Chapter 11: GENDER and HUMAN SEXUALITY

Chapter 11: GENDER AND HUMAN SEXUALITY

Testing your knowledge of idioms and other vocabulary

How familiar are you with American idioms? Match each item in column A with the appropriate meaning given in column B. If you are unsure, look at the sentence context given below. Answers are given on page 68.

COLUMN A / COLUMN B
a. to go in drag / 1. violent and disorderly, with no concern for rules
b. to cuddle / 2.renowned; famous
c. rough and tumble / 3. the norm or standard
d. for the sake of / 4. a code of behavior that is applied unequally to two different groups
e. to be hailed as / 5. serious; critical
f. baseline / 6.to dress in clothing from the opposite sex
g. double standard / 7. for the purpose of
h. deep-seated / 8. to keep the high standards of
i. to live up to / 9. to hold closely to the body

Sentence context

1. Transvestites can also be distinguished from female impersonators (who cross-dress to

entertain) and from gay men who occasionally go in drag (cross-dress). (p. 379)

b. (Girls) are touched, kissed, and cuddled more by parents (than boys). (p. 382)

1. From an early age, boys are more likely to engage in mock fighting and rough-and-

tumble play. (p. 383)

1. The breasts of chickens became known as “white meat,” female patients were examined by male doctors in totally dark rooms, and some people even covered piano legs for the

sake of propriety. (p. 386)

1. Masters and Johnson’s research findings have been hailed as a major contribution to our

knowledge of sexual physiology. (p. 387)

1. Despite the criticism, Kinsey's work is still widely respected, and his data are frequently used as a baseline for modern research. (p. 387)

1. Although overt examples of this double standard are less evident in modern times, covert or hidden traces of this belief still exist. (p. 396)

1. Years ago, the major psychological treatment for sexual dysfunction was long-term psychoanalysis. This treatment was based on the assumption that sexual problems resulted from deep-seated conflicts that originated in childhood. (p. 397)

1. When couples or individuals attempt to judge or evaluate their sexual lives or to live up

to others' expectations, they risk making sex work rather than pleasure. (p. 398)

Reviewing your knowledge of English grammar

Throughout this text, the authors use specific structures to add information and definitions to sentences. One structure they frequently use is nonrestrictive relative clauses. Nonrestrictive relative clauses, which can be viewed as a sentence within a sentence, are easily identified by both the relative pronouns (which, who, whom, whose) and the punctuation (one or more commas) that mark them in the sentence. Nonrestrictive relative clauses are used to add additional or incidental information. Look at the following examples:

Masters and Johnson, who were among the first to study human sexual response, developed a model to describe the basic physiological and biological processes of sexual arousal.

One of the most serious concerns of many doctors was nocturnal emissions or wet dreams, which were believed to cause brain damage or death.

During this time, the gonads are undifferentiated, which means they have the potential to develop into either testes or ovaries.

Sex therapists, who generally use individual and group therapy to resolve sexual dysfunction, are becoming increasingly popular as more people recognize they need help for their problems.

See how well you can construct nonrestrictive relative clauses using the sentences below. Be sure to locate the common noun in the two sentences in order to combine them effectively and pay close attention to the punctuation of your sentences. When you are finished, you may check your answers in the answer key section.

sentence 1 / sentence 2
Generalizations are based on data collected scientifically. / Generalizations are beliefs about the characteristics of all members of a group.
Stereotypes are generally based on limited personal experience or hearsay evidence. / Stereotypes are preconceived notions.
Sadler & Sadler found that boys talked three times as often as girls. / Sadler & Sadler conducted observational studies in elementary schools.
Hyde found a reduction in male/female differences using metaanalysis. / Metaanalysis is a statistical technique for estimating the size of effects by comparing large studies.
Two major contributors to the field of sexual physiology are Masters & Johnson. / Masters & Johnson used direct laboratory experimentation to conduct research.

1.______

______

2.______

______

3.______

______

4.______

______

5.______

______

Finding key information

Oftentimes, the authors will create extended definitions for key terms by contrasting them in the same paragraph. The job of the reader is to sort out these definitions and discover the characteristics that apply to each term. This is not always an easy task. One way to help you sort out this key information is to create a simple chart to fill in. As you read through the paragraph, write the relevant information in the correct section of your chart. Practice finding definitions of key terms by reading the paragraph entitled "Is a transsexual the same as a transvestite?" on page 379.

transsexuals / transvestites
 feel they are members of the opposite sex
 feel imprisoned in the wrong body
 may cross-dress so their outer appearance matches their inner feelings /  become sexually aroused by wearing women's clothing
 may become dependent on cross dressing to release tension
 are different from female impersonators and gay men

Read the paragraph that follows the heading "Are transvestites and transsexuals also homosexual?" on page 379-380. Use the chart below to sort out the definitions of the key terms in the paragraph. You may check your answers in the answer key when you are finished.

homosexuality / transsexuality

 / 


Examining structural clues

In this chapter, the authors frequently given information by presenting the effects of certain conditions or the lack of those conditions. There are specific key words that signal these condition statements. As an observant reader, it is good to be able to recognize these condition statements, in order to better understand the point the authors are trying to make. Examine the following sentences, noting the position of the connectors and the relationship between the ideas.

The brother was accustomed to defending his sister if he thought someone was threatening her.

The presence of testosterone in male embryos is fundamental, or else these embryos would develop as females.

Male genitals may fail to develop in male fetuses, providing testosterone is absent or low at the critical time of 6 to 12 weeks after conception.

The question now remains whether surgery is enough to create a stable female gender identity for the child.

When these expectations are based on exaggerated and biased beliefs about differences between the sexes, they are known as gender role stereotypes.

Locate 5 sentences in this chapter which present a possible result of a condition and write them in the spaces provided below. Highlight the signal words and think about their roles in each sentence.

1.______

______

2.______

______

3.______

______

4.______

______

5.______

______

Answer key

Testing your knowledge of idioms and other vocabulary

a. 6; / b. 9; / c. 1; / d. 7; / e. 2; / f. 3; / g. 4; / h. 5; / i. 8;

Reviewing your knowledge of English grammar.

1. Generalizations, which are beliefs about the characteristics of all members of a group, are based on data collected scientifically.

2. Stereotypes, which are preconceived notions, are generally based on limited personal experience or hearsay evidence.

3. Sadler & Sadler, who conducted observational studies in elementary schools, found that boys talked three times as often as girls.

4. Hyde found a reduction in male/female differences using metaanalysis, which is a statistical technique for estimating the size of effects by comparing large studies.

5. Two major contributors to the field of sexual physiology are Masters & Johnson, who use direct laboratory experimentation to conduct research.

Finding key information

homosexuality / transsexuality
 sexual attraction toward the same sex
 no confusion of gender identity /  sexual attraction toward the opposite sex
 confusion of gender identity

Examining structural clues

Answers will vary.

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