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Human Sexuality
MIDTERM 2 REVIEW
56
Sociology
Undergraduate 1
02/05/2011

Additional Sociology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Gender
Definition
The entire collection of mental and behavioral traits that, to a greater or lesser degree, differ between males and females
Term
Gender Identity
Definition
The sense of which sex a person belongs to
Term
Transgendered
Definition
Having a gender identity that is discordant with one’s anatomical sex
Term
Gender Role
Definition
The expression of gender identity in social behavior (i.e. what clothes we wear, how we talk, how we walk, and what sex we claim to be)
Term
Men and women differ in some cognitive traits
Definition

a.Men outperform women in visuospatial (spatial relationships of objects)skills

b.Women outperform men on tasks involving memorization of the location of objects

Term
Men and women also differ in personality traits
Definition
a.Men and women differ in the ways in which they show aggression (i.e. men more direct/physical; women more indirect, i.e. malicious gossip)
Term
Men and women differ in sexuality include attitudes towards casual sex, jealousy, and frequency of masturbation
Definition

a.Men express more permissive attitudes towards casual sex than women (as well as non- marital/extramarital sex)

b.Women much more likely to agree with “I would have sex only if I was in love” statements as well as view sex as part of a long-term relationship

c.Women and men tend to seek different attributes in sex partners:

- Age, wealth, appearance, etc.

d.Men show more interest and are more sexually aroused with visual sexual stimuli – like pornography – than women e.Jealousy

- Emotional jealousy (women) vs. physical jealousy (men)

f.Men masturbate more than women, beginning at puberty

g.Men report more frequent intercourse, a younger age of first intercourse, and a larger # of total sexual partners (on avg.) h.Gay men have more casual sex partners and more total partners than straight men (keep in mind, they are seeking sex partners in a more willing population)

Term
When can children identify their own sex and categorize themselves with same sex children
Definition
Between the ages of 2 – 3
Term
When does a child understand that sex is a fixed attribute
Definition

Between 3 – 4 yrs old

a.Toy differences begin to diverge

- Boys prefer vehicles, toy weapons, balls, construction toys and engage in more rough and tumble play than girls

-Girls prefer dolls, toy kitchen/house implements

b.Girls/boys play is governed by different moral rules:

-Girls – appeal to social conventions

-Boys – refer to principles of justice

Term
Sexual Scripts
Definition

Cultural guidelines that prescribe sexual roles

a.Sexual behavior as a form of role playing with learned parts

b.People rely on sexual scripts when interacting with prospective partners

– First dates are usu. organized around gender scripts (i.e. who pays, what it means to invite someone up for a drink, sexual interactions?)

c.Scripts change over time under the influence of culture

d.Scripts also influence psychosexual development of individuals

Term
Transgendered
Definition
Individuals who have the anatomy of one sex but the gender identity of the other
Term
Transsexual
Definition
A sub group of transgendered people who wish to change their body into that of the other sex by medical means (hormone therapy, sexual reassignment surgery)
Term
Gender Dysphoria
Definition
The unhappiness caused by discordance between a person’s anatomical sex and gender identity
Term
Transmen
Definition

Female to male transsexuals (have typical/usual life story)

- As young girls they say they are boys

- Express masculine identity in clothes, hairstyles, friendships, activities, etc.

- At puberty they resent developing signs of womanhood

– Seek to hide them (binding their breasts)

- Adulthood – very masculine and are sexually attracted to women (they are “homosexual” with respect to their sex – but don’t identify as lesbian)

- They identify as heterosexual men

Term
Transwomen
Definition

Male to female transsexuals (have 2 different life stories)

1.First story or “classical” = opposite to transmen

- Seek sex-reassignment in their teen years or young adulthood

2.Second story - : (less known)

- As children, only mildly gender conformist, or not at all

- When they grow up they are usually sexually attracted to women, so they are heterosexual with respect to their birth sex

- However the interest in women is usually filled with fetishistic elements

o Erotically aroused by wearing woman’s clothes (heterosexual transvestism)

o Evolves to the feelings of wanting to not only be in woman’s clothes but also in a woman’s body and having female genitals

- Desire to become a women is fueled by sex drive and the desire to incorporate the object of their attractions into themselves (purely erotic)

- Seek sex-reassignment (usually after they have been heterosexually married and fathered children)

- Can be referred to as autogynephilia

– Form of male to female transsexuality characterized by sexual arousal at the thought of becoming a woman (however this is a HIGHLY debated and controversial term)

Term
Sex Reassignment
Definition

1st – Client is evaluated psychologically and physically

2nd – Called “real-life experience”; client lives in community (for 1-2 years) as a member of the other sex to see if they can function in the desired gender role 3rd – Client given hormones to begin the body change

4th – Sex reassignment surgery

5th – Follow ups

Term
How do transsexuals change sex in other ways other than “transitioning”
Definition

a.Learn about sex-reassignment through peer networks

b.Get black market hormone pills

c.Go straight to a private surgeon when they feel ready

Term
Why do some transgendered people NOT want surgery for a variety of reasons
Definition

a.Not enough money

b.Perfectly satisfied “cross dressing” and “passing” as a person of the other sex

c.Can switch between male and female gender roles – not permanent

Term
How does someone detect pregnancy
Definition
1.Fertilization takes place in the oviduct
2.Implantation: process of embryo burrowing into the endometrium
a.Begins to secrete the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)
b.Pregnancy tests detect the presence of HCG in the mother’s blood or urine (laboratory tests vs. home pregnancy test)
c.Ultrasound (5 to 6 weeks): obtains image of fetus
Term
Subfertile
Definition
If a women does not become pregnant after a year of unprotected sex
Term
Steps to improve chance of pregnancy
Definition

- Less frequent ejaculations

- Man above position

- Woman lying on back half an hour after coitus

Term
Infertility
Definition
Total inability to achieve pregnancy a.Equally likely to be caused by problems from the men or women
Term
Artificial Insemination
Definition
Involves the manual placement of semen in the vagina or uterus
Term
In Vitro Fertilization
Definition
Any of a variety of assisted reproduction techniques (ART) in which fertilization takes place outside the body (i.e. a petri dish
Term
Abnormalities of the Female Reproductive Tract
Definition

a.Most common site of abnormality is oviducts

b.Endometriosis – growth of endometrial tissue at abnormal locations

Term
Problems with Ovulation
Definition

a.Most ovulatory problems can be reversed by lifestyle changes, psychotherapy, or drug treatment

b.Egg donation

Term
Surrogate Mothers
Definition
a.Traditionally, agrees to be artificially inseminated with semen from the man, then carries the fetus to term (carrying child from another woman)
Term
Ectopic Pregnancy
Definition

Implantation and resulting pregnancy at any site other than the uterus

a.Can be caused by congenital malformations of the oviducts or uterus, by damage to the oviducts resulting from PID or appendicitis, or by treatment with certain sex steroids and contraceptives that interfere with the normal movement of the embryo in the uterus

b.Increasing prevalence of PID due to Chlamydia infections

c.Commonly leads to early, spontaneous abortion

Term
Pregnancy (1st Trimester)
Definition

1.Fetus secretes sex hormones to sustain pregnancy, also prepares muscles within the uterus for child birth and the breast for lactation

2.Women may experience symptoms during early pregnancy including breast tenderness and morning sickness

a.Couvad – pregnancy like symptoms in the male

3.Adequate nutrition is vital to a successful pregnancy

a.Being under or over weight is associated with an increased likelihood of premature birth

4.Tobacco, alcohol, drugs and radiation can harm the fetus

Term
Pregnancy (2nd Trimester)
Definition
1.Begins at 13 weeks of gestational age
a.Period of common well being (the easiest stage)
b.The abdomen swells, stretch marks may begin appear, and the breasts may expel small amounts of colostrum
c.Quickening – onset of the fetuses movements

2.Tests can detect fetal abnormalities a.Amniocentesis – sampling of the amniotic fluid by passing a thin needle through the front wall of the abdomen into the amniotic sac
b.Chorionic villus sampling – sampling of tissue from the placenta by a catheter that is passed through the cervix
3.Sex during pregnancy is healthy a.Except for blowing air into the vagina
b.Sexual activity generally drops off during pregnancy
4.Moderate exercise is healthy
Term
Pregnancy (3rd Trimester)
Definition
1.Begins at 26 weeks or gestational age 2.Fetus performs many of the behaviors that it will need to survive outside the womb
3.Women experience varies greatly a.Depression is not uncommon
4.Locations for childbirth
a.At home
b.Hospital (may be less personal, but best location if problems are foreseen prior to delivery)
c.Birthing center – facility specializing in child birth care
Term
Labor (Stage 1)
Definition

Uterine contractions and cervical dilation (i.e. “Bloody show”)

a.Effacement (thinning of cervix in preparation for childbirth and dilation (expansion of the cervical canal)

b.Forms of anesthesia are available

Term
Labor (Stage 2)
Definition
Passage of the fetus through the birth canal
a.Varies in duration
b. Crowning – baby’s head appears at the vaginal opening
c. Episiotomy is a surgically planned incision on the perinium and the posterior vaginal wall during second stage of labor
d. Stage 2 ends with the passage of the entire body through the vaginal canal
Term
Labor (Stage 3)
Definition

Expulsion of placenta

a.Further uterine contractions

b.Afterbirth – expelled placenta

Term
Postpartum
Definition
The weeks following birth
a.Characterized by physical recovery from the stress of pregnancy and childbirth
b.Postpartum depression – depression in a mother during the period following birth
Term
What effects do parenthood have on sexuality
Definition
a.Lower or absent sexual activity due to exhaustion, preoccupations, need recovery for genitalia immediately following childbirth
b.If comfort allows, woman may resume coitus after 3 weeks (although most W wait at least 6)
Term
How does a woman lactate milk
Definition

Lactation is caused by the release of prolactin from the pituitary gland

a.Once prolactin is released, oxytocin is responsible for the “let down” of breast milk into the breast tissue and nipples

Term
What are the contents of breast milk
Definition

a.Colostrum – the milk produced during the first few days after birth; it is low in fat but rich in proteins

b.Breast secretions gradually become richer milk

Term
Rape
Definition
Coitus (and sometimes other penetrative acts) accomplished by force or threat of force (definitions vary)
Term
Sexual Assault
Definition
Any sexual act performed by force or threat of force
Term
Statutory Rape
Definition
Penetrative sex when a partner is legally unable to give consent on account of young age, intellectual disability, or unconsciousness
Term
Why are rapes not reported
Definition

- Only about 1/3 of rapes and attempted rapes are reported to law enforcement

- Reasons include: it was a personal matter, afraid of reprisals, protect perpetrator, biased police

Term
What are the chances that a women will experience completed or attempted rape in the course of college career
Definition
20% to 25%
Term
What is the number one date rape drug
Definition
Alcohol
Term
What services are available for rape victims
Definition

a.Getting medical attention

b.Although all health care providers are required to report to the police, the victim is not obligated to do so

c.Physical and psychological injuries must be assessed

d.Counseling (may help “victims” of rape become “survivors”)

Term
Long term psychological affects of rape
Definition

a.Denial of a person’s autonomy in a very intimate aspect of their life

b.Rape trauma syndrome (can also be marked by severe sexual problems) c.Partners, family and friends can offer practical and emotional support

d.Help by creating a culture that rejects rape

e.Therapy

f.Recovery from rape does not happen over night, but most people are eventually able to recover (“survivors”)

Term
Effects of rape on men
Definition

a.Little or no support form peers

b.May feel guilty themselves

c.May develop problems revolving around their sexual orientation

d.Rape in prisons (concept of power)

Term
Rape Shield Laws
Definition
Protect the rape victims (i.e. by limiting the introduction of evidence about their prior sexual behavior)
Term
Characteristics of Rapists
Definition
a.Lower socioeconomic status, less education, worse relationships with parents, self centered, less capacity for empathy (definitely not conclusive evidence however)
Term
Sexual Harassment
Definition
Unwanted sexual advances or other intimidating sexual behavior, usually in the workplace
Term
Stalking
Definition
Obsessive pursuit of someone in such a way as to put that person in a state of fear
Term
Intimate Partner Stalking
Definition
Current or former spouse or other intimate partner
a.Obsessive relational intrusion: obsessive pursuit of a person by a rejected lover
Term
Delusional Stalking (Erotomania)
Definition
Stalker has fixed belief that the victim is in love with him or could easily be made to fall in love with him
Term
Grudge Stalking
Definition
Nonsexual revenge stalking (pursuing victim to seek revenge for some actual or imagined injury)
Term
Intimate Partner Violence
Definition
Violence between sex partners 1.Unfortunately common (and in some demographics more than others)
2.Particular problem on college campuses
a.Associated with alcohol use
3.Psychological effects: depression, suicide, lowered self esteem, etc.
a.Battered-woman syndrome – version of post traumatic stress disorder, characterized especially be a cessation of attempt to escape
4.Affects children in the relationship
Term
Cycle of Domestic and Partner Violence
Definition
a.Tension building phase (involves threatening and/or minor assaults) b.Violence phase
c.Reconstruction phase (perpetrator is apologetic, victim forgives)
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