Lesson 1

Socialization The process by which social norms, roles and expectations are learned and
internalized
Gender Socialization Process by which norms and expectations in relation to gender are learned
by women and men
Channels of  Family
Socialization  School
 Mass Media
 Peers
Gender Role Also known as sex role, is a social role encompassing a range of behaviors
and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or
desirable for people based on their actual or perceived sex
Gender Roles are  Ethnicity
affected by  Social Class
 Religion
 Geographical Region
Gender Preference May refer to: Sex selection, the attempt to control the sex of the offspring.
Gender Identity personal experience of gender
Gender Identity Refers to a person’s perception of having a particular gender, which may or
may not correspond with their birth sex
Gender Catergories

Lesbian A woman who is sexually attracted to other women : a female homosexual

Gay A man who is sexually attracted to other men: a male homosexual
Bisexual Sexually attracted not exclusively to people of one particular gender:
attracted to both men and women
Transgender Denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and
gender does not correspond with their birth sex
Queer A person who is unsure if their sexuality at that given time
Intersex General term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with
a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit the typical definitions of
female or male
Asexual Is an individual who is not sexually attracted to either men or women
Pansexual Is someone who is attracted – either emotionally, physically or both – to all
genders
Lesson 2
Sociological Theories Help to explain complex human behaviors, social phenomena, and social
structures
Three Theoretical
Perspectives
Structural Argue that gender roles were established before the pre-industrial era when
Functionalist Theory men typically took care of responsibilities outside of the home, such as
hunting, and women typically took care of the domestic responsibilities in or
around the home
- These roles were considered functional because women were often
limited by the physical restraints of pregnancy and nursing and
 unable to leave home for long periods of time. Once established,
these roles were passed on to subsequent generations since they
served as an effective means of keeping the family system
functioning properly.
Conflict Theory Society is a struggle for dominance among social groups that compete for
scarce resources. When sociologists examine gender from this perspective,
we can view men as the dominant group and women as the subordinate
group
- Patriarchal Social organization marked by the supremacy of the father in the clan or
family, the legal dependence of wives and children, and the reckoning of
descent and inheritance in the male line
Symbolic Aims to understand human behavior by analyzing the critical role of symbols
Interactionism in human interaction. This is certainly relevant to the discussion of
masculinity and femininity
Social Construction of Refers to the way in which socially created definitions about the cultural
Sexuality appropriateness of sex-linked behavior shape the way people see and
experience sexuality
Biological the belief that men and women behave differently due to differences in
Determinism their biology
Lesson 3
The Female - Releasing eggs, which can potentially be fertilized by sperm
Reproductive System - Producing female sex hormones, such as progesterone and
estrogen
- Providing an environment for a fertilized egg to develop during
pregnancy
- Facilitating labor and childbirth
- Vagina Receiving an erect penis during sex, serving as the birth canal during
childbirth, allowing menstrual blood to pass out of your body during your
period
- Uterus Is a muscular, pear-shaped organ that’s found in the pelvis, receives the
fertilized egg and supports its development during pregnancy
- Fallopian The fallopian tubes connect the uterus to the ovaries. One fallopian tube is
tubes associated with each ovary, work to transport an egg from the ovaries to the
uterus
- Ovaries Main function of the ovaries is to release eggs. When you’re born, ovaries
contain all the eggs you’ll release throughout your lifetime. Once a month, a
mature egg is released from the ovaries in a process called ovulation.
Male Reproductive - To produce, maintain, and transport sperm and protective fluid
System (semen)
- To discharge sperm within the female reproductive tract during sex
- To produce and secrete male sex hormones responsible for
maintaining the male reproductive system
- Penis This is the male organ used in sexual intercourse
- Scrotum This is the loose pouch-like sac of skin that hangs behind and below the
penis. It contains the testicles, as well as many nerves and blood vessels
- Testicles These are oval organs about the size of large olives that lie in the scrotum,
 secured at either end by a structure called the spermatic cord. Most men
have two testes.
- Epididymis A long, coiled tube that rests on the backside of each testicle. It transports
and stores sperm cells that are produced in the testes
- Vas deferens Is a long muscular that travels from the epididymis into the pelvic cavity, to
just behind the bladder
- Ejaculatory These are formed by the fusion of the vas deferens and the seminal vesicles
ducts
- Urethra Is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside of the body
Estrogens - Female sex hormones, a group of hormones that play an important
role in the normal sexual and reproductive development in women
- Helps develop and maintain both the reproductive system and
female characteristics, such as breasts and pubic hair.
Testosterone - Male sex hormone that is made in the testicles. Testosterone
hormone levels are important to normal male sexual development
and functions
- Helps boys develop features like facial hair, deeper voice, and
muscle strength
Effects of Aging - In women, menopause signifies the end of reproductive life. It
usually occurs between the age of 45 and 55. Reduced estrogen is
linked to osteoporosis
- In men, declining reproductive function is referred to as andropause
or the male climacteric. Testosterone levels decline between ages
for 50 and 60.
Lesson 4
Ovulation - Process when a mature ovum is released from the ovary and
travels to the fallopian tube for possible fertilization
Fertilization - Union of the sperm and the ovum
Pregnancy - The process when an offspring develops within the mother’s
womb
Conception - Is the process that begins with fertilization of an egg by the
sperm
Birth Control Methods - Refers to the restricting the number of children by various
methods designed to control fertility and prevent conception
- Abstinence The method that prevents pregnancy 100%
- Surgical - A procedure that renders an individual incapable of further
Sterilization reproduction
- is vasectomy
Vasectomy - The principal method for sterilization of males
Tubal Ligation - Sterilization in females most often is achieved by performing a
tubal ligation, in which both uterine tubes are tied closed and
then cut
- Hormonal - Oral contraceptives contain hormones designed to prevent
Methods pregnancy
Combined - Primary action is to inhibit ovulation by suppressing the
 Oral gonadotropins FSH and LH
Contraceptives - The low levels of FSH and LH usually prevent the development
of a dominant follicle of the ovary
- If ovulation occurs, COCs may also block implantation in the
uterus and inhibit the transport of ova and sperm in the
uterine line
Progestin Only - Thicken the cervical mucus
Pills - May block implantation in the uterus (do not consistently
inhibit ovulation)
- Progestin thickens cervical mucus and make it more difficult
for sperm to enter the uterus
Variations of - Combined pill – contains both progestin and estrogens,
Oral Hormonal typically taken once a day for three weeks to prevent
Methods of pregnancy and regulate the menstrual cycle
Contraception - Seasonale – also contains both progestin and estrogens, taken
once a day in 3-month cycles of 12 weeks of hormone-
containing pills followed by one week of inactive pills
- Minipill – Contains progestin only and is taken every day of the
month
- Contraceptive - Contains both progestin and estrogens
Skin Patch - Delivered in a skin patch placed on the skin (upper outer arm,
back, lower abdomen, or buttocks) once a week for three
weeks
- Vaginal - Flexible doughnut-shaped ring about 5cm in diameter
Contraceptive - Contains estrogens and progesterone and is inserted by the
Ring female herself into the vagina
- It is the left in the vagina for three weeks to prevent
conception and then removed for one week to permit
menstruation
- Emergency - The relatively high levels of progestin and estrogens in EC pills
Contraception provide inhibition of FSH and LH secretion
- Declining levels of estrogens and progesterone induce
shedding of the uterine lining, thereby blocking the
implantation
- Hormone - Injectable progestin given intramuscularly by a health-care
injections practitioner once every three months
- Intrauterine - A small object made of plastic, copper, or stainless steel that is
Device (IUD) inserted by a health-care professional into the cavity of the
uterus
- Spermicides - Various foams, creams, jellies, suppositories, and douches that
contain sperm-killing agents, or spermicides
- Placed in the vagina before sexual intercourse
- Most widely used spermicide is nonoxynol-9
- Barrier - Barrier methods use a physical barrier and are designed to
Methods prevent sperm from gaining access to the uterine cavity and
uterine tubes
Male Condom - Nonporous, latex covering placed over the penis that prevents
deposition of sperm in the female reproductive tract
Vaginal Pouch - Sometimes called female condom, designed to prevent sperm
from entering the uterus
- Made of two flexible rings connected by a polyurethane
sheath
Diaphragm - A rubber, dome shaped structure
- Fits over the cervix and is used in conjunction with a
spermicide
- Can be inserted by the female up to 6 hours before
intercourse
Cervical cap - Fits snugly over the cervix and must be fitted by a health-care
professional
- Spermicides should be used with the cervical cap
Rhythm - Involves abstaining from sexual activity on the days that
Method ovulation is likely to occur in each reproductive cycle