# Study Guide: Chapter 5 — Sexual Orientation And Inequality > Organized by textbook section. Review the objectives, study topics, key takeaways, and questions for each section. ## 5.1: Understanding Sexual Orientation ### Study Topics - Counting Sexual Orientation - Table 5.1 Prevalence of Homosexuality in the United States - Sexual Orientation in Historical Perspective - Explaining Sexual Orientation - Biological Factors - Social and Cultural Factors ### Key Terms - **family** — A group of two or more people who are related by blood, marriage, adoption, or a mutual commitment and who care for one another. - **gender identity** — Individuals’ beliefs about themselves as either females or males. Also: The personal conception of oneself as female, male, both, or neither. - **Prostitution** — The selling of sexual services. - **random sample** — A subset drawn from the larger population in which every unit in the population has the same chance of being included in the subset. - **social construction** — A concept that has no objective reality but rather is what people decide it is. - **Socialization** — The process whereby individuals learn the culture of their society. ### Learning Objectives 1. Define sexual orientation and gender identity. 2. Describe what percentage of the US population is estimated to be LGBT. 3. Summarize the history of sexual orientation. 4. Evaluate the possible reasons for sexual orientation. ### Key Takeaways - An estimated 3.8 percent, or 9 million, Americans identify as LGBT. - Homosexuality seems to have been fairly common and very much accepted in some ancient societies as well as in many societies studied by anthropologists. - Scholars continue to debate the extent to which sexual orientation stems more from biological factors or from social and cultural factors and the extent to which sexual orientation is a choice or not a choice. ### Review Questions 1. Do you think sexual orientation is a choice, or not? Explain your answer. 2. Write an essay that describes how your middle school and high school friends talked about sexual orientation generally and homosexuality specifically. ## 5.2: Public Attitudes about Sexual Orientation ### Study Topics - The Extent of Heterosexism in the United States - Correlates of Heterosexism - Opinion on the Origins of Sexual Orientation - Other Views - Two Brief Conclusions on Public Attitudes ### Key Terms - **Discrimination** — With regard to racial and ethnic inequality, the arbitrary denial of rights, privileges, and opportunities to members of subordinate racial and ethnic groups. - **Heterosexism** — Negative views about, and discriminatory practices toward, LGBT individuals and their sexual behavior. - **sexism** — The belief that women are inferior to men. ### Learning Objectives 1. Understand the extent and correlates of heterosexism. 2. Understand the nature of public opinion on other issues related to sexual orientation. 3. Describe how views about LGBT issues have changed since a few decades ago. ### Key Takeaways - Views about LGBT behavior have improved markedly since a generation ago. More than half the US public now supports same-sex marriage. - Males, older people, the less educated, Southerners, and the more religious exhibit higher levels of heterosexism than their counterparts. ### Review Questions 1. Reread this section and indicate how you would have responded to every survey question discussed in the section. Drawing on the discussion of correlates of heterosexism, explain how knowing about these correlates helps you understand why you hold your own views. 2. Why do you think public opinion about LGBT behavior and issues has become more positive during the past few decades? ## 5.3: Inequality Based on Sexual Orientation ### Study Topics - Bullying and Violence - Children and Our Future - Employment Discrimination - Applying Social Research - Same-Sex Marriage - Lessons from Other Societies - Costs of the Illegality of Same-Sex Marriage - Military Service - Physical and Mental Health - Heterosexual Privilege - People Making a Difference ### Key Terms - **crime** — Behavior considered so harmful or offensive that it is banned by the criminal law. - **Discrimination** — With regard to racial and ethnic inequality, the arbitrary denial of rights, privileges, and opportunities to members of subordinate racial and ethnic groups. - **family** — A group of two or more people who are related by blood, marriage, adoption, or a mutual commitment and who care for one another. - **gender identity** — Individuals’ beliefs about themselves as either females or males. Also: The personal conception of oneself as female, male, both, or neither. - **heterosexual privilege** — The many advantages that heterosexuals (or people perceived as heterosexuals) enjoy simply because their sexual orientation is not LGBT. - **male privilege** — The advantages a male enjoys in a patriarchal society just because he is a male. - **race** — A category of people who share certain inherited physical characteristics, such as skin color, facial features, and stature. - **white privilege** — The advantages that US whites enjoy in their daily lives simply because they are white, whether or not they are aware of these advantages. ### Learning Objectives 1. Understand the behavioral, psychological, and health effects of bullying and other mistreatment of the LGBT community. 2. Evaluate the arguments for and against same-sex marriage. 3. Provide three examples of heterosexual privilege. ### Key Takeaways - Bullying, taunting, and violence are significant problems for the LGBT community. - LGBT people are at greater risk for behavioral and physical and mental health problems because of the many negative experiences they encounter. - Federal law does not protect LGBT individuals from employment discrimination. - The children of same-sex couples fare at least as well as children of heterosexual couples. ### Review Questions 1. Do you know anyone who has ever been bullied and taunted for being LGBT or for being perceived as LGBT? If so, describe what happened. 2. Write a brief essay in which you summarize the debate over same-sex marriage, provide your own view, and justify your view. ## 5.4: Improving the Lives of the LGBT Community ### Study Topics - Learning Objective ### Key Terms - **Discrimination** — With regard to racial and ethnic inequality, the arbitrary denial of rights, privileges, and opportunities to members of subordinate racial and ethnic groups. - **race** — A category of people who share certain inherited physical characteristics, such as skin color, facial features, and stature. ### Key Takeaways - Although the gay rights movement has made significant advances, many types of inequality based on sexual orientation continue to exist. - Several measures should be begun or continued to reduce inequality based on sexual orientation. ### Review Questions 1. Is there a gay rights advocacy group on your campus? If so, what is your opinion of it? 2. How do you think parents should react if their teenaged daughter or son comes out to them? Explain your answer. ## 5.5: End-of-Chapter Material ### Key Terms - **Discrimination** — With regard to racial and ethnic inequality, the arbitrary denial of rights, privileges, and opportunities to members of subordinate racial and ethnic groups. - **gender identity** — Individuals’ beliefs about themselves as either females or males. Also: The personal conception of oneself as female, male, both, or neither. - **Heterosexism** — Negative views about, and discriminatory practices toward, LGBT individuals and their sexual behavior. ### Chapter Summary 1. Sexual orientation refers to a person’s preference for sexual relationships with individuals of the other sex, one’s own sex, or both sexes. The term also increasingly refers to transgender individuals, whose behavior, appearance, and/or gender identity departs from conventional norms. 2. According to national survey evidence, almost 4 percent of American adults identify as LGBT (lesbian/gay/bisexual/ transgender), a figure equivalent to 9 million adults. Almost 20 million have engaged in same-sex relations. 3. Male homosexuality in ancient Greece and Rome seems to have been accepted and rather common, but Europe, the Americas, and other areas influenced by the Judeo-Christian tradition have long viewed homosexuality very negatively. In many societies studied by anthropologists, homosexuality is rather common and considered a normal form of sexuality. 4. Scholars continue to debate whether sexual orientation is more the result of biological factors or social and cultural factors. Related to this debate, the public is fairly split over the issue of whether sexual orientation is a choice or something over which people have no control. 5. Heterosexism in the United States is higher among men than among women, among older people than younger people, among the less educated than among the more highly educated, among Southerners than among non-Southerners, and among more religious people than among less religious people. Levels of heterosexism have declined markedly since a generation ago. 6. Sexual orientation is a significant source of inequality. LGBT individuals experience bullying, taunting, and violence; they may experience employment discrimination; and they are not allowed to marry in most states. Because of the stress of living as LGBT, they are at greater risk than heterosexuals for several types of physical and mental health problems. ### Application You’re working in a medium-sized office and generally like your coworkers. However, occasionally you hear them make jokes about gays and lesbians. You never laugh at these jokes, but neither have you ever said anything critical about them. Your conscience is bothering you, but you also know that if you tell your supervisor or coworkers that their joking makes you feel uncomfortable, they may get angry with you and even stop talking to you. What do you decide to do? ### Action Ideas To help reduce inequality based on sexual orientation, you may wish to do any of the following: 1. Start or join an LGBT advocacy group on your campus. 2. Write a letter to the editor in favor of same-sex marriage. 3. Urge your US Senators and Representative to pass legislation prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. 4. Work for a social service agency in your local community that focuses on the needs of LGBT teens.