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Ch. 10 Inequalities of Gender and Age
Sex and Gender Identity• Sex – classification of
people as male or female based on biological characteristics
• Biological Determinism – principle that behavioral differences are the result of inherited physical characteristics– This lacks scientific proof– What few tendencies that
are biological are easily overruled by society and culture
• Gender Identity – a sense of being male or female based on learned cultural values
Biology, culture, and behavior• Research indicates that the brains
of men and women are slightly different
• The majority of sociologists argue that gender-related behavior is not primarily the result of biology
• Margaret Mead’s research (1950) on New Guinean peoples– The Arapesh – Men and women were
raised to be cooperative, unaggressive, and empathetic. Traditional concept of the female gender role
– Mundugumor – Men and women were raised to be aggressive, ruthless, and unresponsive to the needs of others
– Tchambuli – gender roles were opposite of those in Western culture
Theoretical Perspectives on Gender
• Functionalism and Gender– Any pattern of
behavior that does not benefit society will become unimportant• Therefore the division
of responsibilities b/w male and female benefited human living
Theoretical Perspectives on Gender
• Conflict Theory and Gender– It is to the advantage of
men to prevent women from gaining access to political, economic, and social resources• “Gender Apartheid” in Afghanistan
– Conflict theorists see traditional gender roles as outdated
–Women who prefer careers in fields formerly reserved for men have every right to make that choice, whether or not it is “functional” for society
Theoretical Perspectives on Gender• Symbolic Interactionism
and Gender– Focuses on how boy and
girls learn to act the way they are “supposed to act”• Gender socialization – the
social process of learning how to act as a boy or girl
– The effect of the media is very powerful
– Parents are vitally important in gender socialization• Blue or pink clothes• Trucks vs. dolls• Mowing the grass vs. doing
the dishes
Theoretical Perspectives on Gender
– Schools also aid gender socialization• Teachers encourage different
behaviors• Clothing styles, school
functions, after-school activities
– Peers contribution to gender socialization• Kids who most closely
resemble the traditional roles are typically given the most respect– Football players, cheerleaders
• Feminine boys and masculine girls are typically assigned low status
Gender Inequality• Sexism – a set of beliefs, attitudes, norms, and
values used to justify sexual inequality• Occupational and Economic inequality– In 1999 65% of women worked outside the home
compared to 77% of men– Occupational sex segregation – the concentration of
women in lower-status positions• Ex. – only about 11% of engineer positions are held by
women, and about 29% of attorney jobs• When women are in high-status occupational groups, they
are concentrated in lower-prestige, lower-paid jobs– In 1999 women who worked full-time earned only 72
cents for every dollar earned by men– In virtually every occupational category, men’s
earning power is greater than women’s– Compared globally U.S. women are closer to the
bottom of the equality list than the top
Legal and political Inequality
– – – Women are participating in elective politics
at an increasing rate– 1988, Geraldine Ferraro became the 1st
female vice-presidential candidate in the history of the U.S.
– 1996, Madeleine Albright was named the first female Secretary of State
– Sandra Day O’Connor was appointed the 1st female Supreme Court Justice in 1981 by Pres. Reagan
Ageism• Age stratification – the unequal
distribution of scarce resources based on age
• Ageism – a set of beliefs, attitudes, norms, and values used to justify age-based prejudice and discrimination
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Functionalism and Ageism• Elderly people in a given
society are treated according to the role the aged play in that society
• In many cultures the elderly are treated with great respect and honor
• Attitudes about aging changed greatly as industrialization changed the nature of work
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Conflict Theory and Ageism
• Competition over scarce resources is the heart of ageism for the Conflict Perspective
• Symbolic Interactionism and Ageism– Children learn negative images of older
people just as they learn other aspects of culture, through socialization
– Stereotypes of the elderly• Senile, forgetful, or “daft”• Sexless• Incapable of learning new things
Inequality in America’s Elderly Population
• Sociologists believe that elderly should be viewed as a minority group
• Economics of the Elderly– The Federal Government assumes that elderly need
less money to live– About 16% of those over the age of 65 are poor– Most elderly in America do not have sources of
income beyond Social Security– Poverty rates for minority elderly are higher than
that of white elderly• Political Power and the Elderly– Voting turn out increase w/ age in the U.S.– Interest groups – a group organized to influence
political decision making• AARP
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