Sex and Gender Chapter 11

Sex vs. Gender

Sex Biological

Male or female

Gender Social

Masculine or Feminine

Gender differences: biology or

culture?

Gender

Gender Stratification: males’ and females’ unequal access to property, power,

and prestige.

Gender is a social construction

Gender is a process of socialization (family, media, religion, peers, school, etc)

Gender Roles: expectations regarding the proper behavior, attitudes, and

activities of males and females.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VqsbvG40Ww

Gender Socialization

Gender Roles and Toys

Male (Masculine) Female (Feminine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZn_lJoN6PI

0:42-3:37

What toys were your favorites?

(Class Discussion)

How did your favorite toys promote a specific type of gendered behavior?

Did you have any toys that challenged gender stereotypes?

How did your family influence your toys? For example, who primarily bought your toys (mom, dad, grandparent, etc.)? Did you have an older sibling that influenced your toys (maybe you played together r you got their hand-me-down toys)?

What are the long-term implications of gendered toys? For example, do you feel that toys have an influence on what children want to be when they grow up?

Gender Inequality

Around the world, gender is the primary division between people.

In regards to gender inequality, women are considered to be a minority group

There are two proposed explanations to the origin of patriarchy.

Human Reproduction vs. Hand-to-Hand Combat

Regardless of the origins of patriarchy, a circular system of thinking evolved in

which men came to think of themselves inherently superior.

Gender Inequality in Everyday Life

In general, with masculinity symbolizing strength and success, a higher value

is placed on things considered masculine. Femininity, in contrast, is often

perceived as weakness and lack of accomplishment.

What are some terms that are feminine and used as insults?

Gender Inequality in the Workplace

Sex typed work

Every society associates certain

work with one sex or another.

Universally, greater prestige is

given to male activities, regardless

of what the activities are.

Gender Inequality in the Workplace

cont.

The pay gap

Glass ceiling: the mostly invisible

barrier that keeps women from

advancing to the top levels at work

Women are Teachers, Men are

Professors: A Study of Student

Perceptions

Women are Teachers, Men are Professors

“This study shows a pattern of gender bias. Students taking sociology

courses in a research university are much more likely to attribute

the Ph.D. achievement to a man, including the male graduate

instructor, than to a woman who is a faculty member, even a full

professor. Students are less likely to attribute the educational

credentials actually achieved by a woman to a woman. We suggest

this indicates that female faculty members are devalued, or their

credentials and status are at least discounted, by male and female

undergraduate students. Women are more likely than men to be

perceived as marginalized "teachers" in the research university

where this study was conducted. The "professor" is a status that,

for many students, is reserved for the male classroom instructor.”

Miller and Chamberlin

Feminism

Feminism: the view that biology is not destiny, that stratification by gender is wrong and should be resisted, and that men and women should be equal.

Occurred in three waves:

First Wave: Radical branch and Conservative branch (early 1900s)

Second Wave: protest against gender inequalities (1960-80s) The goals of this second wave (which continues today) were broad, ranging from raising women’s pay to changing policies on violence against women and legalizing abortion.

Third Wave: About 1990, the second wave gradually merged into a third wave. It ventured into the cultural sphere to embrace a multiplicity of voices, expressions, and experiences.

Gender Equality

https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_kimmel_why_gender_equality_is_good_

for_everyone_men_included