Sociology- Test 4

Gender

personal traits & social positions that members of a society attach to being female/male

• Affects how we think of ourselves & teaches us how to behave

Gender Stratification

unequal distribution of wealth, power, & privilege between men & women

mostly a creation of society.

• Biologically, men & women differ in limited ways, w/ neither one naturally superior, but culture can define the 2 sexes differently

• Men & Women’s Athletic Performance- marathon world records decreased significantly for women

The textbook discusses that male-female differences are…

Margaret Mead’s Research:

• Culture is the key to gender distinctions

• What one society defines as masculine another may see as feminine

George Murdock’s Research:

• Some global agreement about feminine & masculine tasks

• Studied & researched about 200 pre-industrialized industries

• Hunting & warfare were associated w/ the men, while the house-centered tasks were associated w/ the women

  • Assigned based on the physical characteristics

Patriarchy

form of social organization in which males dominate females

• Most sociologists believe gender’s socially constructed can be changed

Matriarchy

form of social organization in which females dominate males

Sexism

belief that 1 sex is innately inferior/superior to the other

• Has a high price for both women & men

Gender Roles

attitudes & activities that a society links to each sex

the Beauty Myth

society teaches women to measure their worth in terms of physical appearance

• Striving to be physically attractive to men is the key to women’s happiness

Administrative support work (19% of working women)-these jobs are called “pink collar jobs”. Another 21% of employed women perform service work (food industries, child care, and health care)

The US Department of Labor (2016) reports a high concentration of women in two types of jobs…

Comparable worth

paying people not according to the historical double standard but according to their skill and responsibility involved in the work.

• The idea that women should receive the same pay for work equally as important

the type of work they do, largely clerical and service jobs

The main factor for women earning less is…

Glass Ceiling

an invisible barrier blocking the promotion of a qualified worker

• Technology has changed the requirement for participation

• Women have been viewed as nurturers

What has been the cultural issue surrounding women participating in the military?

In the home

Where does most gender related violence occur?

Sexual Harassment

comments, gestures, or physical contacts of a sexual nature that are deliberate, repeated, & unwelcome

• One thing in return for another

• Has everything to do w/ the environment you create, not what your intentions were

What is Quid Pro Quo sexual harassment?

the Intersection Theory

• Analysis of the interplay of race, class, & gender, which often results in multiple dimensions of disadvantage

• Disadvantages linked to gender & race often combine to produce low social standing for some people

• Multilayered system provides disadvantage fro some & privilege for others

Feminism

support of social equality for women & men, in opposition to patriarchy & sexism