Gender-Sexuality-Pop Culture PDF

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August 27th (Prezis are put up online & vocab bolded in readings) What Do We Know About Gender? -things that are associated with feminist and manly Ex: football, cosmo Sex: physical differences in primary characteristics and secondary sexual characteristics -sex refers to the body and may not extend to how a person feels or acts (sex between legs gender between the ears)/ (sex=chromosomes, bodies) Male → Intersex → Female -genders aren’t very different after all, hormones in different dosages but same types -men known to have beards, expectation, but women can and do have beards also -1% of the people are intersex -say that male and female are complete opposites but that’s NOT TRUE -sex is more biological → assigned at birth/have a penis or don’t have a penis/ 2 options -socially construction of only two choices because we were raised that way Gender: refers to the symbolism of masculinity and femininity that we connect to being malebodies or female-bodied --social construction changes over time, heels, girls wear dresses boys wear pants -gender is what you choose to identify yourself as -SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED -gender is a social construction → “made up” by society/culture we live in → meaning by shared knowledge cisgender: sex= gender is the assumption, cisgender has to do with being a man and acting manly, being a women and acting feminine. SEX=MALE/FEMALE(INTERSEX) GENDER=MAN/WOMAN -masculine/feminine -what is stereotype of man identified as gay? assumption that someone that is not straight does not follow the female feminine man manly → female that is lesbian may be manly -notion of gaydar -we think we know what sexuality is based on how they act/dress but it is normalized by society because it is SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED Gender Binary: the idea that there are only two types of people, and those types are as the word opposite suggests fundamentally different and contrasting (Male or Female) -men sit one way women sit other, diff shirts, diff pants etc. -female → feminine vs. man → masculine Why is the gender binary problematic?: the people who don’t identify specifically with male or female are usually ostracized and separated out as a bad thing -but in reality everyone is a little of both -the quota of what the men and women are supposed to do has changed over time, it

keeps evolving How are these gender stereotypes maintained? -stereotypes repetition of expectations -taught family, peers, school, church, etc. -discipline/policing -differences are made to “seem meaningful and inequality inevitable or right” Ex: calling a little girl a “princess” or baby boy a “big man”, even though they don’t know what gender is or what they are Understanding Social Constructions -a process by which we make reality meaningful through shared interpretations -we all do drag in the sense that we use our bodies to display gender -all do drag in that we wake up and choose the clothes we wear for the day, sometimes more feminine, sometimes more masculine Identifying Social Constructions -it is possible to interpret the meaning and significance of our sexed bodies in many different ways -these interpretations can change over time and across cultures -MEANINGS & VALUES How are we as a society able to maintain the notion of gendered and sexed binary? Who is made invisible/expendable in this process? -people have the ability to choose What’s Normalization Got to DO With it? -what does gender normalization mean?/What is gender normative privilege?: conveys the impact of gender ideologies set of ideas widely shared on those who do not conform -if your born into male body, perform masculinity, and identify as a man -if you are born into female body, perform femininity, and identify as a women -gender normative → gender expectation based on the body you inhabit → cisgender September 1st Intersections of Race and Class -Normalize, Naturalize Normal: conforming to the standard average Natural: not made or created by humans -ized: to treat or adopt as [base word] -Variants → naturalized, normalization, also normative Cisgender: gender identity matches the sex you were assigned at birth -according to socially constructed and naturalized assumptions between masculinity and male bodies as femininity and female bodies Revisiting Social Construction -Meanings and values associated with particular concepts that: 1) Change over time 2) Shift across cultures -Process that gives meaning to a shared understanding

EX: time, calendar, men work while women tend to children EX: blue used to be considered to be feminine, pink with blue, changed over time Intersectionality: people can be privileges in some ways but not in others (Ex: man can be white (privileged) but poor/women (oppressed) -both privilege and oppression -combinations of multiple identities -these identities impact and influence one another -everyone has intersecting identities, although some identities are more “visible” than others Factors: gender, race, sexual orientation, ability, citizenship, religion, location -there are different ideas of masculinity and femininity in different races, religions, cultures, etc. (ex: upperclass means having enough money to pay for wife to stay home vs. lower class think masculinity means working outside of the office) -these are all things we are born into not earned (born white, didn’t “earn” it, and they give you opportunities that others may not have -some things can change such as class, but there is always a mentality that has to due with how you grew up US and Race -history’s impact on the present -racial categories gain meaning through cultural: -histories -memories -imagination -”some racial groups are denigrates, some valorized” -race is a social construction -we are TAUGHT the meanings, stereotypes, and values associated with particular groups -theses meanings are impacted by other identities like gender Ex: stereotype that black men are stronger and tougher because of the fact that in the past they were the hard workers → they may have been slaves but that’s not the case, it just has to do with how it has been passed on stereotypically through time The Power of Privilege -unearned assets associated with dominant groups based on established social hierarchies -race, gender, sexuality, class, etc… -these assets are based on assumptions made about the groups referenced, stereotypes and meanings/values -”whites [and other dominant groups] are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work which will allow them to be more likes us” -men considered norm, who everyone else is compared to, “invisible” -whiteness is under discussed, average Myth of Meritocracy -”recognizing privilege simply means being aware that some people have to work much harder just to experience the things you take for granted (if they ever can experience them at all)” -”i was taught to recognize racism only in individual acts of meanness not as invisible

systems conferring racial dominance on my group from birth” -most privileged: good bike, easy up hills, nice outside -less privileges: bad bike, hard up hills, hot outside → but can still get there with certain skills Meritocracy: people say that they have it the same/ same path in life (NO) -”our gender strategies [and other choices] aren’t simply products of individual personality and luck. They are also shaped by the constraints and opportunities afforded by our class and structures” Trouble with Colorblindness -invalidates people's identities -invalidates racist experiences -creates disconnections -equates color with negativity -hinders recognition of disparities -disingenuous -form of racism -ignores the impact of the past on the present → not good to be colorblind because we have to confront the problem, can’t just ignore it, can’t say everything is good as it is September 3rd Power of Privilege: -unearned advantages -myth of meritocracy → the belief that everyone has the same, if you work hard you can control your own destiny Intersexuality: -privilege and oppression -recognition of multiple identities -we all have a gender, age, religion, ability status etc… -born into Trouble with Colorblindness -invalidates identities -contributes to racism (equates color to negativity) -creates disconnections -dont acknowledge any oppressions or racism Racism → systematic Sexuality Sexual Identities and Their Meanings (Identity vs. Desire vs. Behavior) Behavior: people’s intimate sexual actions kissing, touching, sex, etc… Desire: what you crave sexually, what you want, attracted to, kind of behavior attracted to Identity: how you represent/think yourself, how you identify yourself, sexual orientation -don’t all align (ex: define as heterosexual (identity), desire men but don’t do anything about it (desire), but are married and still have sex with wife (behavior))

1) Pandsexual: all genders 2) Asexual: no attraction 3) Heterosexual: man/women 4) Lesbian: woman/woman 5) Homosexual/Gay: man/man//woman/woman 6) Bisexual: men & women Compulsory Heterosexuality -” a rule that all women be attracted to men and all men to women” -heterosexuality is considered the “norm” the default, the neutral, and iseal sexuality Heteronormativity -”it is assumed that everyone is heterosexual unless there are signs indicating otherwise” Intersectional Heteronormativity: 1) Cisgender 2) Married 3) Monogamous 4) Reproductive 5) Middle Class 6) Intra-racial (of the same race) 7) Intra-generational (of the same generation) Gaydar -”what we’re looking for is neither the presence nor absence of sexual desire for people of the same sex, but gender deviance.” All But Heterosexual Homonormative: sexual minorities who perform in ways presumed to be “normal” in realtiona to sexuality, gender, perform in ways that men and women “should act” (demonstrate heterosexuality but are homorsexual) Sexuality Changes Over Time And Across Cultures -Ex: victorian women (iif man tries to kiss you on the mouth, move your head) September 8th Revisiting Intersectionality -phenomenon of multiple identities working together to impact experiences and interpretations of self and others -”not just” the labels associated with our identities -out identities “inflect [change the form of] other identities -invisibility of privileged identities (obama vs. clinton) -invisibility of marginalized identities (populations vs. systems of power -reinforces normalized identities and stigmatizes difference, or treats difference as benign -james bond vs. larry the cable guy → men, masculine, but also different because of factors such as class -intersectionality: identities as systems/structures of power -race, class, and gender still matter because they continue to structure society in ways that value some lives more than others. Currently, some groups struggle, Race, Class, and

gender still matter because they remain the foundations for systems of power and inequality that, despite our nation's’ diversity continue to be among the most significant social facts of people’s lives -racism is systemic → police violence against blacks (8x more likely to be murdered compared to white person) September 10th Culture and Power -”dominant forms of knowledge have been constructed largely from the experiences of the most powerful → that is, those who have the most access to systems of education and communication” -people born into the upper class tend to have the upper hand with connections, money, get to go to college most likely etc… (systematic oppression) -”dominant narratives can try to justify oppression of different groups and perpectuate their power, wealth, and status” -only some things are accessible to people such as extra money to spend on fun things like phones and boats, as well as extra time to do other things like go to the movies, and have the transportation to get there Media Production Practices and Control -synergy → integration of media companies that produce different types of product, “product placement” -take a tv show, sell soundtrack, sell toys, etc… combining -convergence (aka consolidation) → the merging of many smaller companies, in this case that produce the same product, to create a few giant corporations -smaller companies coming together to create giant corporations for power -6 companies control 90% of the media Hegemony -”hegemony requires that ideological assertions become self-evident cultural assumptions. Its effectiveness depends on subordinated people accepting the dominant ideology as ‘normal reality or common sense” -ideas become common sense, social constructions become common sense -ex: keep hearing messages so you keep trying, because ppl keeps saying its good (kale), even if at first we aren’t ok with it, after keep hearing it, it becomes ok -ex: bad became good, “yeah man you’re bad,” then start calling yourself “bad” -sayinghearing something over and over becomes the social norm, starts to be ok, turn them into common sense -hegemony → the power or dominance that one social group holds over others -”hegemony is the power or dominance that one social group holds over another...but hegemony is more than social power itself; it is a method for gaining and maintaining power -people that control the knowledge that what they say is the TRUTH, that everyone is the way they should be so things stay the way they should and the people in power stay in power -when things are socially constructed and become the norm, it seems normal, normalization, no one does anything to change it

-OPINIONS BECOME TRUTH → SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONS BECOME NORM Maintaining the Status Quo -messages supportive of the status quo emanating from: schools, businesses, religious groups, mass media (hear about “kale” from every source, all around you) -”...all dovetail together ideologically, this inter-articulating mutually reinforcing process of ideological influence is the essence of hegemony”

Hegemony and Stereotypes (Stereotypically “American”) -if you work hard enough you can achieve whatever you want -happy endings in movies -violence is justified (protect other people, defeat organization etc…) -family is important but not as important of taking on your dreams, if you don’t agree with ur parents and do what you want to achieve your dream your parents will come around for that happy ending -love prospers September 15th “Men act and women appear” -men look, while women watch themselves being looked at - “to-be-looked-at-ness” -this leads both women and men to objectify (turn into an object) women A Woman’s Worth -For Berger, Western culture associates a women’s value with her desirability/appreciation by others -sexual objectification “reduction of a person to sex appeal” -subject/desires vs. object/desired -”what counts is what the heroine provokes, or rather what she represents. She is the one, or rather the love or fear she inspires in the hero, or else the concern he feels for her, who makes him act the way he does. In herself the women has not the slightest importance” -”focused on the look alone” -the parts stand in for the whole and the focus limited to one particular “often sexualized” body part (ex: nicki minaj butt) Naked vs. Nude nude: lack of clothing, someone’s looking at you, for other people, object, art naked: for yourself, uncovered Naked:state of being without clothes “to be naked is to be oneself” Nude: to be without clothes for the pleasure of another “to be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized by oneself. A naked body has to be seen as an object in order to become a nude” Audience/Spectator -he is the spectator in front of the picture and he is presumed to be a man. Everything is

addressed to him, Everything must appear to be the result of he being there. It is for him that the figures have assumed their nudity, But he, by definition, is a stranger, with his clothes still on. -the picture is made to appeal to his sexuality, it has nothing to do with her sexuality, Women are there to feed an appetite, not to have any of their own -3 looks camera/protagonist spectator -audience identification and the mirror phase Voyerism: ppl in power fear the loss of power so need to find a way to keep them separate from those who don’t have power (ex: devaluing the women) September 17th The male gaze to-be-looked-at-ness objectification active male/passive female naked vs. nude fetishization (emphasize on one part the rest doesn’t matter, nicki minaj and her ass) voyerism How to Analyze a Print Ad/ Steps 1. surface message, what does the ad want you to do? 2. subconscious/underlying message, what does the ad promise if you do it? 3. intended audience, who does the ad speak to? who is represented? 4. think about the messages about gender, race, sexuality, and class represented in ad (target audience)

MIDTERM difference between sex and gender? What is there presumed identity? -assumption that your cisgender/heterosexual/gaydar that you’re a man that your manly→ social construction, assumption that sex goes hand in hand with gender and if you don’t follow the “rules” or not either, you can’t be gay and manly, lesbian and girly -sex will lead to gender performance that will lead to heterosexuality BUT if you don’t match

that, the presumption is that you are not heterosexual What Do We Know About Gender? -things that are associated with feminist and manly Ex: football, cosmo Sex: physical differences in primary characteristics and secondary sexual characteristics -sex refers to the body and may not extend to how a person feels or acts (sex between legs gender between the ears)/ (sex=chromosomes, bodies) Male → Intersex → Female -genders aren’t very different after all, hormones in different dosages but same types -men known to have beards, expectation, but women can and do have beards also -1% of the people are intersex -say that male and female are complete opposites but that’s NOT TRUE -sex is more biological → assigned at birth/have a penis or don’t have a penis/ 2 options -socially construction of only two choices because we were raised that way Gender: refers to the symbolism of masculinity and femininity that we connect to being malebodies or female-bodied --social construction changes over time, heels, girls wear dresses boys wear pants -gender is what you choose to identify yourself as -SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED -gender is a social construction → “made up” by society/culture we live in → meaning by shared knowledge cisgender: sex= gender is the assumption, cisgender has to do with being a man and acting manly, being a women and acting feminine intersexual??????? Social Construction -created by society -changes across cultures -reinforce the power that is already given (class), and creates hierarchies -ex: whiteness presumed to be the norm therefore highest status, other races are often compared to privileged races, justifies white as being the norm and that they are higher ranked -ex: the fact that women need to wear dresses, men wear pants (gender) -ex: race, class (how ppl are in working class act, higher class act, lower class act) all come with certain values (middle class is normalized, upper class idealize it) -how people with certain abilities are VALUED in certain ways -values and meaning assigned -what we expect someone from their region, nationality, how California people talk -sexuality, lesbians act manly, gay male acts feminine -gender → man identified with blue, women identified with pink Compulsory Heterosexuality and Heteronormativity difference??? Heteronormativity

-heterosexuality is normalized in our society -heterosexuality is the way to be. -are all people who are straight heteronormative? intersectionality: no toys, no three-somes, not heteronormative if you do this -MOST acceptable normal heterosexual activity -socially constructed -white, non-disabled, christian, cisgender, married, reproductive, middle class, monogamous, interracial, intra-generational, suburban → to be heteronormative (Simpsons) -expectation until you step out of bounds Compulsory Heterosexuality -heterosexuality is a rule: all men attracted to women, all men attracted to women, compulsion, demand -therapy: you’re not gay you’re just confused, we are going to make you straight -REQUIREMENT Difference?: how stri...