Chapter 10: Gender Stratification

Gender and social stratification

1. Working women and men. a). year 2011: Men's medium income: $48,202; women: #37,118 b) Work done between men and women is very different. (nearly half of women's employment is either an administrative assistance or services, such as the food industry. Women do emotional labor.

Matriarchy

A form of social organization in which females dominate males.

Patriarchy

A form of social organization in which males dominate females.

Gender Roles

Also known as (sex roles)- Attitudes and activities that a society links to each sex.

Intersection Theory

Analysis of the interplay of race, class, and gender, which often results in multiple dimensions of disadvantages.

Minority

Any category of people distinguished by physical or cultural difference that a society sets apart and subordinates.

Sexual Harassment

Comments, gestures, or physical contacts of sexual nature that are deliberate, repeated, and unwelcome.

Contrast liberal, radical, and socialist feminism.

Feminism *endorses the social equality of women and men and opposes patriarchy and sexism. *seeks to eliminate violence against women *advocates giving women control over their reproduction. There are three types of feminism: *Liberal feminism seeks equal opportunity for both sexes within the existing society. *socialist feminism claims that gender equality will come about by replacing capitalism with socialism. *radical feminism seeks to eliminate the concept of gender itself and to create an egalitarian and gender-free society. Multicultural feminism expands the focus on gender stratification to take into account the intersection of gender with race and ethnicity; global feminism points out that gender inequality also involve the varying positions of women around the world in the system of global stratification. Today, support for social equality for women and men is widespread. Just 18% of US adults say that women should return to their traditional roles in society. Support for liberal feminism is widespread , with greater opposition discreted toward socialist and radical feminsim.

Gender and the family

First agents of socialization to begin gender roles, often before the person in born. (buying pink or blue outfits to an unborn baby)

Describe research that points to how society creates gender stratification.

Gender refers to the meaning a culture attaches to being female or male. *Evidence that gender is rooted in culture includes global comparisons by Margaret Mead and others showing how societies define what is feminine and masculine in various ways. *Gender is not only about difference: Because societies give more power and other resources to men than to women, gender is an important dimension of social stratification. Sexism is built into the operation of social institutions. *Althought some degree of patriarchy is found almost everywhere, it varies throughout history and from society to society.

Analyze the extent of gender inequality in various social institutions

Gender stratification shapes the workplace: *A majority of women are now in the paid labor force, but 38% hold clerical or service jobs. *comparing full time US workers, women earn 77% as much as men. Gender stratification shapes family life: *Most unpaid housework is performed by women, whether or not they hold jobs outside of home. *Pregnancy and raising small children keep many women out of the labor force at a time when their male peers are making important career gains. Gender stratification shapes education: *Women now earn 59% of all associate and bachelor's degrees. *Women make up 47% of law school students and are an increasing share of graduates in professions traditionally dominated by men, including medicine and business administration. Gender stratification shapes politics: *Although the number of women in politics has increased significantly, the vast majority of elected officials, especially at the national level are men. *Women make up only about 15% of US military personnel. Violence against women and men is a widespread problem linked to how a society defines gender. *Sexual harassment, mostly victimizes women because our culture encourages men to be assertive and to see women in sexual terms. *Pornography portrays women as sexual objects. Many see pornography as a moral issue; because pornography dehumanizes women, it is also a power issue.

Modeling emotional labor

High emo lab, low intimacy. low emo lab: high intimacy.

Gender and schooling

Men disproportionately learning "analytical" types of skills, such as math and science; women cluster in the humanities and social sciences.

Gender and the mass media

Perpetuation of the "beauty myth" and emphasis on an unrealistic body type and body image.

Gender Stratification

The unequal distribution of wealth, power, and privilege between men and women.

Apply sociology's major theories to gender stratification.

Structural-functional theory suggests that. *in preindustrial societies, distinctive roles for males and females reflect biological differences between the sexes. *In industrial societies, marked gender inequality become dysfunctional and gradually decreases. Talcott Parsons described gender differences in terms of complementary roles that promote the social integration of families and society as a whole. Symbolic-interaction theory.suggests that *individuals use gender as one element of their personal performances as they socially construct reality through everyday interactions. *gender plays a part in shaping almost all of our everyday experiences. Because our society defines men as having more value than women, sex roles that define how women and men should behave place men in control of social situations; women play a more deferential role. Social Conflict theory suggests that *gender is an important dimension of social inequality and social conflict. *gender inequality benefits men and disadvantages women. Friedrich Engels tied gender stratification to the rise of private property and a class hierarchy. Marriage and the family are the strategies by which men control their property through control of the sexuality of women. Capitalism exploits everyone by paying men low wages and assigning women the task of maintaining the home. Intersection theory suggests that *particular dimensions in women's lives combine in a multi layered system, creating a unique disadvantage for various categories of women. *women of color encounter greater social disadvantages than white women and earn much less than white men.

Feminism

Support of social equality for women and men, in opposition to patriarchy and sexism.

Sexism

The belief that one sex is innately superior to the other

Gender

The personal traits and social positions that members of a society attach to being female or male.

Explain the importance of gender to socialization

Through the socialization process, gender becomes part of our actions (gender roles). All major agents of socialization- family, peer groups, schools, and the mass media- reinforce cultural definitions of what is feminine and masculine.