Q&A Hero

Q: The extent to which we speak in a masculine or a feminine style varies depending on context and other factors.

Q: Which of the following is true about taking voice and enacting change? A. Change comes primarily through the use of direct power – making people do what they would not do on their own. B. The only people with the ability to engage in agenda setting have formal power, such as newspaper editors and television producers. C. Taking voice and enacting change are processes. D. The responsibility for taking voice and enacting change around gender norms rests primarily with men. E. The responsibility for taking voice and enacting change around gender norms rests primarily with women.

Q: Masculine speakers tend to make eye contact, nod, and say things like “tell me more,” while speaking to others.

Q: Your Gendered Lives textbook states that the forms of influence you have on cultural views of gender include A. individual choice, policy change, and political movements. B. traitorous identity, teaching children, and empowering others. C. addressing backlash, profeminist movements, and feminist movements. D. direct power, agenda setting, and voice. E. participating in backlash, personal choice, and agenda setting.

Q: Girls’ games tend to lack clear structure and external goals.

Q: In general, feminine speech community members follow this/these communication practice(s): A. Language is used to show one’s status. B. Communication is used as primary way to establish and maintain relationships. C. Direct, abstract speech is used frequently. D. Language tends to be used to accomplish an instrumental task. E. Language is used to maintain control of the conversation.

Q: Define informed consent. Do you think this is an appropriate definition of informed consent? Why or why not?

Q: Which of the following is true of masculine speech community members? A. They tend to regard language as important for accomplishing instrumental tasks, gaining status, and maintaining control of the conversation. B. Only men are masculine speech community members. C. They do not think talking is important. D. They are not as skilled at using language as members of female speech communities. E. All of the above

Q: What is rape culture? How does it affect victims of sexual assault? What should be done to eradicate this problem in our culture?

Q: Women who are effective public speakers tend to A. adopt a masculine style of speaking. B. adopt a feminine style of speaking. C. adopt a style of speaking that balances masculine and feminine stylistic factors. D. adopt a style of speaking that is gender neutral; there are no masculine or feminine aspects to their style. E. Women are almost never considered effective public speakers.

Q: As made clear by the material presented in your textbook, gendered violence is prevalent in the United States and around the world. What are some of the personal and social efforts we can engage in and/or support in an effort to lessen the prevalence of gendered violence?

Q: The Men’s Rights Movement argues that a number of contemporary policies and practices are discriminatory towards men; moreover, some men’s rights groups argue that feminism is at least partially responsible for the implementation of these practices and policies. Identify one contemporary policy or practice that men’s movements have identified as discriminatory and explain whether or not you agree with that classification.

Q: Quid pro quo

Q: Topic or question should come from class business. See pages 7-8 of this manual for details on this activity. Multiple Choice

Q: Intimate partner violence

Q: Neil Armstrong’s famous quote, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” is an example of A. male generic language. B. stereotyping. C. polarized thinking. D. verbal hedging. E. a tag question.

Q: “Corrective” rape

Q: Misinterpretations between people who are socialized into masculine speech communities and people who are socialized into feminine speech communities occur around the issue of showing support because A. feminine speakers want a matching of experience and masculine speakers give advice. B. feminine speakers find masculine speaker’s storytelling to be wandering and unfocused. C. feminine speakers think masculine speaker’s storytelling misses important details. D. feminine speakers are trying to make a point and masculine speakers try to upstage them. E. all of the above

Q: Define gendered violence, and discuss the ways in which society normalizes gendered violence. Your essay should identify 3 specific social foundations or institutions that allow or encourage both women and men to regard certain kinds of gendered violence as normal or acceptable. Include concrete examples.

Q: “I had something similar happen to me and I totally understand how you feel” exemplifies what characteristic of feminine communication? A. verbal hedge B. establishing equality C. support for others D. personal, concrete style E. tag question

Q: Define sexual harassment. Then, identify and evaluate the two different legal forms of sexual harassment and standards for determining whether it occurred. Your response should explain which standard, if any, you favor and why.

Q: Gender intimidation

Q: Identify the goals and the beliefs of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) and the White Ribbon Campaign (WRC). Then discuss similarities and differences between the two. Within your answer, define bystander behavior, indicate which group highlights this, and explain how the concept is relevant to thinking about our personal agency in shaping gendered attitudes and beliefs.

Q: Sexual assault

Q: Describe what is meant by a traitorous identity. Then, either hypothetically or from your own experience, describe a scenario in which someone performs a traitorous identity. Why do you think this behavior is difficult for some people? Why is it important to perform?

Q: Sexual harassment

Q: Mentors in Violence Prevention

Q: Informed consent

Q: Mythopoetic men

Q: Pornography

Q: Traitorous identity

Q: Blaming the victim

Q: The Good Men Project

Q: Rape culture

Q: Bystander behavior

Q: Femicide

Q: When men observe sexist or violent behavior aimed at women and do not intervene, they are enacting bystander behavior.

Q: Men’s rights activist

Q: Cycle of abuse

Q: NOMAS, MVP, and mythopoetics all agree that the current construction of masculinity can be harmful.

Q: Hostile environment harassment

Q: The Promise Keepers developed in response to a horrific act of violence against women that took place in Montreal (sometimes referred to as the Montreal Massacre).

Q: Infibulation

Q: Profeminists endeavor to cultivate emotions that they feel have been suppressed by masculine socialization.

Q: Children who grow up in families with one or more abusive adults are generally not affected by that violence.

Q: Mythopoetic men argue that modern men experience emotional emptiness related to yearning to be close to their fathers.

Q: State-funded programs to limit women’s rights to reproductive choice never existed in the United States.

Q: Promise Keepers see reconnecting with God’s commandments as the path for men to regain wholeness.

Q: The “reasonable person” standard is used to determine if sexual harassment has occurred.

Q: Football coach Joe Ehrmann, who stresses to his team the value of building relationships, loving one another, and accepting love, is enacting a traitorous identity.

Q: Genital mutilation does not occur in the United States.

Q: Masculinist movements assert that men suffer from discrimination and that men need to reclaim their rightful status as men.

Q: Victims of battering would be safer if they left abusive relationships.

Q: Lewd remarks made in public spaces, while annoying, are not considered gendered violence.

Q: Intimate partner violence typically follows a cyclical pattern.

Q: Free Men believe that men are discriminated against, although not as much as women are.

Q: Sexual slavery is a thing of the past.

Q: Which of the following statements is true of men’s rights activists? A. They aim to educate men about socialization that links masculinity to violence and aggression to motivate them to reject violence. B. They voice public support for women’s rights and men’s personal development. C. They engage in interpersonal persuasion to convince friends and coworkers to alter discriminatory attitudes and practices. D. They believe that violence against women is not just a women’s issue. E. They aim to restore the traditional roles of men and women, and with that the privileges that men historically enjoyed.

Q: Christina goes on a date with Todd. After dinner at a nice restaurant, Christina invites Todd back to her apartment for a drink. They open a bottle of wine and start to make out. After a while, Christina is uncomfortable and asks Todd to stop. He ignores her, pulls off her clothes, and has sex with her. After he leaves, although upset, Christina begins to wonder whether she had been “asking for it.” The next day she tells a friend what happened and the friend asks her what she had been wearing and how much she had been drinking. This event reflects which of the following? A. gender intimidation B. informed consent C. sexual harassment D. the rape culture E. corrective rape

Q: According to the principles of the _______ movement, men who condone, encourage, or ignore violence are just as guilty as those who act violently. A. NOMAS B. Profeminist C. White Ribbon Campaign D. Mentors in Violence Prevention E. Mythopoetic Men

Q: By their senior year, approximately what percentage of college women have reported one or more unwanted sexual interactions during their college careers? A. 33% B. 25% C. 10% D. 50% E. 75%

Q: Which of the following movements is a multifaceted effort to stimulate a national conversation about what it means to be a good man today? A. The Promise Keepers B. Mythopoetic Men C. NOMAS D. The Good Men Project E. Mentors in Violence Prevention

Q: In this form of genital surgery, a female’s entire clitoris and parts of the labia minora are removed: A. femilectomy B. sunna C. infibulation D. clitoridectomy (excision) E. revaganilization

Q: Which of the following is true of NOMAS? A. It stands for the National Organization of Men Against Sexism. B. It celebrates traditionally masculine values of courage and ambition. C. It condemns traditionally masculine values of aggression and emotional insensitivity. D. It attempts to help men understand how their emotional development has been hindered by our culture’s view of masculinity. E. All of the above.

Q: Which of the following is NOT true about rape? A. Rape is motivated primarily by sexual desire. B. Rape is common on college campuses. C. A husband can rape his wife. D. Men and women can be victims of rape. E. The majority of rape victims do not report and seek to prosecute their rapes.

Q: Which movement asked men to rededicate themselves to their families, spiritual transformation, and political action? A. Million Man March B. Mythopoetic Men C. Free Men D. White Ribbon Campaign E. Profeminists

Q: Physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, and visual brutality that is inflicted disproportionately or exclusively on members of one sex is best defined as A. sexual slavery. B. a rape script. C. intimate partner violence. D. gender intimidation. E. gendered violence.

Q: _______ movements are those who work to support feminist movements in addition to working to change the way masculinity is constructed in the United States. A. Free Men B. Masculinist C. Men’s equality D. Profeminist E. No men’s movements support feminism.

Q: Which of the following is/are true of the MVP? A. MVP was started after the Montreal Massacre in which 14 women were killed. B. MVP says that if men make a personal commitment to never commit violence, violence will eventually stop. C. MVP says that men are socialized to be violent and aggressive. D. They are a masculinist group. E. All of the above

Q: Meagen decides to wear a short skirt and tight shirt to class. As she walks there, a group of males whistle, comment on her legs, and make sexual gestures to her. Which of the following best describes Meagen experiences? A. gender intimidation B. hostile environment harassment C. sexual assault D. informed consent, since Meagen chose what to wear E. none of these

Q: This men’s movement professes that most men are not violent and that men should work together to change the few who are violent. A. White Ribbon Campaign B. Mentors in Violence Prevention C. NOMAS D. Free Men E. none of the above

Q: Which of the following examples meets the definition of informed consent? A. Vidhi is sold by her family and is forced to work as a prostitute. B. Jake drinks alcohol until he passes out and then is sexually fondled by his romantic partner of 5 years. C. Brittany agrees to have sex when she is 15-years-old with her 18-year-old romantic partner. D. Amber is mentally disabled and lives in an assisted living facility. While checking on her, a nurse touches her breasts, unrelated to the care he is providing. E. None of the above.

Q: Your Gendered Lives textbook reviews how women and men are portrayed in advertising. Discuss the portrayals of gender in this type of media. How influential are advertisements?

Q: Some third-wave feminists embrace sexiness and femininity as part of being empowered. What is your position on this issue? Defend your stance.

Q: Discuss messages rap and/or gangsta rap music contains about men and women. Do the media influence consumers? Finally, do you agree with Al Sharpton’s request to the FCC to ban rappers who disrespect women? Why or why not?

Q: Some second-wave feminists have criticized the younger generation of third-wave feminists for being too focused on consumerism and lacking a clear central message. Based on the characteristics of the movement described in your textbook, do you think these criticisms are valid? Why or why not? What are the differing motivations behind the two waves that could account for this criticism?

Q: Your book discusses the ways in which unrealistic standards are normalized in media. Choose two of the unrealistic standards, give specific examples of them, and describe the implications of them for media consumers.

Q: Describe separatism and why it is limited in its power as a feminist movement.

Q: Discuss three ways in which news media, including cable and network television news, magazines, and newspapers, promote stereotypical views of women and femininity and provide concrete examples to support your points.

Q: Topic or question should be generated by a student. See pages 7-8 of this manual for details on this activity.