SEX, GENDER & CULTURE

Males & Females

Facts that separate these two groups are carried out largely among all species

Different reproductive organs

Sex, Gender & Culture

No society we know treats females and males exactly the sameFemales usually have fewer advantages to

males Gender Concepts

U.S. & many western societies○ Only two genders

Assigned at birth based on external biological attributes

○ Not all individuals feel comfortable with their gender assignments

Male-Female Division Very common cross-

culturally Cheyenne Native

Americans of the Great Plains recognize a third gender Referred to by as “two

spirits” Usually biological males

○ Gender status of a “two spirit” was often recognized after a boy finished his vision quest

○ During pre adolescent years

Two-Spirits○ Wear women’s dress○ Take on many activities of a woman○ May even be taken as a second wife by a man○ Unknown if they engaged in sexual activities

Role of a “Two Spirit” person was not equivalent to becoming a womanTwo spirit females are rare

○ Have occurred in a number of Native American populations such as the Kasha of Yukon Territory, the Klamath of Southern Oregon, and the Mohave of the Colorado River

The Oman Arab state in southwest Asia on the

southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest.

Oman Xaniths

Anatomically male Speak of themselves as women Have own distinct dress

Women•Wear bright colors & patterns•Long hair•Secluded in house •Can only leave house with husbands permission

Xaniths•Wears unpatterned pastels•Mid-length hair•Free to come & go from household•May serve as servant•May serve as prostitute

Males•Wear white•Short hair

Xaniths Cont.

Gender role is not necessarily forever May decide to marry

Considered a “man” if marriage is consumated

Physique & Physiology

WOMEN MEN

Wider pelvis Larger proportion of

weight in fat

Typically taller Heavier skeleton Larger proportion of

weight in muscle Greater grip strength Larger heart & lungs Greater aerobic capacity

Men v. Women

North American culture tends to view “taller” and “more muscular” as better…

This may reflect a bias toward males

Natural Selection’s Role in Physique & Physiology Natural selection: The process whereby organisms

better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Women grow taller soonerBear children

○ Less ultimate height so that the nutritional needs of a fetus would not compete

○ With a growing mother’s needs.

Gender Roles: Productive & Domestic Activities all societies assign or divide labor

somewhat differently between males and females

Strength Theory

Focuses on the generally greater strength of males and their superior capacity to mobilize their strength in quick bursts of energy

Compatability-with-Child-Care Emphasis on women’s tasks needed to

be compatible with child careWHY

Males can take care of infants Most traditional societies rely on breast

feeding

Chaz Bono

Portia de Rossi

Ricky Martin

Tyler Clementi

Ted Haggard

Gender Roles Cont.

In most societies women breast feed infants for two years on average

Women’s tasks may be those that do not take them far from home for longTasks that do not place children

in potential dangerTasks that can be stopped and

resumed if an infant needs care

Compatibility-With-Child-Care Cont. There are practically no universal female

only roles/activities because of the need for nursing and child care

Also explain why men performHuntingFishingCollecting honeyLumberingMining

○ Tasks are dangerous for infants○ Difficult to coordinate with child care

Why do men almost always…. Perform soil preparation for planting Make objects out of wood/bone

These are all tasks that could be stopped to tend a child

SO WHY???

Economy-of-Effort Theory Helps explain what cannot readily be

explained by the strength and compatibility theories

May be advantageous for men to make wooden musical instruments because men generally lumberMore knowledgeKnow physical properties of wood

EoE Theory Cont

It would be advantageous for one gender to perform tasks that are physically located near each other

Women have to be near home to take care of nursing and young children

Economical for them to perform chores near home

Expendability Theory

Suggests that men, rather than women, will tend to the dangerous work in a societyLoss of men is less disadvantageous

reproductively than loss of women

Critics of Strength Theory Point out that women in some societies

do engage in very heavy labor If women in these areas can develop the

strength to do such work, perhaps strength is more a function of training

Critics of Compatibility Theory

Suggests labor is divided to conform to the requirements of child care

However, women who spend a good deal of time in agricultural work have others watch their childrenWet nurses