Chapter 10 Gender. Issues of Sex and Gender Sex – Biological Characteristics Female and Male Primary and Secondary Sexual Characteristics Gender - Social

Chapter 10

Gender

Issues of Sex and Gender

• Sex – Biological Characteristics

• Female and Male

• Primary and Secondary Sexual Characteristics

• Gender - Social Characteristics

• Masculinity and Femininity

• Appropriate Behavior

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Issues of Sex and Gender

• Gender Stratification- Refers to women and men’s unequal access to power, prestige, and property

• Gender – A cross-cutting master status


Gender Differences In Behavior: Biology or Culture?

• Dominant Position in Sociology– Social Factors Primary, Not Biological– If Biological, Should Be Less Variation




• The case of Jan Morris (aka James Morris)

Conundrum (1974). New York: Harcourt and Brace.


• Opening the Door to Biology– A Medical Accident– Vietnam Veterans Study

• Researchers found boys and men who have higher levels of testosterone tend to be more aggressive

- Alice Rossi: Women are better prepared biologically for “mothering” than are men; nature provides biological predispositions that are overlaid with culture


Gender and Inequality in Global Perspective• How Females became a Minority Group

The main sociological theory explaining the origin of patriarchy—men dominating society—centers on reproduction.

1. As a result of pregnancy and breast-feeding, women assumed the tasks associated with the home and child care.

2. Men took over tasks such as hunting, which allowed them to make contact with other tribes. Male prestige resulted from their accumulation of possessions through trade and war with other groups. Superior weapons, possessions and knowledge, assured they had social power over women.


Violence Against Women

• A global human rights issue is violence against women.

• Historical examples include foot binding in China, witch burning in Europe, honor killings, and suttee (burning the living widow with the body of her dead husband) in India.


Gender Inequality in the U.S.

• Fighting Back: The Rise of Feminism First Wave (early 1900s). Consisted of radical and conservative branches. By 1920s, women gained right to vote.

Second Wave (began 1960s). Broad changes ranging from work roles to violence against women.

Third Wave (recent development). Greater focus on women in least developed societies, a criticism of values dominating workplace, and emphasis on women’s sexual pleasure




Gender Inequality in the U.S.

• Gender Inequality in Education– The Past– The Change: Women now are the majority of

college students as well as degree recipients– Gender Tracking: College degrees continue to

follow gender, with males and females being concentrated in certain majors

– Graduate School and Beyond: Women presently make 45% of graduate program students



Changes in College Enrollment, by Sex

Women are presently the majority of college students at 57%


College Students, by Sex and Race-Ethnicity


Gender Changes in Professional Degrees

Gender Inequality in the Workplace

• The Pay Gap– Historical Background– Geographical Factors– The “Testosterone Bonus”– Reasons for the Gender Pay Gap– The CEO Gap



• Is the Glass Ceiling Cracking?– The Women Who Break Through– And the Future?

• Sexual Harassment—and Worse

• In U.S., women paid $700,000 less over course of lifetime than males



• The “Glass Ceiling”: An invisible barrier faced by women trying to reach executive status



Women’s and Men’s Proportion of the U.S. Labor Force


Women in the Workforce


The Gender Pay Gap, by Education


The Gender Gap over Time: What Percentage of Men’s Income Do Women Earn?

Gender and Violence

• Violence Against Women– Rape– Date (Acquaintance) Rape– Murder– Violence in the Home– Feminism and Gendered Violence– Solutions



In U.S., 1 out of 1000 women between ages of 12-50 are raped



Killers and Their Victims

Changing Face of Politics

• Women Majority in Population

• Women Underrepresented in Government

• Women Underrepresented in Law and Business Careers

• More women are becoming corporate executives & lawyers



Glimpsing the Future - With Hope

• Barriers Coming Down– Stereotypes that limit females to “feminine”

activities & males to “masculine” ones

• Activities Degendered

• New Consciousness



Documents

Chapter 10 Gender. Issues of Sex and Gender Sex – Biological Characteristics Female and Male Primary and Secondary Sexual Characteristics Gender - Social