gender and society- sociological perspective

sex

-the anatomical or other biological differences between males and females that originate in human genes.
-biological category for classifying people as male/female

gender

norms, roles and behaviors associated in a given society

socially constructed gender

culture and society influence how gender is presented

gender roles

attitudes and behaviors considered appropriately "masculine" or "feminine"

transgender

people whose gender identity , expression or behavior differs from assigned sex at birth or outside the two gender categories

transexual

people who use surgery and hormones to change their sex to match their preferred gender and sexuality

sexual orientation

-ways people contrast their sexual desires
-people are now becoming more increasingly fluid

gendered selves

-what we consider "masculine" and "feminine" differs across cultures
-gender displays can vary dramatically
-gender roles are continuously learned and re learned through social interaction

Familial effects on gender roles

-children learn socially normative gender roles from family
-factory of gendered personalities
-mothers speak different to sons/daughters in utero

Sons are taught...

to grow wings and be independent

daughters are taught...

to grow roots and be supportive

friend and peer effects on gender roles

-early age, girls/boys learn gender roles and stereotypes in peer groups

peers influence by

stigmatizing those who preform gender incorrectly

Martin and Fabes

young girls who played in all girl groups affirmed characteristics such as encouragement and support

Pascoe

boys who played in all boy groups were reinforced with masculine norms and were teased when they showed any "feminine" traits *slurs are normally used to enforce masculinity

Media's Influence

-highly sexualized images of women display them as passive and dependent
-male cartoon characters more likely to display strength

video-games influence

women are presented in hyper-sexual ways and are sometimes harder to use in game play

hidden curriculum

unspoken norms, values, and roles- including gender roles that occur in the classroom

Schools influence

- history textbooks dominated by male figures
- girls outperform boys in grades, enrollment in AP courses and graduation rates
-boys outperform girls on SAT's

sex category

socially required identification display that conforms membership

gender

activity that creates differences, not biological, appear natural because they are so enacted

second shift

unpaid housework women typically do after they come home from their paid employment

second shift facts

-unmarried women who live with men spend less time on house work than married women
- marriage makes housework traditional and women spend more time doing housework

women in higher education

-women historically barred from higher education institutions and since then women have made more significant gains
-women graduate high school at higher rates and earn higher GPA's
-more women than men hold college degrees

Gender Wage Gap

difference between earnings of women and men
-disparity increases for women of color
-creates institutional sexism

Glass Ceiling

artificial boundary that keeps women from reaching next occupational due to structural obstacles

Glass Escalator

the nearly invisible promotional boost men gain in female dominated occupations
-men and women are heavily segregated into "traditionally female and male" occupations

feminism

belief that social equality should exist between sexes-> seeks to explain, expose and eliminate sexism

sexism

belief that one sex in innately superior to the other, therefore justified in having dominate social position

Fredrich Engles Theory of Gender

-german social scientist
-argued capitalism intensified male domination
-explained sex roles in terms of dominance

Charolette Perkins Theory of Gender

argued that the relationship between men and women as sexo-economic relation
-women depend on men financially

Talcott Parsons

-argued traditional sex roles played a functional role in U.S society
-women socialized into "expressive" qualities for the private sphere and men socialized instrumental

feminine mystique

Betty Friedan argued the US stereotype

patriarchy

any set of social relationship where men dominate women
-sparked second wave of feminism

Basic Feminist Ideas

-increased equality
-eliminate gender stratification
-end sexual violence
-promote sexual freedom

liberal feminism

mostly due to imperfect institutions; can be corrected by reforms without altering society

socialist feminism

due to capitalist economy and male domination over women, both must be fundamentally transformed

radical feminism

radical re-ordering of society in which male supremacy is eliminated in all social and economic contexts, while recognizing that women's experiences are also affected by other social divisions such as in race, class, and sexual orientation.

multicultural feminism

inequality must be understood for all women; regardless of race, sexual orientation, physical ability
-sparked the third wave of feminism

intersectional feminism

recognizes different forms of oppression

standpoint theory

knowledge we create is subjective; depends on where we "stand" in society

standpoint epistemology

philosophy; what we know if affected by position we occupy in society

matrix of domination

system of social positions any individual may concurrently occupy as a member of a dominant group and/or member of dominating group

4 "rules" of masculinity

1.) No sissy stuff- avoid anything that would make one seem "feminine"
2.) be a big deal- gain wealth, power, status
3.) be a sturdy oak- have no emotions that will make you look weak
4.) Give em hell- be daring and aggressive

Hegemonic Masculinity

-culturally normative idea of male behavior
-harmful for both men and women

Gender worldwide

- women were denied education, inherit/own property , medical care
-women are less likely to earn equal wages
-women are less likely to eat when family food is scarce

Sex Trafficking

- government and police corruption
-girls/young women in brothels often poor, illiterate
-conservative values like purity increase the rate of victims