12.3 Gender and sexuality in global contexts

Gender and sexuality in global contexts shape identities and power dynamics worldwide. This topic explores how gender roles, inequalities, and LGBTQ+ rights vary across cultures and intersect with other forms of oppression.

Feminist and queer theories challenge traditional norms, while transnational sexuality examines how global processes impact sexual identities and practices. These issues are central to understanding how globalization affects personal and collective identities.

Gender Roles and Inequality

Gender Roles and Expectations

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  Frontiers | Evolved but Not Fixed: A Life History Account of Gender Roles and Gender Inequality View original

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  Frontiers | The Flywheel Effect of Gender Role Expectations in Diverse Work Groups View original

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• Gender roles are socially constructed expectations, behaviors, and attitudes considered appropriate for a person based on their perceived sex
• Vary across cultures and can change over time, but often involve expectations related to work, family responsibilities, and personal characteristics
• Can lead to gender stereotypes and discrimination when individuals do not conform to expected roles (stay-at-home dads, female leaders)
• Reinforced through socialization processes, including family, media, and education (gendered toys, occupational segregation)

Global Gender Inequality

• Gender inequality refers to disparities between genders in terms of opportunities, resources, and power
• Manifests in various forms worldwide, such as unequal access to education, healthcare, and political representation
• Intersects with other forms of inequality, such as race, class, and sexuality, creating unique challenges for marginalized groups (indigenous women, transgender individuals)
• Addressing gender inequality requires challenging systemic barriers and promoting gender equity through policies and social change (gender quotas, equal pay legislation)

Masculinity Studies and Gender Mainstreaming

• Masculinity studies examine the social construction of masculinity and its impact on gender relations and inequality
• Explores diverse masculinities across cultures and the ways in which masculinity is performed, challenged, and transformed (toxic masculinity, alternative masculinities)
• Gender mainstreaming is a strategy for integrating gender perspectives into all aspects of policy-making and programming
• Aims to promote gender equality by considering the needs and experiences of all genders in decision-making processes (gender-responsive budgeting, gender impact assessments)

Feminist and Queer Theory

Feminism and LGBTQ+ Rights

• Feminism is a social, political, and philosophical movement that advocates for gender equality and challenges patriarchal systems of oppression
• Encompasses diverse perspectives and approaches, including liberal, radical, and intersectional feminisms (first-wave, second-wave, third-wave feminisms)
• LGBTQ+ rights movements seek to advance the rights and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals
• Advocate for legal protections, social acceptance, and access to resources and services (same-sex marriage, anti-discrimination laws)

Queer Theory and Activism

• Queer theory is an academic field that challenges binary notions of gender and sexuality and examines the social construction of identity
• Emphasizes the fluidity and diversity of gender and sexual identities and the ways in which they intersect with other forms of oppression (heteronormativity, homonationalism)
• Queer activism involves collective action to challenge heteronormativity, discrimination, and violence against LGBTQ+ individuals
• Utilizes various strategies, such as public demonstrations, community organizing, and art and media interventions (pride parades, drag performances)

Transnational Sexuality

Transnational Sexuality and Sexual Tourism

• Transnational sexuality refers to the ways in which sexuality is shaped by global processes, such as migration, tourism, and media flows
• Involves the circulation of sexual identities, practices, and politics across national borders (global gay rights movement, transnational adoption)
• Sexual tourism involves travel for the purpose of engaging in sexual activities, often in contexts of unequal power relations
• Can perpetuate exploitation and reinforce stereotypes, but can also challenge dominant norms and create spaces for sexual expression (sex work, LGBTQ+ tourism)

Reproductive Rights and Justice

• Reproductive rights encompass the right to make decisions about one's own reproductive health, including access to contraception, abortion, and maternal healthcare
• Reproductive justice is a framework that emphasizes the social, political, and economic conditions necessary for individuals to exercise their reproductive rights
• Addresses intersecting forms of oppression that impact reproductive decision-making, such as racism, poverty, and immigration status (forced sterilization, maternal mortality)
• Transnational reproductive politics involve the global circulation of ideas, technologies, and activism related to reproductive rights (international family planning programs, surrogacy)