ANTH 001 Chapter 7: study guide
14 May 2018
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Chapter 7: Gender
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOG Y
7.1 Are Men and Women Born or made?
(Pg. 178) Gender studies is a new subfield of anthropology, developed in the early twenty-first century.
FALSE! Gender studies has been a subfield within anthropology for forty years.
Anthropologists, especially feminist anthropologists, have been at the forefront of developing tools and analysis
for understanding the role of gender in crucial contemporary debates, social movements, and political struggles.
For the last forty years, anthropologists have developed gender studies as an important subfield that looks at the
ways gender is constructed as a central element in human culture.
(Pg. 179) Sex refers to the observable physical differences between male and female, while gender refers to
the cultural expectations of behavior based on these differences.
Sex → These biological differences include differences in genitalia, gonads, and chromosome patterns.
Gender → Gender roles are constructed according to what societies believe is appropriate for a person’s
perceived gender.
Anthropologists differentiate between sex and gender in order to draw attention to and explore the relationship
between a person’s biological sex and how he or she experiences gender in society.
(Pg. 179-180, 184) Match each term to the correct definition
Sex: observable physical differences between male and female
Sex differences are important, especially those differences related to reproduction. Unfortunately, these
differences often lead to stereotypes about what is “natural” male or female behavior.
Gender: expectations of thought and behavior assigned by culture to people of different sexes
Anthropologists study how cultures shape people’s expectations of how biological sex links to identifying with
a gender and living one’s gender in society.
Gender performance: the way gender identity is expressed through action
Rather than being fixed and stable in the psyche, gender identity is expressed and shaped through action.
(Pg. 180) Historically, biological science has tended to create distinct mental maps of reality for male and
female anatomy. Human males and females are said to demonstrate sexual dimorphism, which refers to
phenotypic differences between males and females of the same species. Identify whether the following
characteristics generally apply to men or women.
Usually applies to females
Usually applies to males
Live longer
In general, women live longer on average than men,
though this is not always the case, and may vary
culturally.
Longer physical endurance
Women on average have more long-term physical
endurance, while men tend to be taller and stronger.
At the same time, many biological characteristics
associated with human sexual dimorphism fall along
a continuum, or range, in which men and women
overlap significantly.
Larger body size
Men are generally 15 percent larger than women. In
the United States, the average weight for men is 190
pounds, while the average weight for women is 163
pounds.
A deeper voice
A deep voice is associated with masculinity.
(Pg. 184) Gender performance refers to the way gender identity is expressed through action. Identify the
following statements about gender performance as true or false.
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Chapter 7: Gender
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOG Y
True
False
Both men and women may display stereotypically
masculine and feminine characteristics.
For example, a man can drive a truck (traditionally a
masculine job) and then take care of his infant
daughter when he comes home (traditionally a
feminine job).
Cultural anthropologists are increasingly focused
on gender as an identity that is expressed through
action.
Cultural anthropologists also view gender as existing
along a spectrum, rather than two dichotomous and
separate categories of male and female.
Gender roles reflect fixed identities that are either
male or female.
Gender performance is not restricted to only male or
female identity and action. Gender may be performed
in myriad ways that do not fit exactly in the either/or
categories of masculine and feminine. Gender roles
can, and do, change across cultures and within a
culture over time.
People’s choices about how they will express their
gender identity are always conscious.
Cultural ideas about gender influence people’s
actions. Traditional ideas about masculinity are often
centered on the physical aggression and
competitiveness seen as “natural” in men. Women
are traditionally seen as domestic, caring for children
and other family members in the privacy of the home.
(Pg. 184) In her ethnography Dude, You’re a Fag (2007), C. J. Pascoe explores the construction of
masculinity in a racially diverse high school in California. Identify whether or not she observed the
following about gender construction in this school.
Observed by Pascoe
Not Observed by Pascoe
White male students primarily engaged in “fag
discourse.”
These students harassed, teased, and generally bullied
anyone they deemed to be a “fag.”
Masculinity could be associated with women.
Pascoe described women who adopted roles and
behaviors that usually are seen as masculine, such as
playing on a sports team or holding leadership
positions.
Only gay men were called “fags.”
In her research, Pascoe found that using this name
was not always addressed at homosexual men. It
could be used for anyone who wasn’t considered
masculine enough. For example, boys who were seen
as too emotional or who cared about their appearance
too much could be called “fags.”
Lesbians were not allowed to participate in
masculine gender performance.
The president of the school council during the study
was a lesbian. She was popular and was even voted
homecoming queen. Pascoe noted that her popularity
seemed to be tied to her masculine gender
performance.
(Pg. 186) Identify whether or not anthropologist Matthew Gutmann found the following to be true
about machismo among the working-class Mexican men of a small community in Mexico City.
True of Mexican Men and Machismo
Not True of Mexican Men and Machismo
Mexican men do not fit common understandings
of machismo that have spread around the world.
Typical stereotypes depict Mexican “macho” men as
self-centered, violent drug users. Gutmann’s research
on working-class communities revealed a complex
landscape of men in Mexico that do not fit
stereotypical descriptions.
Mexican culture has one stable, fixed idea about
how men should behave.
Gutmann noted that ideas about machismo are
constantly changing and shifting. Men themselves
argue about the proper role of a father, for example.
In general, all Mexican men have the same ideas
about machismo.
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Chapter 7: Gender
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOG Y
Mexican men negotiate their roles with women.
Gutmann noted that men and women negotiated
household chores, child rearing, financial matters,
sex, work, and alcohol use together.
Gutmann learned that ideas about masculinity greatly
varied for each individual, depending on their
circumstances.
7.2 Are there more than two sexes?
(Pg. 187) French social scientist Michel Foucault coined the term biopower when referring to actions
surrounding intersex individuals. Identify the meaning of this term.
The power of the state to regulate the body
Western societies routinely perform medical interventions with individuals who do not fit biological sex norms.
Ninety percent of surgeries turn ambiguous male anatomy into female anatomy, when the individual is not old
enough to consent to the procedure. As recently as 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics called ambiguous
genitalia a “social emergency,” though it has since updated its position.
(Pg. 196) Why did biologist Anne Fausto-Sterling propose a theory of five sexes?
Because intersex shows a complex middle ground between male and female
Fausto-Sterling described a middle ground between male and female, challenging rigid binary categories of
male and female that claim to describe all, or nearly all, human bodies.
Approximately 1.7 percent of live births do not perfectly fit the categories of male or female. Fausto-Sterling
recommended making space in our categories for these bodies and these people, rather than focusing only on
what they are not.
(Pg. 187-188) Match each term to the correct definition
intersex: the appropriate term that describes the state of being born with a combination of male and female
genitalia, gonads, and/or chromosomes
About 1.7 percent of live births are estimated to be intersex individuals. Intersex individuals may have one testis
and one ovary, female genitalia and male testes, or vice versa.
hermaphrodite: an outdated and stigmatizing term for people born with both female and male sexual
characteristics.
Advocates for people with this biological construction are working to eliminate the word “hermaphrodite” from
use.
transgender: a gender identity or expression that does not fit with the cultural expectations of one’s assigned
sex at birth
Transgender individuals often face extreme discrimination and homophobia. Public figure and Olympian Bruce
Jenner’s public transition to Caitlyn Jenner highlighted the difficulties experienced by transgender individuals.
(Pg. 187, 189-190) Cultures around the world have different attitudes toward those who do not fit into
cultural gender norms. Identify whether the following statements apply to Western attitudes about
gender or Native American attitudes about gender.
Western Attitude about Gender
Native American Attitude about Gender
People who do not fit into cultural gender norms
do not exist.
Western societies have traditionally ignored the
existence of people who do not completely fall into a
dualistic mental map of reality concerning gender.
Attitudes are slowly changing, thanks to advocacy
groups such as Intersex Society of North America,
People who do not fit into cultural gender norms
have supernatural powers.
Many Native North American cultures have
traditions of gender diversity. Two-Spirits are
considered to have male and female spirits. However,
Two-Spirits still face discrimination both within and
outside their cultures. Steven Barrios is the leader of
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Document Summary
7. 1 are men and women born or made? (pg. 178) gender studies is a new subfield of anthropology, developed in the early twenty-first century. Gender studies has been a subfield within anthropology for forty years. Anthropologists, especially feminist anthropologists, have been at the forefront of developing tools and analysis for understanding the role of gender in crucial contemporary debates, social movements, and political struggles. For the last forty years, anthropologists have developed gender studies as an important subfield that looks at the ways gender is constructed as a central element in human culture. (pg. 179) sex refers to the observable physical differences between male and female, while gender refers to the cultural expectations of behavior based on these differences. Sex these biological differences include differences in genitalia, gonads, and chromosome patterns. Gender gender roles are constructed according to what societies believe is appropriate for a person"s perceived gender.
