soc 101 - ch 9 gender inequality

primary sex characteristics

biological differences from males and female starting from the womb

secondary sex characteristics

biological differences between males and females starting from puberty

gender

social/cultural aspect based on biological sex

sexual orientation

preferences for sexual relationships

evolutionary basis & hormonal differences

what are 2 biological explanations for gender roles?

gentleness + attractiveness

traits of femininity

toughness + bravery

traits of masculinity

Georgiann Davis

who discovered intersex? (a girl with XY chromosomes)

feminism

belief women and men should be equal

sexism

belief women are inferior to men

family, peers, schools, mass media, religion

5 agents of socialization

General Social Survey statement

much better for men to achieve outside home; women should take care of the home and family

lower levels of religiosity, lower education (less support), older people’s traditional beliefs

what can lead to feminism

sex segreation

workplace: concentration of women into a relatively few low-paying clerical and service job

comparable worth

women’s and men’s jobs may be roughly equal value, deserve same pay

Lilly Ledbetter

who discovered the unequal pay for doing the same job and took it to Supreme Court?

glass ceiling

invisible barrier facing women as they try to advance in the workplace

glass escalator

the smooth path afforded men in promotion in the workplace, especially in occupations primarily filled by women

glass ceiling and glass escalator

what reflects sex discrimination in employment?

sexual harassment

unwelcome sexual advantages, requests for sexual behaviors, or physical conduct of sexual nature that interfere with a job or negative environment

cultural and structural reasons

the two reasons why sexual harassment exists

cultural reason of sexual harassment

depiction of women and the socialization of men

structural reason of sexual harassment

reflection of gendered nature of workplace and educational system; usually men doing the harassment have more power than women

women enjoy being forced to have sex, they ask/deserve to be raped, men should be sexually assertive/aggressive

three cultural explanations for explaining rape

reduce poverty and empower women

methods to reduce rape

de adder: “instashame”

78% of 17 year old girls have issues with their body

benefits of being male

freedom/fear of being raped/sexually assaulted and experiencing gender job discrimination

costs of being male

higher rates of injury, violence, and death; lower likelihood of experiencing the joy of parenthood

reducing gender equality on sociological view

• education for girls, general or vocational

• reduce socialization into traditional gender roles

• confront stereotyping of gender/sexual orientation in popular media

• increase public consciousness against rape, sexual assault/harassment, and pornography

• increase enforcement of existing laws against gender-based employment

• increase funding of rape-crisis centers

• increase gov funding for children’s wellbeing

• federal/state legislation on employment discrimination

• increase # of women in traditionally male occupations and in positions of political leadership

respect

long term remedy to fix social inequality