2. SEX vs GENDER
• Sex is biological; gender is social
• Sex includes physical attributes such as sex
chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, internal
reproductive structures, and external genitalia
• Intersexed refers to a person whose body has
both male and female characteristics
• Gender is the multidimensional intersection of
biology, gender identity, and gender expression

3. Gender as Social Construct
• Gender is a social construct
• Gender is typically viewed as a binary concept
• Non-binary gender diversity exists throughout
the world

4. Gender Diversity
Bugis of Indonesia: Five Gender Classifications

5. Gender Diversity
• In Native North American cultures, Two-Spirit
historically referred to gifted members of the
tribe who carried two spirits: that of male and
female
• Often visionaries and healers who were honored
and revered
• Term has broadened to include Native people
who identify as LGBTQ+

6. Gender Diversity
• Explores the murder of 16
year old Fred Martinez,
who was male-bodied with
a feminine nature, a
special gift according to his
ancient Navajo culture.

7. Gender Identity
Gender identity refers to one’s identification with a
particular sex – biologically, psychologically and
socially.
Cisgender  gender identity matches birth sex
Transgender  gender identity does not match birth sex

8. Transgender Representation
in Media
• Transgender representation in the media has
been traditionally problematic
“Media has a history of telling the world a story that
transgender people are always victims or
villains, instead of true depictions that show the
transgender community as citizens worthy of
equality and respect.”
GLAAD President Herndon Graddick

9. Transgender Representation
in Media
Laverne Cox in OITNB
Jeffrey Tambor in Transparent

10. In Sense8, trans actress Jamie
Clayton plays Nomi Marks, blogger
and hacker who discovers that she
is psychically connected to seven
strangers across the globe.
Nomi is written as a complete
person and her life does not revolve
around her trans-identity.

11. Transphobia (Cissexism)
Cissexism refers to the negative attitudes and
discrimination directed toward people whose
gender identity or expression is different from
the sex they were assigned at birth.

12. Transphobia in Hollywood
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Psychotic transgender serial killer
Jame Gumb aka ‘Buffalo Bill’
Norman Bates
as ‘Mother’

13. Transphobia in Hollywood
While CSI and other police
procedurals use lurid,
sensationalistic stories to
reinforce stereotypes of
psychotic transgender ‘whack
jobs’ in an effort to get
ratings, transgender people,
particularly women of colour,
are dying at alarming rates.

14. Gender Expression
• Gender expression refers to the ways people
externally communicate their gender identity to
others.
• Gender is basically a social performance
• We ‘do’ gender

15. Doing Gender on
• How do men do gender on dating apps?
• Analyzed the profiles of 30 men, using age
and location as filters
• Men tended to present themselves in terms
of hegemonic masculinity
• Being employed, being active and working
out, enjoying sports, and some even
mentioned their height

16. Gender Expression
Gender fluidity conveys a wide, more flexible range
of gender expression, with interests and behaviours
that may even change from day to day.
Ruby Rose does not identify as any
gender but defines her own identity
as ‘gender fluid.’

17. Gender Roles
• Gender role is the set of roles, activities,
expectations and behaviours assigned to
women and men by society.
• North American culture recognizes two basic
gender roles: masculine and feminine

18. Highlights gender identity and gender expression in relation
to biological sex and sexual as well as romantic attraction.

19. Highlights gender identity and gender expression in relation
to biological sex and sexual as well as romantic attraction.

20. Gender Socialization
• Gender socialization is the process of learning
the social expectations and attitudes associated
with one’s gender.
• Every culture has different guidelines about
what is appropriate for males and females.
• Gender socialization starts at birth

21. Gender Socialization

22. Gender Socialization
• In school, boys are steered toward math and
science because they are assumed to be more
analytical, whereas girls are encouraged to
develop their nurturing side.

23. Gender Stereotypes
Q: What are some popular stereotypes
regarding women and men?
Women as Damsels in Distress
Men as Nerds and Geeks

24. Damsels in Distress
• Fairytales often make use of the damsel in
distress narrative that features a
dependent woman relying exclusively on a
strong man

25. Damsels in Distress

26. Damsels in Distress

27. Men as Nerds and Geeks
Sheldon, Leonard, Howard
and Raj exhibit high
intelligence and scientific
accomplishments and bond
over traditionally masculine
undertakings of comic
books, superheroes, video
games, sci-fi, and science
and technology.
[clip]

28. Combatting Stereotypes
Changing the Conversation
Campaign aims at sending a message
of empowerment in making ‘like a
girl’ mean something powerful rather
than derogatory.
Disney’s Liv and Maddie tackles
the issue of societal emphasis
on appearance for women.
[clip]
[clip]

29. Combatting Stereotypes
Writing Better Characters

30. Combatting Stereotypes
Queen of the Geeks
Felicia Day
The 100’s Raven Reyes
Genius

31. Combatting Stereotypes
“As a woman, especially as a
woman of color, it’s funny how
Hollywood wants to put you in a
box. It’s demeaning and
degrading, because women are
so much more than that.
Women have always been
strong, complex, capable, and
amazing at life.”
Lindsey Morgan, SDCC 2016

32. Combatting Stereotypes
The 100 has also been lauded for portraying male
vulnerability, something that is usually sidelined in
favour of male strength and power.

33. Combatting Stereotypes
Genderbending
•Genderbending refers to changing the gender of
a person or character into the opposite gender.
•A form of social activism intended to question
rigid gender roles and gender stereotypes.

34. Genderbending in Fan Works

35. The F-Word
• Feminism is often treated as a dirty word
What is feminism?
• Feminism  Equality
• Interdisciplinary approach to issues of equality
and equity based on gender, gender expression,
gender identity, sex, and sexuality

36. The Feminist Wisdom
of Stella Gibson (The Fall)
Gillian Anderson as
DSI Stella Gibson
in The Fall

37. The Feminist Wisdom
of Stella Gibson (The Fall)
“[Gibson] defies the norms of the female
detectives we frequently see depicted on
television. She never hides her femininity in an
attempt to be taken more seriously by male
colleagues and subordinates, while successfully
dodging the all-too common TV trope of a
detective who becomes so emotionally involved in
a case that it compromises her judgment and
leads to major investigative mistakes.

38. The Feminist Wisdom
of Stella Gibson (The Fall)
Stella certainly makes her share of errors
throughout The Fall’s three seasons, but none of
them happen to be related to her gender or
emotions. Rather, she’s a realistic, imperfect
character (both personally and professionally), but
none of her flaws are chalked up to her gender.”
Caitlyn Flynn for Bustle, 2016

39. The Feminist Funny
of Amy Schumer
Schumer’s comedy
often focuses on gender
issues, from how
Hollywood treats
women differently than
men, to dissecting rape
culture, to how women
interact with each other.

40. Feminism Today
• Feminism has evolved from the critical examination
of inequality between the sexes to a more nuanced
focus on the social and performative constructions of
gender and sexuality
• Feminism today aims to interrogate inequalities
along the intersectional lines of ability, class, gender,
race, sex and sexuality
[clip]

41. Feminism Today
Intersectional feminism is a framework that
recognizes the multiple identities that serve to
enrich our life experiences while, at the same time,
work to compound and complicate marginalizations
and oppressions.
Post-feminism is the notion that gender equality
has been achieved and therefore feminism is no
longer necessary.

42. Feminism Today
The HeForShe campaign is
grounded in the idea that
gender inequality is an issue
that affects all people and
seeks to actively involve men
and boys in the movement.

43. Feminist Backlash
Feminist backlash has been demonstrated most
notably through Menism – a response to third-
wave feminism that involves men who feel as if
their rights are being neglected due to feminism
•Misconceptions of feminism
•Feminists are man-haters or anti-men
Menism is often seen as misogyny

44. Men Issues
Important issues that concern men:
•Shared custody of children
•Unhealthy perceptions of masculinity
•Declining rates of university enrolment
•Spousal abuse
•High rates of suicide

45. Sexism…
in the Workplace
• Everyday sexism and gender inequality
especially in male-dominated occupational
fields
FBI Agent Olivia Dunham in Fringe
Nurse Greg Focker in MTP

46. Sexism…
in Video Gaming
Common video game tropes:
•Damsel in distress
•Violence against women
•Ms. Male character
•Women as reward
•Sexual objectification

47. CONNECTION: Criminology
• Gender differences in crime and victimization
• Differential experiences of men and women
prisoners
• Sexual harassment (especially in male-
dominated occupations)
• Rape culture – sexual violence is normalized,
excused, and even condoned.

48. Rape Culture
Convicted man claimed that
the victim should not have
resisted and asserted that
she was responsible for her
own victimization because
she violated feminine norms
by dressing inappropriately
and staying out late at night.

49. Rape Culture
Amy Schumer tackles rape culture in
‘Friday Night Lights’ spoof:

50. Sexual Violence in (Teen) TV
• Representations of sexual violence are common
in television series targeted toward teens
• These depictions rarely deal with sexual violence
as a form of gendered abuse but instead are
used to highlight other issues and themes
• Sexual violence becomes something that is
about women rather than something that is done
by men

51. Feminist Criminology
Stella Gibson in The Fall

52. Feminist Criminology
Stella Gibson in The Fall

53. Feminist Criminology
How to Get Away With Murder
“Don’t speak for her.”
The client deserves agency, a chance to tell her
story for herself, on her own terms.