effects on the body and mind d. Some studies suggest that different biological sexes prioritize different parts of their brain. 3. Interpersonal Theories a. Psychodynamic i. The first relationship we have influences how we define our identity, including gender ii. Mothers Treat daughters and sons differently iii. More physical and psychological closeness between mother and daughter iv. Sons may recognize on some primitive level they are different from their mothers b. Psychological i. Social Leaning Theory 1. Individuals learn to be masculine or feminine by imitating others and getting responses

2. How we encourage behavior in people helps move them to act in a particular way 3. Media also teaches people what they ought to do ii. Cognitive Development Theory 1. Children play active roles in development of their gender identities 2. Children notice the labels that we use when talking to them 3. Gender Constancy: a person’s understanding to their biological sex will not change 4. Similar to gender schema where children identify certain characteristics of genders based on their surroundings and act accordingly 4. Cultural Theories a. Assume that biological and interpersonal factors are influenced by culture b. Two primary ways these scholars understand gender is from an anthropological viewpoint and symbolic interactionism c. Anthropology i. We understand our views on gender by seeing how gender is expressed in other parts of the world ii. Many societies have different views on gender than are prevalent in the United States iii. By seeing how others perform gender we solidify or change our own understanding of it. 5. Symbolic Interactionism a. Through communication we learn with others who we re b. The symbol we use when addressing one another instill certain ideas about gender into our minds. c. Role: set of expected behaviors and values associated with them d. Everyone has a gender role that they are expected to abide by 6. Critical Theories a. Standpoint theory: societies are made up of different groups of people with different amounts of power and privilege b. Different groups will experience events differently c. Our place in society determines how we perceive ourselves and what we know of the world around us d. Marginalized groups have a unique insight into how society works e. Queer Performative Theory: allows us to understand presentations of self as political acts of resistance to fight the binaries created surrounding sex and gender f. Queer Theory: a critique of conventional categories of identity and cultural views of “normal” and “abnormal” g. Identities are not fixed h. Heteronormativity: assumption that heterosexuality is normal i. Queer theorists believe that terms like men and women are not useful, and that identities are not fixed. j. Performative theory: humans generate identities through performance and expression k. Gender is not something we have but rather something we do at certain times

l. We perform by either confronting to perceived normative gender roles or resisting them m. Performances are never alone; they are a part of a system of performance n. Combined Queer Performative theories hope to disrupt social categories and queer what is considered “normal.” Chapter 7 1) Identity Development a) Self-as-object i) We can reflect on ourselves ii) We view ourselves from the perspective of the other iii) These others become us b) Monitoring i) We use these other perspectives as a way to monitor our behavior ii) We engage in inner monologues iii) These monologues change or rationalize our behaviors 2) Gender Identity a) One’s private sense of, and subjective experience of, his or her gender b) Freud believed that identification was based on the “anatomy of destiny” c) We now understand that while Freud may have been mostly wrong, the person that takes care of us is predominately the one we identify with d) Around the age of three children begin to understand that their sex is fixed (cognitive development theory) e) For men whose fathers are not highly involved this can create problems identifying what masculinity is f) This could be why masculinity by young boys is often identified as negatively by being compared to femininity g) Girls are given rewards often for helping their mother h) Boys are often given rewards for being independent i) This upbringing causes women to seek close relationships while men may stray away from them j) This is why men predominately bond over activity specific venues with changing members k) Boys are often pushed into gender roles harder than girls l) It is usually socially acceptable for girls to engage in “boy” activities but it is not always true the other way around 3) Being Masculine a) Don’t be female i) Don’t think, act, or feel like girls ii) Insults to boys usually involve using a feminine name b) Be successful i) Your worth is tied to your level of success ii) What you get in life is tied to your level of success c) Be aggressive i) Fight and defeat others

ii) Don’t show pain or weakness d) Be sexual i) You should want to have sex 24/7 e) Be self-reliant i) You don’t need other people ii) Reliance is weakness 4) Being feminine a) Appearance Matters i) You have to look sexy, hot, seductive, etc. ii) You do that by using product b) Be sensitive and caring i) Everything is based on others ii) Appearance, job, softening of interactions c) Do everything (be superwoman) i) Have a career ii) Take care of the children iii) Do the housework iv) Be a great friend d) Femininity isn’t static i) Woman will likely be criticized regardless of the choices they make e) This is also true of people who don’t fit traditional gender roles 5) Ego Boundaries a) The point at which an individual stops and the rest of the world begins b) This is when they distinguish themselves ad being completely separate or different from the world around them and everyone in it c) Femininity emphasize interrelatedness which may explain why its ego boundary is so much more malleable than masculinities d) It may also explain why women may feel what others around them feel or help others at the expense of the self e) On the other hand, masculinity is often premised by seeing yourself as separate or different from your female caregiver f) You see yourself as not like her g) As such masculine individuals have a firmer ego boundary because they have a clear sense of where they stop and others begin Chapter 3 1. Ideologies in Women’s Movements a. Liberal feminism: women and men are alike and equal respects i. Therefore, they should be treated equally b. Cultural feminism: women and men are fundamentally different i. Therefore, they should be treated differently 2. The First Wave (liberal) a. Started in 1840 with the Declaration of sentiments b. Was almost exclusively comprised of white women due to the conflicts of the time regarding race

3. The First Wave (cultural) a. There were many who believed that women were meant to be domesticated b. Women who agreed with this were labeled as being a part of the cult of domesticity c. However, they still believed that they wanted to right injustices and knew their voice would be necessary to do so 4. The First Wave (antisuffrage) a. Intense backlash occurred in the form of antifeminist efforts b. Antifeminism: opposes changes in women’s roles, status, rights or opportunities c. Antisuffrage movement: aimed to prevent women from being able to vote d. After the 19th Amendment women’s movements became dormant for awhile 5. The Second Wave (liberal) a. In 1963, the second wave began with the idea of radical feminism i. Also known as the women’s liberation movement b. In response to major political events of the time (Vietnam) c. Women did the same work and took on the same risks as their counterparts d. Radical feminists challenged the sexism of their male peers but were not acknowledged e. Their form of resistance was shown through rap groups and consciousness – raising groups f. They relied on revolutionary analysis and politics along with highly publicized events g. Identified the structural basis for women’s oppression h. “The personal is political” i. Allowed for women to identity and avoid sexist attitudes in regards to their bodies. j. The feminine Mystique (1963): the problem that has no name i. White middle class women had no opportunities beyond family and home k. Political actions and assumptions do not allow for these opportunities l. Second wave was more diverse (radically) than the first wave m. Womanism: created by groups of black women to show the ways that race and sex intersect in their lives n. Womanists also look at how other categories such as class intersect with other socially oppressed categories o. Multiracial feminism: emphasizes multiple systems of domination p. Agency was another central issue to the liberal second wave q. Ecofeminism: there is a connection between the domination of women and the struggle to dominate nature i. Man’s desire to dominate the planet, women live on the planet as a byproduct to be dominated r. Everyone and everything is a place of struggle of we allow for domination s. Power Feminism (1990’s): women allow for their own oppression, society doesn’t do it 6. The Second Wave (cultural) a. Separatism: provide communities for women to live independently of men b. Women and men have different values

c. d. e. f. g.

In a patriarchical society these values hold no weight Limited ability to alter dominant social values It does, however, resist the dominant idea of how to live Revalorism: highlights women’s contributions to society To make the things that women value and are supposed to do more appealing and acceptable h. This would then allow for sexes to still be different but equally important 7. The Second Wave (antifeminism) a. Resistance came primarily from women who were dependent on their husbands or those who embraced conservative values b. STOP ERA 8. The Third Wave a. Emerged in the mid 90’s b. The most diverse of all the waves c. Has no defined center (lots of different issues) 9. The Third Wave (intersectionality) a. Women differ in many different ways (Race, class, sexual orientation, body shape, etc.) b. The struggle to understand how to speak up for women without losing their diversity as a group c. Focuses primarily on the intersectionality of oppression in regards to different categories 10. The Third Wave (coalitions & alliances) a. Third wave feminists are determined to build alliances with other groups that fight oppression b. Very distinct from earlier waves of feminism that typically didn’t involve themselves with other groups c. This is because third wave feminists see all types of oppression as intersected with one another 11. The Third Wave (everyday resistance) a. The victories of the second wave are not shown in everyday life i. Sexism is more subtle but is still there b. Actively fight racism and other types of stereotypes even if they are to the groups benefit c. Resistance must be rooted in personal, bodily resistance to oppression 12. The Third Wave (media savvy) a. Creation of their own media b. Information can be found out almost immediately c. Responses can be nearly instantaneous 13. The Third Wave (Consumerist) a. Girl Culture: placing an emphasis on being pretty, feminine, sex, and being involved in fashion i. Some people find this contradictory but those that are involved in this culture do not believe it is

ii. Critics suggest that not every woman can fit within societies acceptable definition of womanhood and this culture privileges those that have the time to embrace consumerism iii. Critics say that the unrealistic images that we post are just as dangerous as the fact that we are consuming women in a way that entrenches ideas that feminists have previously thought were harmful *Know what girl culture is and the conflicts with traditional feminist ideologies for final*

14. The Third Wave (Individualism) a. Focuses on individuals and individualism (Goals, strategies, and identities) b. The diversity of women makes it impossible to have a collective agenda c. Every woman has a choice to make their own decisions and can do whatever they want d. This act focuses primarily on raising awareness for the most part e. This doesn’t allow for political changes that affect structures that ostracize and oppress women 15. The Third Wave (antifeminism) a. In order to have a happy marriage stop asking for equality b. Husbands should lead the family and women are meant to accommodate their husbands c. Some believe that women have gained power at the expense of men and this contradictory to some religious teachings Video Games and Gender Dietz 1. Theory a) Socialization creates our identities and norms in regards to gender b) The rise of media like video games potentially can greatly influence this identification process c) We use these identities to understand ourselves and our place in the world and from that position we understand everything else. 2. Background a) Images of males and females in mass media are stereotypical b) Children also experience a lot of violence c) In 1968 the average child had already seen 13,000 murders before reaching the age of 16 d) Reports at the time indicated several negative effects for children that observed violence regularly 3. Violence and Games a) Previous studies have found slight positive correlations between violence and video game consumption b) There have also been several studies that found a correlation between aggression and video game consumption c) Largely violence in children was focused towards television and in 1998 very little had been done to study the effects video games had on children

4. Findings a) Studied 33 popular Sega Genesis and Nintendo video game covers to see the characters depicted on them b) Only 15% of them portrayed women as heroes or action stars c) Of these heroes they were always dressed in feminine clothes and colors i) Pink Power Rangers ii) Princess Peach wears a dress and tiara d) 30% of the video games had no female characters at all e) Of the women that were shown 21% of them were shown as a damsel in distress f) Women are also typically shown as visions of beauty with large breasts and thin hips g) Women also take on the spectator role a lot Jansz and Martis 1) Background a) Beginning in 1999 a large concern over video games creating violence started b) As such almost all of the research done on video games from 1999 to 2007 was focused solely on looking for a correlation c) This means that very little research has actually been done on the content of these video games d) In 2004 it was noticed that there were more and more female characters in games that took on dominant roles e) This is largely attributed to Lara Croft who made her debut in 1996 f) This trend was dubbed the “Lara Phenomenon” 2) Theory a) Games are increasingly becoming more and more interactive which has 2 consequences i) Players who get drawn into the game may feel like it is less of a mediated experience since they feel like they have a presence in the game world ii) Games also let you take on the identities of the characters which may make the experience much more real for the player than if they were watching a movie (passive v. active) 3) Study a) 12 games were chosen that were considered popular b) They had to be story driven i) This means it excludes things like sports games c) They had to be popular since indie games may take a radically different approach to gender and sexuality than main stream games 4) Findings a) Of the main and supporting characters in the game 60% of them were men b) Among the lead characters it was split evenly between men and women c) Of the supporting characters men compromised 70% of that group d) All the main characters portrayed dominant traits e) All the women supporting characters portrayed themselves as dominant to the lead character or at least their equal f) Some of the male supporting characters were portrayed as being in a submissive role g) Women were typically still portrayed in a highly sexualized way though

Chapter 5 1) Gendered Language a) I now pronounce you man and wife b) I want to be a policeman when I grow up c) You need to grow some balls 2) Male Generic Language a) Typically excludes women by placing male based terms in the language that is used i) Congressman, spokesman, mailman, mankind, etc. b) The language we use changes how people view the world i) It is not only about being politically correct c) We typically think of women in terms of who they are associated with d) Men on the other hand are typically thought of by the actions they have done e) The way we talk about the sexes changes how we view them dramatically i) Getting laid (passive v active) 3) The Power of Language a) Polarized thinking: conceiving of things as absolute opposites i) Right or wrong ii) Masculine or feminine iii) Male or female 4) Feminine Communication a) See communication as a primary way to establish and maintain relationships with others b) Converse to share with others and learn about others c) Establishes equality between people d) Sympathetic feelings or language are typically exchanged e...