Words Matter

Vocabulary is very important when studying any academic discipline.  We must understand the terminology used in the readings as well as by instructors and other students so that we avoid confusion.  Words and their meanings also change over time, and sometimes, a term that was considered polite to one generation is considered taboo or offensive to another.  In this textbook, I will use terms that are accepted in the current academic disciplines of history, gender, and ethnic studies.  However, many of the primary sources that we will study in this textbook will use terms that were considered appropriate a century ago but are no longer acceptable.  Please keep this in mind as you read the material.

Below is a list of terms we commonly use when studying history, gender, and ethnic studies and their meanings, according to the Cambridge Dictionary online unless otherwise noted:

History:  is the study and record of events that happened in the past. Historians often focus on a particular time period, country, group of people, or topic.  Traditionally, historians have relied heavily on written records, while archaeologists study artifacts, or the physical objects people left behind. Today, historians use many different kinds of evidence, including both written and physical sources.

Primary Source:  is an original record created during the time being studied, or by someone who directly experienced the event.

Examples include:

• Letters and diaries
• Autobiographies and oral histories
• Newspapers
• Census records
• Birth, marriage, and death records
• Court records and testimony
• Laws and government documents

Primary sources give us evidence from people who lived during the period we are studying. 

Secondary Source: is a work written after an event or time period by someone who did not directly experience it. The author uses information from primary sources and other research to explain or interpret the past. For example, this textbook is a secondary source, even though it includes examples of primary sources.

Woman:  is generally defined as an adult human who is female. The term can also refer to an adult who identifies and lives as a woman, even if they were assigned a different sex at birth.  People who were assigned male at birth but identify and live as women are referred to as transgender women and they have existed throughout history, although the language used to describe gender identity has changed over time.

Sex:  refers to biological characteristics that are typically used to classify people as male, female, or intersex.  These characteristics can include chromosomes, hormones, reproductive organs, and other physical traits. Historically, the word sex has generally been used to describe biological differences.

Gender:  refers to the roles, behaviors, expectations, and identities that a society associates with being male, female, or another gender.  Gender is about social rules and expectations, rather than simply biological characteristics.  For example, a traditional gender role might expect women to take care of children and do housework while men work for wages outside the home. These expectations are examples of gender roles because they are created and reinforced by society.

Gender Binary:  is the idea that there are only two genders—male and female—and that everyone must fit into one of those two categories.  A nonbinary person does not identify exclusively as male or female. Some nonbinary people may identify with aspects of both genders, while others identify with neither.  For example, Jonathan Van Ness, a celebrity hairstylist and television personality, has challenged traditional ideas about how men and women are expected to look and dress by wearing a beard and dresses.

Culture:  is the way of life of a particular group of people. It includes the customs, beliefs, behaviors, values, and traditions that people share.

Culture can include many parts of everyday life, such as:

• Religion
• Language
• Food
• Music
• Clothing
• Celebrations and rituals
• Gender roles
• Family traditions

Culture can also exist within a larger culture. These smaller groups are called subcultures. Examples include LGBTQ+ culture, youth culture, Bohemian culture, and fandoms. A subculture develops its own customs, behaviors, interests, or traditions.

Patriarchy:  is a social system in which men hold most of the power and authority, especially in families, government, and other important institutions.  In a patriarchal family, for example, the oldest or most powerful male may traditionally be considered the head of the household.

Patrilineal:  means that family membership, ancestry, or inheritance is traced through the father's or male relatives' side of the family.  For example, in some societies, children are considered members of their father's family and inherit property or family status through the father's side. The Western tradition of women taking their husband's last name when they marry can also reflect older ideas about women leaving their father's family and becoming part of their husband's family.

Matriarchy: is a social system in which women hold most of the authority and power. In some definitions, matriarchy also refers to societies in which property or family resources are passed down through women rather than men.

Matrilineal:  means that family membership, ancestry, or inheritance is traced through the mother's or female relatives' side of the family.  For example, in a matrilineal society, a person's family identity or inheritance may come through their mother's family rather than their father's. Some nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy) have traditionally organized family relationships through the mother's line. In some communities, husbands also traditionally moved into or near their wife's family home after marriage.

Equality:  means giving people or groups the same rights, opportunities, resources, or treatment. The main idea behind equality is sameness: everyone receives the same thing.

Equity:  means making sure people are treated fairly according to their circumstances or needs.  The main idea behind equity is fairness, not necessarily sameness.  For example, if a blind student needs a textbook in Braille, providing that student with a Braille copy is an example of equity. The students are not receiving exactly the same materials, but they are being given what they need to have a fair opportunity to learn.

Race: is a way societies categorize people based largely on perceived physical characteristics, such as skin color, hair texture, or other physical features.  In the past, many people believed that racial categories were biological and scientifically fixed. Today, scholars generally understand race as a social construct—a system created and used by societies to categorize people. Race has had very real social and historical effects even though racial categories are not fixed biological facts.

Ethnicity:  refers to a group of people who share aspects of culture, language, history, traditions, ancestry, or other cultural connections.  Race and ethnicity are not the same thing. For example, Arab is generally considered an ethnic or cultural identity because Arabs may share language, history, and cultural traditions. At the same time, Arab communities can have significant differences in dialect, food, customs, and other aspects of culture.

Minority:  is traditionally defined as a group that is smaller or different from the larger population because of characteristics such as race, religion, or political beliefs.  However, in history and social sciences, minority can also refer to a group that has historically had less social, political, or economic power, even if the group is not smaller in number.  For example, women have often been described as a minority group because they have historically had less political, economic, and social power than men—even though women make up about half of the population.

Nationality:  refers to a person's connection to a particular country, usually through citizenship or legal membership in that country.  For example, a person who is a citizen of the United States may identify their nationality as American.  The term American can sometimes be confusing because the Americas include North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. People from countries throughout the Americas may therefore use terms such as their specific national identity rather than "American" to describe themselves.

Prejudice: means having an unfair or unreasonable opinion or feeling about a person or group without having enough information or knowledge.  A useful way to remember the word is "pre-judge": forming a judgment about someone before you know the facts.

Discrimination: means treating a person or group differently, especially in an unfair or harmful way, because of characteristics such as race, gender, sexuality, religion, disability, or other aspects of identity.

Intersectionality:  is the idea that different parts of a person's identity can overlap and affect the discrimination, advantages, or disadvantages they experience.  For example, a woman may experience sexism, but a woman of color may experience both sexism and racism at the same time. These experiences can interact with each other rather than simply happening separately.  In this textbook, intersectionality will help us examine the experiences of women of color, poor women, lesbian and bisexual women, and women who identify outside the gender binary.

Sexism:  is prejudice, discrimination, or unfair treatment based on sex or gender. It often involves the belief that one sex or gender is less capable, intelligent, skilled, or valuable than another.  Historically, sexism has most often been directed at women because men have generally held more political, economic, and social power.

Sexual Assault:  is any unwanted or non-consensual sexual contact or sexual activity.  It is an umbrella term that can include many behaviors, from unwanted sexual touching or groping to rape.  The key idea is consent: sexual contact should not happen without the person's freely given agreement.

Rape Culture:  describes a society or environment in which sexual violence is common, normalized, minimized, or excused because of attitudes about gender and sexuality. The term became associated with Second Wave Feminism in the 1960s and 1970s and is now commonly used when discussing sexual violence and gender. Rape culture can include attitudes such as victim blaming—the idea that someone who experienced sexual assault is responsible for what happened because of their clothing, behavior, alcohol use, or other choices.  The concept focuses on the ways social attitudes can make sexual violence seem acceptable, inevitable, or less serious. It is not limited to the United States and can appear in many different cultures and societies.

Body Autonomy:  is the right to make decisions about your own body, life, and future without being forced, threatened, or subjected to violence.  In women's studies, body autonomy is often discussed in connection with sexual assault, reproductive rights, and health care.  The concept also applies more broadly to people of all genders, including people with disabilities, who may face situations in which other people make decisions about their bodies without their consent.

Sexualize:  To sexualize someone or something means to view or portray them in a sexual way, or to make them seem sexually attractive or exciting.  The term hypersexualize means to portray someone as especially sexual or to place excessive attention on their sexuality. In women's studies, these terms are often used when discussing the sexualization of women and girls without their consent. Scholars may also examine how sexualization can contribute to harmful stereotypes, objectification, and sexual violence.

Feminism:  is the belief that women should have the same rights, opportunities, power, and freedoms as men, along with efforts to achieve greater equality.  A feminist is someone who supports these ideas or works toward these goals.  Feminism is not limited to women. Men can also be feminists, and not every woman identifies as a feminist. Historically, feminism has included many different movements and ideas, so feminists have not always agreed with one another about the best ways to achieve equality.