Sociology Chapter 11: Gender

Equal rights amendment

A constitutional amendment originally introduced in Congress in 1923 and passed by Congress in 1972, stating that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." Despite public support, the amendment failed to acquire the necessary support from three-fourths of the state legislatures.

Glass Ceiling

A metaphor uses to represent an invisible barrier that keeps a given demographic from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy. Represents a barrier that prohibits women from advancing toward the top of a hierarchical corporation

Transitional role

Falls in between traditional and egalitarian

Liberal Feminism

emphasizes individual rights and equal opportunity as the basis for social justice and reform. Focuses on women's ability to maintain their equality through their own actions and choices. Argue that society holds the false belief that women are, by nature, less intellectually and physically capable than men

Multiracial feminism

evolves from studies pointing out that earlier forms of feminist thinking excluded women of color from analysis, which made it impossible for feminists to deliver theories that informed people about the experiences of all women, Examines that interactive influence of gender, race, and class, showing how they together shape the experiences of all women and men. From this perspective, gender is not a singular or uniform experience, but rather intersects with race and class in shaping the experience of women and men

Human capital theory

explains gender differences in wages as resulting from the individual characteristics that workers bring to jobs. Human capital theory assumes that the economic system is fair and competitive and that wage discrepancies reflect differences in the resources that individuals bring to their jobs. Factors such as age, prior experience, number of hours worked, marital status, and education are human capital variables

The lily ledbetter fair pay act of 2009

extended the protections of civils right bills of 1994. The act states that discrimination claims on the basis of sex, race, national origin, age, religion, and disability accrue with every paycheck, giving workers time to file claims of discrimination and eliminating earlier incentives for employers to cloak discrimination and then claim the employee filed their claims after the fact

gender apartheid

extreme segregation and exclusion of women from public life

Agents of gender socialization

family, peers, children's play, schooling, religious training, mass media, and popular culture

The Equal pay act of 1963

first federal law to require that men and women receive equal pay for equal work

postfeminist

for some, this term means that the women's movement is over because feminism has outlived the need. For others, it means that second wave feminism does not meet the needs of new generations of women

doing gender

interprets gender as something accomplished through the ongoing social interactions people have with one another. Form of feminist theory, adaptations of symbolic interactionism

mommy tax

lower salaries women receive over their lifetime because they have children

Civil rights act of 1964

outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin

Additional informal sector of the market

private service workers or under the table workers. Ex: painting, babysitting, car repairs, etc

Intersectional theory

race, class, and gender intersect to produce different life outcomes and experiences

Feminist Theory

refers to analyses that seek to understand the position of women in society for the explicit purpose of improving their position in it

Feminism

refers to beliefs and action that seek a more just society for women

biological determinism

refers to explanations that attribute complex social phenomena to physical characteristics. Ex: men are more aggressive than women because they have testosterone.

Discrimination

refers to practices that single out some groups for different and unequal treatment

gender stratification

refers to the hierarchical distribution of social and economic resources according to gender

gender

socially learned expectations and behaviors associated with members of each sex

intersexed

term to describe a person whose chromosomes or sex characteristics are neither exclusively male nor exclusively female

homophobia

the fear and hatred of homosexuality

gender socialization

the learning of gender roles through social factors such as schooling, the media, and family. Affects the self concept, social and political attitudes, perceptions about other people, and feelings about relationships with others

Labor force participation rate

the percentage of those in a given category who are employed either part-time or full-time

Women are more nearly equal in societies characterized by the following traits:

1. Women's work is central to the economy 2. Women have access to education 3. Ideological or religious support for gender inequality is not strong 4. Men make direct contributions to household responsibilities, such as housework and child care 5. Work is not highly segregated by sex 6. Women have access to formal power and authority in public decision making

Radical feminists

A perspective within feminism that calls for a radical reordering of society in which male supremacy is eliminated in all social and economic contexts. Think that liberal feminism is limited by assuming that social institutions are basically fair were women and men treated the same within them

Non-Binary

Also known as genderqueer, is a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine- identities that are outside the gender binary and cisnormativity. Non-binary people may express a combination of masculinity and femininity, or neither, in their gender expression

Sexism

Defines women as different from and inferior to men. Can be overt, but can also be subtle. Makes gender roles seem natural when they are actually rooted in systems of power and privilege. Generates social myths that have no basis in fact but support the continuing advantage of dominant groups over subordinates

CIS Gender

Denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex

Two tiers of primary labor market

First tier: high status professional and managerial jobs with potential for upward mobility, room for creativity and initiative, and more autonomy Second tier: Comprises working class jobs, including clerical work, skilled, and semiskilled blue collar work

Black Feminism

Holds that the experience of black women give rise to a particular understanding of their position in relation to sexism, class oppression, and racism.

transgender

Identification with a gender that does not match one's biological gender.

Primary market

In this market, jobs are relatively stable, wages are good, opportunities for advancement exist, fringe benefits are likely, and workers are afforded due process. Jobs are normally in large organizations where there is greater stability, steady profits, benefits for workers, better wages, and a rational system of management

Overt discrimination

Knowingly and willingly denying diverse individuals access to opportunities and outcomes in an organization

Equal Pay Act of 1963

Legislation that requires employers to pay men and women equal pay for equal work

Genderfluid

Of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity is not fixed There are also people who identify as a gender fluid, a mix of both genders, and may feel more male on some days and more female on others.

Title IX of Education Act of 1972

Prohibited gender discrimination in federally subsidized education programs. Title IX also defines various forms of sexual violence as a violation of law

Conflict theory interpretation of gender

Sees women as disadvantaged by power inequities between women and men that are built into the social structure. This includes economic inequality and women's disadvantages in political and social systems. Wage inequality, for example, is produced by men who hold power in social institutions. Also interprets women's inequality as stemming from capitalism

gender identity

The personal sense of one's own gender. Can correlate with assigned sex at birth or can differ from it

Secondary Market

This type of market is characterized by high job turnover, low wages, short or nonexistent promotion ladders, few benefits, poor working conditions, arbitrary work rules, and capricious supervision

Functionalist Theory interpretation of gender

Traditionally purported that men fill instrumental roles in society whereas women fill expressive roles. Criticized for interpreting gender as a fixed role and one that is functional for society. Emphasizes gender socialization as the major impetus behind gender inequality

Traditional role

Wants to identify with her activities at home, i.e. as a wife, a mother, a neighborhood mom

Egalitarian Role

Wants to identify with the same spheres her husband does, and to have an equal amount of power in the marriage. Where both men and women share all the household duties

Gender Segregation

a pattern in which different groups of workers are separated into occupational categories based on gender

patriarchy

a society or group in which men have power over women

Matriarchy

a society or group in which women have power over men

Sex

biological identity, being male or female

queer theory

challenges the idea that sex and gender are binary opposites- that is, either/or categories. Instead, this theory sees that dichotomous sex and gender categories are enforced by the power of social institutions and those who control them. Interprets society as forcing people into presumed gender and sexual identities and behaviors.

The dual labor market theory

contends that women and men earn different amounts because they tend to work in different segments of the labor market. According to this theory, the labor market is organized in two different sectors: primary market and the secondary market

four explanations for wage discrimination

human capital theory, dual labor market theory, gender segregation, and overt discrimination

Glass Elevator

the promotional ride men take to the top of a work organization, especially in feminized jobs

gendered institutions

the total pattern of gender relations that structure social institutions, including the stereotypical expectations, interpersonal relationships, and the different placement of men and women that are found in institutions