Chapter 4

Inscribing Gender on the Body

1. True/False The text reports that only 10% of the female population in our society weighs in at the average fashion model’s weight given her height.
2. True/False Objectification means seeing the body as a site of identity and self-expression.
3. True/False Bulimia can involve misuse of laxatives as well as binging and purging.
4. True/False The double standard of beauty means that the bodies of white women are valued twice as much as women of color.
5. True/False Women are traditionally associated with nature and the earth. Men are associated with air and spirit.
6. True/False Studies find that female steroid use is not more likely to be related to appearance management than male steroid use.
7. True/False Up to 20% of people with serious eating disorders die from the disorder or complications associated with it.
8. True/False Approximately 1 in 4 children under the age of 14 years are on a diet.
9. True/False Today teenage boys are as likely as teenage girls to be on a diet.
10. True/False Trans bodies illustrate biological determinism and its consequences for youth.
11. True/False Metrosexuals are men who are meticulous about grooming and have disposable income to spend on products and clothes.
12. True/False Muscle dysmorphia is the term for women’s fear of being overly muscled.
13. True/False Many feminists embrace traditional notions of beauty and spend money on beauty products.
14. The text reports that compared to the average woman, fashion models weigh approximately how much less?
15. 9%
16. 13%
17. 23%
18. 31%
19. The ratio of women to men among anorexia nervosa and bulimia is

a. 20 to1

b. 15 to 1

c. 10 to 1

d. 5 to 1

16. Biological determinism implies

a. Biology is determined by gender

b. Culture determines gender

c. Biology determines culture

d. Both (a) and (b)

e. Both (b) and (c)

f. All of the above

g. None of the above

17. Disciplinary beauty practices are those that

a. Women are not forced to take part in

b. Women participate in to maintain standards of “beauty”

c. Cost women time, energy, and money

d. Both (a) and (b)

e. Both (b) and (c)

f. All of the above

g. None of the above

18. The age group most susceptible to eating disorders is

a. Girls 10-15 years old

b. Young women aged 15–25 years old

c. Young women aged 25-35 years old

d. Mid-life women

19. Which of the following is not an accurate statement about the body?

a. Bodies are socially constructed

b. Bodies are sites of regulation

c. Bodies are sites for subversion

d. Both (a) and (b)

e. Both (b) and (c)

f. All of the above are accurate statements

20. Which of the following facts about the “bathroom debate” are true?

a. Bathrooms are more dangerous for transgender people than for girls and women

b. The most dangerous place for girls and women is the home

c. We all have to use the bathroom

d. Many people feel a deep discomfort about bodily functions

e. Both (a) and (b)

f. Both (c) and (d)

g. All of the above

h. None of the above

Reading 23 “Breast Buds and the ‘Training’ Bra” Joan Jacobs Brumberg

1. True/False In the 1950s weight was the primary point of comparison among high school girls (Joan Jacobs Brumberg/“Breast Buds and the ‘Training’ Bra”).
2. True/False 1940s mothers were encouraged to check their daughters’ bust line and help them manage it appropriately (Joan Jacobs Brumberg/“Breast Buds and the ‘Training’ Bra”).
3. True/False A focus on “junior figure control” included a girl’s breasts, waist, hips, and buttocks (Joan Jacobs Brumberg/“Breast Buds and the ‘Training’ Bra”).
4. According to Joan Jacobs Brumberg in her article “Breast Buds and the ‘Training’ Bra,” “age homogeneity” in terms of fashion means which of the following?

a. Adult women “dress down” in the clothes of children

b. Girls “dress up” in the clothes of adult women

c. Girls are sexualized at an early age

d. All of the above

1. According to Joan Jacobs Brumberg in her article “Breast Buds and the ‘Training’ Bra,” cultural focus on girls’ breasts requires girls to do which of the following?

a. Put more energy and resources into their bodies at an earlier age

b. Begin to focus on their bodies at an earlier age

c. Shave their legs at an earlier age

d. Use acne medication at an earlier age

e. Both (a) and (b)

f. Both (c) and (d)

g. All of the above

h. None of the above

Reading 24 “If Men Could Menstruate” Gloria Steinem

1. True/False Steinem uses logic and an understanding of gender ranking to explain why female physical traits are stigmatized but male physical traits are celebrated.

2. True/False Steinem’s argument relies on a male/female gender binary.

3. According to Gloria Steinem in “If Men Could Menstruate,” who would offer the most moral and logical explanation about why it was a good thing for men to menstruate?

a. Male intellectuals

b. Male politicians

c. Fathers

d. Sports stars

4. In “If Men Could Menstruate,” Gloria Steinem argues that male menstruation would be

a. Something that degraded men

b. A positive event

c. A complex mixture of positive and negative

d. Something that would depend upon the race and class of men

5. In “If Men Could Menstruate,” Gloria Steinem concludes, “if men could menstruate, the power justifications would go on forever. If we let them.” Which of the following arguments is she making?

a. Men could menstruate if women would allow it

b. Women should refuse to accept men’s illogical arguments that men are “naturally” superior

c. Women should refuse to reveal when they are menstruating

d. Menstruation makes women powerful

Reading 25 “Race, Online Space, and the Feminine: Unmapping ‘Black Girl Thinspiration’” Nicole Danielle Schott

1. True/False In “Race, Online Space, and the Feminine,” author Nicole Danielle Schott argues that sizeism, racism, sexism, and ableism are not interconnected.
2. True/False In “Race, Online Space, and the Feminine,” author Nicole Danielle Schott questions the assumption that black women are less like to suffer from eating disorders than white women.
3. True/False In “Race, Online Space, and the Feminine,” author Nicole Danielle Schott argues that black women who participate in “thinspiration” are rejecting whiteness as the norm for status and privilege.
4. In “Race, Online Space, and the Feminine” author Nicole Danielle Schott argues that being thin does not imply which of the following traits?

a. Control

b. Perfection

c. Social mobility

d. Unruliness

1. According to Nicole Danille Schott, dieting is a strategy that women use to obtain which of the following (“Race, Online Space, and the Feminine”)?

a. Credibility in the workforce

b. Attention of men

c. Power

d. Acceptance

e. Both (a) and (b)

f. Both (c) and (d)

g. All of the above

h. None of the above

6. Nicole Danielle Schott argues in “Race, Online Space, and the Feminine” that dieting becomes a trap for women because

a. They attract more men than they can handle

b. Extreme thinness is equated with mental illness

c. Their clothes don’t fit any more

d. Both (a) and (b)

e. Both (b) and (c)

f. All of the above

g. None of the above

Reading 26 “‘I Click and Post and Breathe, Waiting for Others to See What I See’: On Feminist Selfies, Outfit Photos, and Networked Vanities” Minh-Ha T. Pham

1. True/False In “I Click and Post and Breathe,” Minh-Ha T. Pham argues that participatory media changes the power relationship between the viewer and the person being viewed.
2. True/False In “I Click and Post and Breathe,”Minh-Ha T. Pham notes that fashion can be considered to be a type of activism for members of marginalized groups.
3. In her article “‘I Click and Post and Breathe,’” Minh-Ha T. Pham argues that selfies such as those that are featured on #feministselfie are
4. Self-indulgent
5. Transformative
6. Vain
7. Narcissistic
8. According to Minh-Ha T. Pham, author of “I Click and Post and Breathe,” readers were angry with Ryan’s Bustle article that said that taking and posting selfies online is sexist because they felt that Ryan
9. Picked on them
10. Failed to take perspectives of people of color into account
11. Assumed she knew what was best for everyone
12. Both (a) and (b)
13. Both (b) and (c)
14. All of the above
15. None of the above
16. In her article “I Click and Post and Breathe,” Minh-Ha T. Pham argues that posting selfies online can be a form of activism because selfies
    1. Provide the perspectives of women of color
    2. Feature alternative images of beauty
    3. Assert the importance of online space for women of color
    4. Continue the tradition of activist fashion in a new incarnation
    5. Both (a) and (b)
    6. Both (b) and (c)
    7. All of the above
    8. None of the above

Reading 27 “Asian American Women’s Body Image Experiences: A Qualitative Intersectional Study” Jennifer L. Brady, Aylin Kaya, Derek Iwamoto, Athena Park, Lauren Fox, and Marcus Moorhead

1. True/False The authors note that Asian American Women are generally underrepresented in studies about body image (“Asian American Women’s Body Image Experiences”).
2. True/False The authors argue that ethnic identity and acculturation affect Asian American women’s level of body satisfaction (“Asian American Women’s Body Image Experiences”).
3. True/False Grounded theory acknowledges men as the true experts of women’s experiences (“Asian American Women’s Body Image Experiences”).
4. True/False The authors conclude that racism and sexism do not affect Asian American women’s body dissatisfaction (“Asian American Women’s Body Image Experiences”).
5. According to the authors of “Asian American Women’s Body Image Experiences,” using an intersectional framework for studying women’s body dissatisfaction is important because it
   1. Does not assume white women are the norm
   2. Investigates the relationship between racism, sexism, and body image
   3. Allows scholars to focus on the experiences of groups who have been underrepresented in research
   4. Reveals how women deal with pressures from multiple cultures
   5. Both (a) and (b)
   6. Both (c) and (d)
   7. All of the above
   8. None of the above
6. Table 1 on p. 201 of “Asian American Women’s Body Image Experiences” reveals which of the following?
   1. More than ½ of the women in the study felt unhappy about their weight
   2. None of the participants were first-generation immigrants
   3. Participants’ ages ranged from 16-25
   4. More than ¾ of the women in the study disliked the shape of their eyes
7. Participants in the study described in “Asian American Women’s Body Image Experiences” noted that they received negative feedback about their bodies from which of the following?
8. Family members
9. Religious leaders
10. Teachers
11. Coaches
12. Participants in the study described in “Asian American Women’s Body Image Experiences” reported receiving racialized messages about which aspects of their bodies?
13. Weight
14. Eye shape
15. Skin tone
16. Exoticism
17. Both (a) and (b)
18. Both (c) and (d)
19. All of the above
20. None of the above

Reading 28 “Forty Years Since Fat Is a Feminist Issue” Susie Orbach

1. True/False In her article “Forty Years Since Fat Is a Feminist Issue,” Susie Orbach argues that contemporary women are taught that food is something dangerous.

2. True/False Susie Orbach (“Forty Years Since Fat Is a Feminist Issue”) celebrates the tremendous progress that women have made over the past forty years with regard to fat shaming and beauty standards.

3. True/False In “Forty Years Since Fat Is a Feminist Issue,” Susie Orbach scoffs at the idea that there is a correlation between a woman’s body hatred and her vulnerability to sexual assault.

4. According to Susie Orbach (“Forty Years Since Fat Is a Feminist Issue”), women need:

a. More weight-loss strategies

b. More clothes

c. More exposure to media

d. More rage, refusal, and love

e. Both (a) and (b)

f. Both (c) and (d)

g. All of the above

h. None of the above

5. According to Susie Orbach (“Forty Years Since Fat Is a Feminist Issue”), women overeat because

a. Food is comforting

b. They are so depleted from serving others

c. Family life is interminably boring

d. Both (a) and (b)

e. Both (b) and (c)

f. All of the above

g. None of the above

Reading 29 “Understanding Transgender and Medically Assisted Gender Transition: Feminism as a Critical Resource” Jamie Lindemann Nelson

1. True/False Jamie Lindemann Nelson argues that she adheres to the fundamental truth that there are only two genders and that everyone must have one or the other (“Understanding Transgender and Medically Assisted Gender Transition”).
2. True/False The medical community has historically treated transgender as an illness (“Understanding Transgender and Medically Assisted Gender Transition”).
3. True/False Jamie Lindemann Nelson argues that transgender has both challenged and reinforced gender norms and practices (“Understanding Transgender and Medically Assisted Gender Transition”).
4. In “Understanding Transgender and Medically Assisted Gender Transition,” Jamie Lindemann Nelson argues that feminism can inform the medical community’s response to transgender because feminism provides a theoretical framework for considering gender as
   1. Socially constructed
   2. Important
   3. Natural
   4. Unimportant
   5. Both (a) and (b)
   6. Both (c) and (d)
   7. All of the above
   8. None of the above

5. In “Understanding Transgender and Medically Assisted Gender Transition,” Jamie Lindemann Nelson argues that feminism can inform the medical community’s response to transgender because feminism insists that women

a. are inherently powerful

b. should have authority over their bodies

c. can become pregnant

d. are not hysterical