Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

Nature vs. Nurture

• Anthropologists can
shed light on both the
nature and nurture
aspects of human
behavior.

• Sexuality
 SEX
• Men and women differ
genetically.

• Women have two XX

chromosomes and Men have
and X and Y

• Father always determines sex of

offspring because he possesses
the only Y chromosome

• Chromosomal differences are

expressed in hormonal and
physiological contrasts
 Biological Sex
• Sexual Dimorphism:
differences between
males & females besides
sexual organs.

• Sexual dimorphism not as

pronounced in humans as
in most other primates

• Men & women differ:

primary sexual
characteristics (genitals
& reproductive organs),

• Secondary sexual
characteristics :breasts,
voice, hair distribution)
• Average weight , height,
strength, and longevity.
 Gender

• Sex differences
are biological
while gender
differences are
cultural
• What are gender
differences in
photo?
 What is GENDER?

• Cultural construction of male

and female characteristics

• Behavioral and aesthetic

characteristics, traits that
differentiate men and women

• Think about idealized

behaviors and what it takes to
be good at being a
man/woman- macho behavior
and femininity
 Gendered Material Culture
• Beyond people, many “thing
s” (objects, behaviors) are
“gendered”
• American gendered colors

• Toys R Us “
Dolls and stuffed animals”
• Toys R Us “
Building sets and blocks”

• Activities associated with

genders impact people

• Gender is useful concept for

thinking about social roles,
characteristics, cultural Daisy Rock Guitar for Girls
expectations, and values
 Cultural Constructs
• Gender is a cultural
construct. It is not
biologically fixed.

• If gender is cultural
construct, means
that gender
hierarchies &
inequalities are not
“natural”.
• Feminization of
poverty
GENDER IS LEARNED

How?
 Socialization
• 1) Socialization. You are taught
how to behave like a proper man
or woman (parents, peers, society,
media)
• http://youtu.be/eGakd8aZEY0

• Expectations about dress, speech,

and behavior.

• Mimicking. Children are

encouraged to reproduce the
gendered behavior of adults who
belong to their expected gender.
• Xmas 2011
 Socialization
• B) Elicitation: You are
rewarded or punished
depending on your
behavior.

• Negative reactions to
inappropriate gender
behavior

• Sexual activity & gender

 Rituals
• 2) Rituals: behavior that is
formalized, stylized,
repetitive, and stereotyped.

• They are performed as a

social act.

• Men and women each have

specific rituals that reinforce
the principles of their gender.

• EXAMPLES: Quinceaneras,
sweet 16, 1st hunting trip
Sexuality
 SEXUALITY
• Different than biological sex
differences
• Sexuality is based on three
things:
• Sexual desire, Sexual acts,
Sexual Orientation

• Sexual desire: aspect of

human nature (hormones,
bodies as well as feelings,
thoughts).

• EX: Men who have

homosexual feelings but who
do not have sex with men.
 Sexual Desire
• Attempts to rehabilitate
homosexuals does not
work because of an innate
desire.

• Many Gay people would

prefer to be heterosexual
because of social stigmas.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQx3YIImvjk
 Sexual acts
•  Sexual acts: the practices and behaviors —
what people do sexually — within social
relations, relations that may be characterized
by hierarchy, inequality

• EX: Different types of gay men

 Sexual orientation
• Sexual orientation —
personal identity based
on the gender of one’s
generalized object of
desire.
• Heterosexual
• Homosexual
• Bisexual
• Asexual
• Heteronormative bias
 Sexuality
• “sexuality” has to do with all of these, how
desire, practice and identity are bundled
together, in various ways

• Sexuality is thus complex and impossible to

disentangle from biology (despite how much we
try).

• Sexuality is also inextricably tied to our culture. It

is unclear how much of an influence each of
them has.
 Performativity:
• Judith Butler uses the idea of
gender performativity to
emphasizes how the repetitive,
ritualistic behaviour sanctioned
by society does not necessarily
reflect innate sexual attraction

• Butler claims that sexual

orientations such as heterosexual
and homosexual are not fixed but
are just conditions of “doing
straightness” or doing
“queerness”
 Sexual Norms & Culture
• Variation in sexual norms and practices are
tied to culture.

• Attitudes about sex, masturbation, bestiality,

etc. can vary both between cultures as well
as within cultures.
Cultural Frameworks
 Cultural Frameworks
• CULTURE: gives meaning to how we
behave & perceive the world, also how
we actually do things.

• Culture perpetuates social norms, but is

also fluid and we are able to contest it
and modify it.

• Ted Haggard--American evangelical

pastor (New Life Church), former leader
of the National Association of
Evangelicals

• Preached anti-homosexuality until he

was outed in 2006

• Culturally shaped sexual identity

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbvVPzIsJWw
 Etoro of Papua New Guinea
• Believed semen was life force to nourish
fetus, men had a limited supply of it.

• Ejaculation drains man’s virility & vitality.

• Heterosexual sex was hazardous to men (100

days a year), occurred away from the village.

• Etoro believed boys could not produce their

own semen, to grow they had to receive it
orally from older men.

• This behavior was ritualized (formal

ceremonies in a secluded lodge). Sex between
boys was prohibited.

• This is example of “ritualized homosexuality”

and is an extreme case.
 Warren Jeffs & FDLS
• President of Fundamentalist Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

• Fringe Mormon group

• Convicted of practicing polygamy

with underage girls, arranging illegal
marriages between his adult male
followers and underage girls.

• Spirit wives and using sex (group

lesbian) to get closer to God.

• Argues for religious freedom

• http://youtu.be/Cv2q5wiV3kU