Sociology of Gender Chapter 1, WOMS Chpt 3 Questions, WOMS Chpt 5 Questions, WOMS Chpt 6 Questions, WOMS Chpt 7 Questions, GENDER TEST 1
Gender varies...
1. across life course of an individual 2. across historical time within a culture 3. across cultures 4. across men and women within a given culture but we speak about gender as though it is constant and universal common to all men and women. But it is fluid, ever changing assemblage. We need to pluralize masculinities and femininities.
Two basic explanations for gender inequality
1. biological determinism 2. differential socialization ie: nature vs nurture Most arguments about gender start with biological differences. Are men and women hardwired to be different, or are we taught to be different?
How biological determinism and differential socialization are the same and both fail; 2 points
1. both schools of thought assert women and men are fundamentally different from one another 2. both assume that the differences between women and men are greater than the differences within men and within women. **both fall into the interplanetary theory of gender difference, which is false. Both assume that gender inequality stems from gender difference; that difference causes domination **In reality, Gender difference is the product of gender inequality, not the other way around** Essentially, they both assert that gender inequality cannot be totally ameliorated because it is rooted in our differences.
Summary
1. men and women are more similar than different; despite dominant interplanetary theory 2. gender differences exist, but are neither complete nor absolute. 3. gender inequality and dominance are often explained using biological determinism and differential socialization. 4. inequality produces gender differences, not the other way around. 5. our social norms are really masculine norms- hegemonic masculinity 6.
Two central questions for explanations of gender
1. why is that that virtually every society differentiates people based on gender? 2. Why is it that virtually every society is based on male dominance? (basically every society is founded on the differences of gender and politics of gender inequality)
According to the author of this text, all of the following are crucial dimensions that sociology adds to the study of gender, EXCEPT: (a) The critical-intersectional analysis (b) The life-course perspective (c) The micro-level interactionist approach (d) The macro-level institutional analysis
A
All of the following are proven macrostructural supports that help men and women balance work and family life, EXCEPT: (a) Community parenting (b) Adequate healthcare (c) In-workplace childcare (d) Paid parental leave
A
All of the research we have on the benefits of marriage suggests that: (a) Men benefit from being married more than women. (b) Women benefit from being married more than men. (c) Men believe in divorce to solve problems more than women. (d) Women believe in divorce to solve problems more than men.
A
Belief in the "midlife crisis" hinges on: (a) Confirmation bias—a single or a few cases of the expected behavior confirm the belief (b) Hormonal changes—depression, angst, or irrational behavior brought on by aging (c) Relationship role strain—men and women struggling to negotiate love, marriage, and sex (d) All of the above
A
From the point of view of the socialized, which of the following agents of socialization would be considered a primary socializer? (a) College roommates (b) Your parents (c) Grade-school teachers (d) Religious leaders
A
Given the vast array of cultural differences in gender inequality and male domination, what factors appear to be central in determining women's status in society? (a) Father's involvement in childrearing and women's control of property after marriage (b) Women's access to employment and men's levels of aggression (c) The level to which the sexes are segregated from each other in any given culture and the ways in which this segregation takes place (d) The relative wealth of a culture, as well as its literacy rates
A
How are children of gay and lesbian parents different, according to studies? (a) They are more ethically aware. (b) They develop sexually earlier. (c) They have a greater incidence of psychological disorders because of societal shame. (d) They often become gay or lesbian themselves.
A
How do feminist anthropologists Marija Gimbutas and Riane Eisler envision Neolithic gender difference? (a) Their societies were goddess-worshipping, gender-equal, virtual gardens of Eden, in which women and men were equal and mutually respectful. (b) These societies were based on the Hobbesian idea of the state of nature, in which there is a constant state of war, except in this version it is between the sexes. (c) Their societies were free of gender difference, according to Gimbutas and Eisler, and considered physical sexual differentiation no more important than varying heights or hair colors. (d) Their societies were based on the Rousseauian notion of the state of nature, in which "society" is not a concept known to "nature," but rather comes about via culture; thus, gender difference was not pertinent until after Neolithic times, according to this argument.
A
If one of the chief purposes of the family is to maintain both gender inequality and gender difference between the parents, what is its purpose with regard to children? (a) To ensure that gender is imparted to the next generation (b) To end the cycle of gender conditioning (c) To condition children into a narrow view of which members of the population may marry (d) To train the children to do their share of housework
A
If the sociobiologists' theory was right that the goal of all sexuality is to pass on one's genetic code, then same-sex sexuality would be an aberration. It turns out instead that: (a) Same-sex sexuality is ubiquitous; what varies between cultures is how "homosexuality" is understood and treated. (b) Same-sex sexuality is solely a feature of capitalist cultures and appeared when exchange value began to outstrip use value. (c) The goal of all sexuality is to find a partner who closely resembles oneself; opposite-sex sexuality is thus the aberration that needs to be explained. (d) Only opposite-sex sexuality has the ultimate goal of procreation, whereas the goal of same-sex sexuality is pleasure.
A
In Margaret Mead's study of three different tribes in New Guinea, which tribe's gender differences were opposite to that of U.S. culture (women were political leaders and warriors while men stayed at home with children)? (a) Tchambuli (b) Mundugumor (c) Arapesh (d) None of the above
A
In studying the history of the U.S. family, we must acknowledge that the separation of spheres phenomenon was a reality only for: (a) Whites and the upper class (b) Whites and the lower class (c) non-Whites and the upper class (d) non-Whites and the lower class
A
One key way in which the gender order is reproduced is: (a) The idea of gender neutrality (b) The presumption of gender bias (c) The false equivalency of gender equality (d) The confirmation gender bias
A
Research has shown that women's colleges _______________ gender inequality and men's colleges ______________ gender inequality. (a) Challenge; reproduce (b) Reproduce; challenge (c) Challenge; challenge (d) Reproduce; reproduce
A
Ritual practices of male bonding are more evident in which kinds of culture? (a) Those in which sex segregation is high and women's status is low (b) Those in which sex segregation is low and women's status is high (c) Those in which men help more with childcare and work outside the home less (d) Those in which male homosexuality is taboo
A
The anthropological view that male privilege and men's power happens through male solidarity—especially across age groups and generations—is called: (a) Descent theory (b) Alliance theory (c) Male bonding theory (d) Female exclusion theory
A
The author of this text would likely argue that the focus on one "out-of-control, psychologically disturbed individual" after a mass shooting, rather than a focus on the culture of toxic masculinity as a whole, is just another example of: (a) Reflexive passivity (b) Reflexive hyperindividualism (c) Impulsive passivity (d) Impulsive contraindividualism
A
To increase women's participation in school sports, a number of men's teams had to be cut. This action is often called: (a) Reverse discrimination (b) Anti-equality (c) Meninism (d) Reverse feminism
A
To what does this chapter attribute episodes of school violence such as Columbine? (a) Gender conformity and gay baiting (b) Male invisibility (c) The availability of firearms in the United States (d) The high rate of alcohol and drug use among boys in high school
A
What are the three elements of a definition of gender from a sociological perspective? (a) Identity, interaction, and institution (b) Individual, ideology, and idealization (c) Inherent, implied, and idiopathic (d) Personal, historical, and cultural
A
What did Margaret Mead discover in her study of the Arapesh, Mundugumor, and Tchambuli tribes with regard to personality? (a) The degree to which a culture regards gender as a difference does not seem to affect the degree to which the culture is peaceful or violent. (b) The degree to which a culture regards gender as a difference has a direct effect on whether the culture is peaceful or violent. (c) Only tribes that do not view gender as a difference are able to maintain peaceful relations. (d) Only tribes that view gender as a great difference are able to maintain peaceful relations.
A
What did a comparative study of several countries reveal about math performance and gender? (a) Those countries where girls did better in math also tended to be the countries that score higher on other measures of gender equality. (b) Those countries where girls did better in math also tended to be the more economically advantaged countries. (c) Math performance is not at all connected to gender. (d) Math ability correlates more with class status than with gender.
A
What do cross-cultural studies reveal about sexual frequency? (a) It varies immensely across cultures. (b) It varies far less across cultures than gender difference does. (c) The higher woman's status is in the culture, the higher the sexual frequency. (d) Sexual frequency is directly related to the degree to which men help with childcare.
A
What has careful research revealed about the male midlife crisis? (a) Most men do not experience one. (b) For the most part only white, middle-class men experience one. (c) Women have midlife crises more than men do. (d) It is an underreported phenomenon and happens in approximately nine of ten men.
A
What is needed for men to become more involved in housework and childcare? (a) Men need to want it and they need structural supports such as paid parental leave. (b) Men need to embrace their feminine side and agree to rely more on their wives' income. (c) Women need to make room for men to work in the home. (d) A single-payer healthcare system must be implemented, which would allow for more structural support of children.
A
What is the long-term consequence of corporal punishment of children? (a) There is a greater probability that the child will hit a spouse as an adult. (b) There is a greater probability that the child will grow up to punish his or her own children even more severely. (c) Children will behave better at the expense of their self-esteem. (d) Children will be less likely to hit their parents.
A
What role do books, TV, movies, and music videos play in gender, according to this chapter? (a) They reinforce stereotypes. (b) Their consumption patterns vary by gender. (c) They offer a fantasy of gender equality not equivalent with reality. (d) They are escape outlets for boys and girls alike.
A
What sociological perspective views the gendered division of labor as necessary for the preservation of society as a whole? (a) Functionalist (b) Social Constructionist (c) Social Darwinist (d) Marxist
A
Which of the following is an example of the hidden curriculum? (a) Teachers call on boys more than girls for answers to tough questions. (b) Textbooks inaccurately detail the reality of slavery. (c) Exams test for general social knowledge as well as specific content knowledge. (d) The mass media portray the stories of famous intelligent men, but not famous intelligent women.
A
Whom does marriage benefit most, according to studies? (a) Men (b) Women (c) Children (d) It does not benefit anyone: all studies agree that marriage lowers rates of happiness and success for all members of the family.
A
Why do single-sex schools have such high student success rates? (a) They tend to be private and small, with lots of resources, dedicated faculty, low student-teacher ratios, and more educationally privileged students. (b) They offer students a chance to learn away from the stresses and pressures of gender conditioning and domination. (c) They are based on a feminist model of learning, which stresses a pedagogy of nurture rather than the Socratic method. (d) Their success rates are measured not by test scores or grades, but rather by independent consultants, who are paid to produce high ratings.
A
The anthropological view that male privilege and men's power happens through the shared subjugation and sexualization of women—especially as women are traded and exchanged as wives—is called:
Alliance theory
A functionalist perspective on the family—à la Talcott Parsons—emphasizes the need for which two components to function appropriately? (a) Expressive (male); instrumental (female) (b) Expressive (female); instrumental (male) (c) Hegemonic (male); emphasized (female) (d) Hegemonic (female); emphasized (male)
B
A unique form of bullying in which young boys make sure other young boys obey the rules of masculinity using homophobia is called: (a) Homophobia policing (b) Gender policing (c) Homophobic bullying (d) Gender-based bullying
B
All of the following are indications that housework and childcare are gendered, EXCEPT: (a) The fact that married men report higher levels of happiness with traditional housewives than working wives (b) The presence of fathers at the birth of their children (c) The existence of working women's "second shift" (d) The fact that women do more work inside the home (such as laundry) and men do more work outside (such as on the house or cars)
B
Biological research on gender differences lead us to believe that________, while cultural studies on gender differences show _________. (a) Gender inequality leads to gender difference; gender difference is not a natural outcome of gender inequality (b) Gender differences lead to gender inequality; gender inequality is not a natural outcome of gender difference (c) Men and women are completely different; men and women are more similar than different (d) Men and women are completely similar; men and women are more different than similar
B
Early research on single-sex schooling concluded that it was beneficial to women based on the fame and wealth they achieved after schooling ended. What factor did this research forget to include? (a) These women married famous and wealthy men; it was not their wealth. (b) These women were already famous and wealthy; fame and wealth was the only way into the school. (c) The men who were educated in single-sex schools also went on to fame and wealth, even more so than the women; single-sex schools didn't solve gender inequality. (d) None of the above
B
Gilbert Herdt's study of the Sambia in Papua New Guinea found that male homosexual behavior in Sambian culture is: (a) Unheard of (b) A way young boys are initiated into adulthood (c) A ritual form of greeting during potlatches (d) Officially prohibited but unofficially worshiped
B
How does joint custody affect children? (a) It causes uncertainty and confusion. (b) It is beneficial for them. (c) It creates an unequal and biased system of gender dominance. (d) It often creates a situation of economic disparity between parents, which is difficult for children to come to terms with.
B
How does power play a part in gender difference? (a) It is about the power individual men have over individual women, for instance in the home and in the workplace. (b) Both men and women have power, but in extremely different forms and realms; sociology helps us understand how women's power and men's power function within and come from the larger social structure and how women's individual power is not the same as male/masculine privilege. (c) It is about the power men as a group have over women as a group, as well as the power some men have over other men (or some women have over other women). (d) Neither men nor women have power, but the gendered institutions in our lives do have power.
B
In 1858, when the president of the University of Michigan argued that "men will lose as women advance, we shall have a community of defeminated women and demasculated men," what was he arguing against? (a) Women's suffrage (b) Coeducation (c) Women in the workforce (d) Women's inclusion in the draft
B
In Margaret Mead's study of three different tribes in New Guinea, which tribe was composed of all warriors and headhunters? (a) Tchambuli (b) Mundugumor (c) Arapesh (d) None of the above
B
Most of the gender differences in school enrollment have to do with: (a) Biology (b) Race or class (c) Gender socialization (d) Intelligence
B
Sociologists challenge sex role theory by emphasizing not only the plurality of gender roles, but also the way in which gender is: (a) Biological (b) Relational (c) Personal (d) Universal
B
The amendments to the Education Act of 1972 included abolishing sex discrimination in public schools. This is better known as: (a) Title II (b) Title IX (c) Title III (d) Title XI
B
The anthropological view that male privilege and men's power happens through the shared subjugation and sexualization of women—especially as women are traded and exchanged as wives—is called: (a) Descent theory (b) Alliance theory (c) Male bonding theory (d) Female exclusion theory
B
Unlike other fields of study, when it comes to gender, sociology is uniquely equipped to understand both: (a) Why men cross-dress, and why women do not (b) What is really different between men and women, and what is not really different but still seems to be because of the gendered order (c) Why women wear makeup and shave their legs and why men do not (d) The macrostructural underpinnings of sex differences, and the micro-level interactions that lead to social problems such as intersexuality and rape
B
What changed for men during the nineteenth-century "separation of spheres"? (a) They were forced to look to mistresses for romance and wives for procreation. (b) Paid work shifted away from home and their share of work inside the home was eliminated. (c) A disciplinary regime was set up whereby people began to regulate their own behavior. (d) An increasingly secularized world meant that God no longer factored into household decisions.
B
What changes for girls in junior high school? (a) Their self-esteem plummets but their scores on IQ tests rise an average of 13 points. (b) Their self-esteem plummets and their scores on IQ tests fall precipitously. (c) They learn that appearance is not everything and start focusing more on academics. (d) They lose their baby fat and become sexually active.
B
What do researchers say is a leading cause of teenage parenthood? (a) Increased education about and access to birth control (b) Decreased education about and access to birth control (c) Increased media portrayals of teenage sex and sexuality (d) Decreased media portrayals of teenage sex and sexuality
B
What do studies show about sexual harassment in schools? (a) For the most part only girls experience harassment, and it is invariably boys who are the perpetrators. (b) Both boys and girls experience harassment, but it is invariably boys who are the perpetrators. (c) Both boys and girls experience harassment, and it is most frequently teachers who are the perpetrators. (d) It rarely occurs in same-sex schools but occurs very frequently in coeducational schools.
B
What do the data suggest about men and housework? (a) Hispanic men do significantly more than White men. (b) Black men do significantly more than White men. (c) Progressive, liberal, well-educated, middle-class White men do the most housework. (d) Blue-collar men, regardless of race, do the most housework.
B
What does Title IX do? (a) It abolishes sex discrimination in public schools and has been taken to mandate that girls be allowed to play on every one of the teams that boys play on in public schools. (b) It abolishes sex discrimination in public schools and has been taken to mandate that women's sports be funded equally with men's. (c) It requires public schools to support as many women's sports as men's. (d) It requires public schools to let women take the day off from gym class if they have their period.
B
What evidence is there from cross-cultural studies of gender that male domination is not inevitable? (a) Many cultures have ended centuries of male domination through feminist revolt. (b) Women's status varies widely and depends on many cultural factors. (c) The more male domination exists in any given culture, the less economically prosperous that culture will be. (d) Many Native cultures do not subscribe to the two-gender system but rather have multiple gender possibilities.
B
What is one effect on children of having a working mother? (a) They are more attached to their fathers. (b) They have more egalitarian gender role attitudes. (c) They have a lower percentage of mental illness. (d) They have a higher chance of having an attachment disorder.
B
What is the contemporary ideological purpose of male circumcision, according to certain cross-cultural perspectives? (a) To perform a ritual that safeguards a boy's place in his family (b) To show that all men are biologically and culturally alike, which cements male domination (c) To reduce the possibility of penile infection (d) To subordinate boys to their culture by obstructing their sexual pleasure
B
What is the meaning of West and Zimmerman's argument that gender is something we do? (a) Gender is a role we play, which we can assume at will. (b) Gender is less a component of identity—something fixed and static—that we take with us into our interactions than it is the product of those interactions. (c) We are forced to reiterate our gender over and over; it is such an unstable category that it must be performed constantly. (d) Secondary sex characteristics are more important than primary sex characteristics.
B
What is the problem with sex role theory's use of the idea of the "role"? (a) It diminishes the power of biology in the construction of gender by presenting gender as freely willed and chosen. (b) It diminishes the power gender has in structuring our lives by presenting it as something we can put on and take off. (c) It suggests that gender is the same throughout different cultures. (d) It suggests that we are so entirely trapped in a performance of gender that we will never be able to end male domination of women.
B
What is the sex composition of the workplace most closely related to? (a) Prestige (b) Salary (c) Benefits (d) Physical suitability for the job
B
What primary agents of gender socialization did early sociology neglect to consider? (a) Family, school, and church (b) A child's peer group and media (c) The government and psychology (d) Neighborhood and video games
B
What social phenomenon in the late 1800s and early 1900s reinforced and strengthened the separation of spheres in the U.S.? (a) World War I (b) Rapid industrialization (c) The Civil War (d) Rapid immigration
B
Why has feminism failed to resonate for many men? (a) Being in a situation of privilege is comfortable, so many men feel that feminism would not increase their power any more than it already has. (b) Although men may be in power socially, individual men are not always "in power" in their own lives and they often do not feel powerful. (c) Feminists in the 1970s and early 1980s were bra-burning, man-hating separatists, and that has made many men uncomfortable with the movement. (d) None of the above
B
Working mothers are happier than nonworking mothers, but they still report lower levels of marital satisfaction than their husbands. Why would this be so? (a) Women then feel torn between their children and their husbands in the small time they now spend at home. (b) Women's workload actually increases at home, whereas the men benefit by having additional income and comparable housework done for them. (c) The wife's workplace satisfaction often causes a rift in the marriage as a result of increasing tension. (d) Women experience more stress than men in general.
B
_____________ students experience the highest rates of sexual harassment in person, and _____________ students experience the highest rates of sexual harassment online. (a) Girl; boy (b) Girl; girl (c) Boy; girl (d) Boy; boy
B
What do studies show about sexual harassment in schools?
Both boys and girls experience harassment, but it is invariably boys who are the perpetrators.
How does power play a part in gender difference?
Both men and women have power, but in extremely different forms and realms; sociology helps us understand how women's power and men's power function within and come from the larger social structure and how women's individual power is not the same as male/masculine privilege.
According to Helen Fisher's theory, what is the actual historical meaning of what sociobiologists consider the biologically natural system (nuclear families; monogamous, lifelong marriages; separation of home and workplace)? (a) It is a sign that capitalism has led us so far astray that only a socialist revolution can combat the pernicious effects of current male domination, which include the supposedly biologically natural system. (b) It is the beginning of a postsecular age of gender equality, the hallmarks of which will be peaceful lifelong monogamy and great divisions between home and work. (c) It is merely a brief evolutionary rest stop in settled agricultural domain, and we will return to our origins soon; divorce, remarriage, institutionalized childcare, and greater equality in male and female labor are all signs of this impending change. (d) It is the premier signpost of an age in which substandard biological assumptions masquerade as truth and family values masquerade as ethics.
C
According to current scientific research, what accounts for the average gender differences in math performance in school? (a) Biology; males and females have different brains and thus different capabilities (b) Community; the differences are based on location, poverty rates, and household composition (c) Culture; equality between men and women in the labor force and in public office (reflecting overall racial and class-based equality in society) is linked to differences in school abilities (d) All of the above
C
All of the following are "gendered processes" that Acker argues create and reproduce gender differences and the gendered order within the workplace, EXCEPT: (a) The construction of symbols and images "that explain, express, reinforce, or sometimes oppose" gender divisions (b) The interactions between individuals (c) The interaction between organizations (d) The internal mental work of individuals "as they consciously construct their understandings" of the gendered structure within the workplace
C
Education is a gendered workplace, because: (a) More men than women are elementary school teachers. (b) More men than women are college adjunct lecturers and instructors. (c) More men than women are principals and administrators. (d) More men than women are special education instructors.
C
From the point of view of the socializer, which of the following agents of socialization would be considered a primary socializer? (a) College roommates (b) The children you babysit (c) Your parents (d) The video games you play
C
From the point of view of the socializer, which of the following agents of socialization would be considered a secondary or life-course socializer? (a) College roommates (b) Your parents (c) Grade-school teachers (d) Religious leaders
C
In the 1980s, what two issues put increased strain and stress on the family? (a) Erosion of workplace benefits and increasing demands at home (b) Erosion of home life and increasing demands at work (c) Erosion of leisure time and increasing demands at work (d) Erosion of demands at work and increasing leisure time
C
Much of the debate surrounding "family values" being in crisis stems from: (a) The high divorce rates and low marriage rates (b) The increase in teenage mothers (c) A displaced quarrel with the feminist movement (d) All of the above
C
Ultimately, the main problem with single-sex schools is that: (a) They are too variable in the quality of education they provide. (b) They don't allow for appropriate sexual socialization. (c) They are separate but unequal. (d) They blind children to the realities of the outside world.
C
What are the four ways gender varies, according to a social constructionist perspective? (a) It can be masculine, feminine, intersexual, or transgender. (b) It can be understood on the level of the individual, small groups, large groups, and universally. (c) It varies by culture, over time in history, over the course of a life, and within culture based on other axes of difference such as class and race. (d) All of the above
C
What did Friedrich Engels claim is the basis of the sex-based division of labor? (a) Industrialization, which deemed women's skills different from men's (b) Biological differences between men and women, from which, according to Engels, capitalism was eventually born (c) Private property, which, according to Engels, is responsible for capitalism, the nation-state, and the nuclear family (d) Early Neolithic hunter-gatherer cultures, from which we evolved with definite ideas of which sex was capable of which functions
C
What does "two-spirit" mean? (a) It stands for the Navaho ritual in which the nadle is "reborn" as a third gender. (b) It is a term French anthropologists used to describe the Navaho god of ornamentation, said to be particularly fond of the nadle. (c) It is a word for the custom in some Native cultures of persons of one sex who adopt the gender identity of the other sex: they are revered as possessed of special powers. (d) It is a translation of the Nahane term for "she who has no gender."
C
What does it mean to say that gender is socially constructed? (a) Individuals are not responsible for whatever may be the consequences of their gender because they have been so strongly shaped by society. (b) We can and should revolt against gender as it is constructed today because we are individuals with agency. (c) Our gender is a fluid assemblage of the meanings and behaviors that we construct from the values, images, and prescriptions we find in the world around us. (d) There is no such thing as gender; it is just a mass delusion prompted by social forces.
C
What does it mean to say, as this chapter does, that the form of the family matters far less for children than its content? (a) The 1950s gender and family norms are actually harmful to children and should be replaced with greater interest on the part of the father in childcare and housework. (b) Maintaining distinct gender roles is not as important as making sure children are fed and clothed. (c) Happiness, support, love, and warmth in the home are more important than whether the family is intact, divorced, single-parent, lesbian, or gay. (d) Whether the family is intact, divorced, single-parent, lesbian, or gay is more important than the actual level of harmony in the household.
C
What does the family values debate really stem from? (a) The rising rate of divorce in America, which is responsible for the high rate of mental illness in youth (b) The rising rate of teen pregnancy (c) A quarrel with feminism, which is often wrongly blamed or credited with the entry of women into the workplace (d) The lesbian and gay campaign for the right to marry
C
What have anthropologists discovered about different cultures' definitions of masculinity and femininity? (a) Most cultures have very similar definitions of masculinity and femininity. (b) Most cultures differ mainly in their definitions of sexuality, but not much in their definitions of gender difference. (c) There is far more variability in definitions of masculinity than any biologist would have predicted. (d) Gender difference tends to vary more by continent than by specific culture.
C
What is one way in which teachers treat boys and girls differently in the classroom? (a) They make more eye contact with boys and consequently call on them more often. (b) They more quickly contradict boys when they are wrong, whereas they are more polite to girls who make mistakes. (c) They ask boys more challenging questions than they do girls and wait longer for boys to answer. (d) They are quicker to punish boys for misbehavior than girls.
C
What is one way that the sociological view of rape differs from that of evolutionary biologists, anthropologists, and psychologists? (a) Sociologists understand rape as a reproductive strategy for "losers" who are unable to pass on their genetic inheritance by old-fashioned seduction. (b) Sociologists suggest that rape varies dramatically from one culture to another, and what causes the difference is the status of women. (c) Sociologists see rape as culturally legitimated and reproduced rather than as the product of a collection of sick and maladapted individuals. (d) Sociologists see rape as an aberrant behavior caused by a psychodynamic process.
C
What is the "deceptive distinction" in the fact that there are a higher percentage of women than men in college? (a) It reflects the fact that women more often take more years to finish their college degrees than men; thus, at any given time there are more women in college. (b) It does not reflect the dropout rate of men and women: because women drop out at a higher rate, they are also admitted at a higher rate. (c) It reflects a shortage of nonwhite males in college—Blacks and Hispanics in particular—although there is very little gender gap between White women and men in college. (d) It does not take into account the higher rate of men overseas at war.
C
What is the "idea of organizational gender neutrality"? (a) The way we understand gender to be organized affects whether it has any power over our own actions. (b) Although processes and organizations are gendered, individuals are not, which reproduces gender domination. (c) Organizations try to make gender invisible, thus reproducing the gender order. (d) The business strategy of implementing an androgynous dress code alleviates gender hierarchies in the workplace.
C
What is the consequence of allowing young people access to sex education? (a) There is a slight increase in rates of sexual activity and no increase in rates of safer sex practices. (b) There is a slight increase in rates of sexual activity and an increase in rates of safer sex practices. (c) There is a decrease in rates of sexual activity and an increase in rates of safer sex practices. (d) Respondents are more likely to misrepresent their sexual practices to interviewers after having received sex education.
C
What is the effect of predominantly female college campuses? (a) There is a lower rate of rape. (b) Women are more self-confident, whereas men begin to show signs of self-doubt. (c) Men and women both get higher grades and men are more committed than before to liberal views. (d) Men and women both get lower grades and men are more committed than before to conservative views.
C
What is the single best predictor of violent crime? (a) Fatherlessness (b) Motherlessness (c) Poverty (d) Divorce
C
What two variables emerge from anthropological research as central determinants of women's status in a society? (a) Father's involvement in childrearing; women's control of property before marriage (b) Mother's involvement in childrearing; women's control of property before marriage (c) Father's involvement in childrearing; women's control of property after marriage (d) Mother's involvement in childrearing; men's control of property after marriage
C
Which of the following family forms is most common today? (a) People living alone (b) Married couples with children (c) Married couples without children (d) Single parents with children
C
Which tribe/society did Margaret Mead call "utopian," because both men and women were caring, nurturing, and seen as equals in a nonviolent society? (a) Tchambuli (b) Mundugumor (c) Arapesh (d) None of the above
C
Why are girls' mean test scores in English and foreign languages higher than boys'? (a) Biology; males and females have different brains and thus different capabilities (b) Educational standards; because of reverse discrimination in schools, teachers push boys into STEM fields and not languages (c) Socialization; from an early age language skills—including speaking and writing—are associated with femininity, so boys avoid these areas so they will not be regarded as less masculine (d) All of the above
C
Women are almost never paired romantically with younger men in the movies. What claim does this offer evidence for? (a) Hollywood is one of the greatest sources of gender socialization and gender domination. (b) Men seek out partners who are most likely to reproduce healthfully. (c) In the contemporary West, aging men face a great deal less stigma than do aging women. (d) Men are as mature in midlife as women are in their mid-20s.
C
From the point of view of the socialized, which of the following agents of socialization would be considered a primary socializer?
College roommates
A particularly harsh and violent form of bullying that takes place in college—especially on sports teams and in fraternities—is called: (a) Gender policing (b) Demasculinization (c) Stigmatizing (d) Hazing
D
According to the author, not only do gendered individuals negotiate their identities within gendered institutions, but also: (a) Institutions are actively shaped by individual people. (b) Institutions are a part of the individual psyche. (c) Institutions are meaningful change agents for individuals. (d) Institutions produce the very differences we assume are the properties of individuals.
D
According to the sociological point of view, would we be any safer if women took over powerful roles in political institutions? (a) Yes, because females are less violent and aggressive than men (b) Yes, because different socialization produces women who are more likely to avoid hierarchy and competition and search instead for peaceful solutions by another gendered value system (c) No, because the office itself demands a certain type of behavior, independent of the gender of the person who holds it (d) Yes and no, because gendered individuals occupy places within gendered institutions, so the gendered institutions would reproduce hierarchical gender relations, even if those individual women might moderately transform those institutions
D
All of the following are true about marriage today EXCEPT: (a) Marriage rates are the lowest they've been in more than 40 years. (b) Cohabitation in lieu of marriage has increased dramatically. (c) About 60% of all divorces involve families with children. (d) A majority of people are getting married before the age of 25.
D
Although it could be argued that couvade is an empathetic and caring ritual, scholars believe it is actually a practice that: (a) Allows men to fully claim paternity (b) Strips women of their childbearing rights (c) Gives men control over women's sexuality (d) Both a and c (e) All of the above
D
By understanding gender as simply a set of individual attributes, what problem does sex role theory create? (a) It psychologizes gender. (b) It pathologizes gender. (c) It historicizes gender. (d) It depoliticizes gender.
D
Cross-cultural studies reveal that one of the key variables that exacerbates male dominance in societies is: (a) Couvade (b) Infanticide (c) Female genital cutting (d) Colonization
D
From a sociological perspective, we are not gendered beings simply because of biology, nor simply because we are given gendered roles and tasks to act out; rather, we are gendered beings because: (a) We respond to the world we encounter. (b) We shape, modify, and create our identities through our encounters with other people. (c) We are shaped and influenced by our involvement within institutions. (d) All of the above
D
How does divorce affect children? (a) It impairs them psychologically for many years. (b) It sets them up for failed marriages of their own. (c) It improves their grades in school but causes behavior problems outside of school. (d) It is better for children than being stuck with parents in a high-conflict marriage.
D
How does this chapter explain boys' difficulties in school? (a) They are pressured to succeed in language and literature courses, but their high rates of learning disabilities make it especially difficult for them to succeed in these classes. (b) Large amounts of pressure to succeed athletically leave them insufficient time to succeed academically. (c) Boys frequently start school too young and should be kept back a year because they do not develop intellectually at the same rate as girls. (d) Masculine bravado and posturing lead them to overvalue their skills and attempt programs in which they are unlikely to succeed.
D
How have rates of marital dissolution in the United States changed in the last century? (a) They have nearly doubled. (b) They have quadrupled. (c) They have increased by 100%. (d) They are nearly the same.
D
In Margaret Mead's study of three different tribes in New Guinea, which tribe's gender differences were most like U.S. culture (men were political leaders and warriors while women stayed at home with children)? (a) Tchambuli (b) Mundugumor (c) Arapesh (d) None of the above
D
One reason that feminism doesn't resonate with many men is because ______________ due to other life circumstances, such as age, employment, income, or race; feminism may also not resonate with many women because_______________ due to other life circumstances, such as age, employment, income, or race. (a) They feel guilty; they feel prideful (b) They feel prideful; they feel guilty (c) They feel powerful; they feel powerless (d) They feel powerless; they feel powerful
D
Research has found that when men and women share housework and childcare duties more equitably: (a) They have more family leisure time. (b) They have less family leisure time. (c) They fight more often. (d) They fight less often.
D
Social constructionism builds on other social and behavioral sciences by adding specific dimensions to the exploration of gender, including issues of: (a) Cognitive development and life-course learning (b) Cross-cultural institutional interactions (c) Sexuality and gender identity (d) Power and inequality
D
The author of this text argues that most social movements—such as feminism or LGBTQ rights—are really movements to: (a) Secure universal human rights (b) Fight back against oppression and inequality (c) Bring minorities into powerful and superior positions (d) Expand role definitions and change role expectations
D
The effects of increased participation by women in school sports include all of the following, EXCEPT: (a) Decreases in unwanted pregnancies (b) Decreased use of drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol (c) Increased use of seatbelts in cars (d) Decreases in academic performance
D
What consequence does greater participation in sports have for women? (a) Female athletes have higher rates of anorexia and reproductive problems but lower rates of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. (b) Female athletes often have lower grades in school because of their athletic participation, but they get into better colleges. (c) Female athletes are far more prone to injury than non-athletes and less likely to continue on to college. (d) Female athletes are less likely to have unwanted pregnancies and less likely to take drugs, smoke cigarettes, or drink alcohol to excess.
D
What is one of the leading contemporary ideological purposes of female circumcision, according to cross-cultural perspectives? (a) To show that all women are biologically and culturally alike, which cements antagonism toward men (b) To reinforce the notion of women as pure, which reinforces gender stereotypes (c) To reduce the possibility of vaginal and clitoral infection (d) To reinforce male domination over female sexuality and reproduction
D
What is particular about the 1950s model of family life in America? (a) More women were working outside the home in 1950s America than even now. (b) The fertility rate underwent a drastic dip. (c) The natural form of the family, which had been flourishing before the separation of spheres, briefly returned, only to be again vanquished by 1960s radicalism. (d) It was an anomaly—an oddity in history that came about from a variety of circumstances and is unlikely to ever occur again.
D
What is the functionalist theory of labor and gender difference? (a) Gender difference has changed throughout history based on what was necessary for survival. (b) Men have dominated women because the most efficient life forms are those that put both genders to their best use. (c) Industrialization has made sex-based divisions of labor unnecessary. (d) A sex-based division of labor was necessary from the start for the preservation of society.
D
What is the significance of the Navaho third gender, the nadle, in Navaho culture? (a) Nadle stands for the Navaho relationship with nature, which is ungendered. (b) A nadle is treated as a man and thought of as a second-class citizen because in Navaho culture men are dominated by women. (c) A nadle is the feminine male, whereas the fourth Navaho gender, the awaho, is the masculine female. (d) The nadle are treated as women and revered because in Navaho culture women have traditionally had higher status than men.
D
When it comes to college education and gender disparities, which of the following is true? (a) Women account for a majority of college students today. (b) Women with a college degree will make, on average, less than men with a college degree. (c) Women are more likely to pursue social science degrees than men. (d) All of the above
D
Which of the following is an example of "doing gender"? (a) A woman wearing makeup (b) A man playing sports (c) A person cross-dressing or doing drag (d) All of the above
D
Which of the following is true about LGBT families in the U.S.? (a) They are typically formed using unconventional methods, such as adoption. (b) They have proven to be detrimental to children's gender development. (c) They are problematic because LGBT parents are more likely to be pedophiles or child abusers. (d) They often produce children with higher rates of self-esteem.
D
Which sociological perspective views the gendered division of labor as based on the impact of capitalism and materialism? (a) Functionalist (b) Social Constructionist (c) Social Darwinist (d) Marxist
D
Why is the sex-based division of labor not necessarily biologically inevitable? (a) Societies are not static but continue to change. (b) Labor has been divided between the sexes in numerous different ways. (c) There are almost no jobs that only men or only women could perform. (d) All of the above (e) a and c.
D
The anthropological view that male privilege and men's power happens through male solidarity—especially across age groups and generations—is called:
Descent Theory
What are "mean differences" with respect to gender?
Differences in the average scores obtained by women and men
Members of which of the following group(s) are considered gender deviant and/or nonconforming in their society but are regarded with esteem and higher status? (a) Nadle (b) Muxe (c) Two-spirit (d) Both a and c (e) All of the above
E
What was the traditional concern about coeducation? (a) It would violate nature's plan for women's bodies. (b) It would emasculate men. (c) It would defeminize women. (d) It would promote homosexuality. (e) All of the above
E
Despite dominant standards for masculinity and femininity, most men and women:
Fall somewhere in the middle of the two
Given the vast array of cultural differences in gender inequality and male domination, what factors appear to be central in determining women's status in society?
Father's involvement in childrearing and women's control of property after marriage
illusion of gender neutrality
Gender standards that are held up as the norm appear to us to be gender neutral. It means that people are being measured by what are thought to be objective standards; but really, masculinity is the bar to which we are all being held up to. (Simmel). So white men are seen as the most unbiased in their statements about gender or race inequality. objective= male or white A man in a position of power is seen as superior over woman, and his standards are not generically human at all- they are male biased.
invisibility of privilege
In the past 30 years, feminists have focused on women's experiences. Feminism has made it clear that gender is a central axis in women's lives. When we think of gender, we think of femininity- gender study classes only being for women. Privilege as well as gender, remains invisible for white men. Men themselves are studied, but masculinity is not; the masculine experience is invisible; but men are gendered too and we need to recognize this. Invisibility is a privilege (whiteness, high class, male). White males are seen as the most objective; seen as unbiased when they make statements revealing the problems of gender, race, etc. Men tend to get very defensive when confronted with this notion that they are privileged.
Which of the following is an example that "maternal instinct" is a socially constructed concept and not a biological imperative?
Infanticide rates
Gender
Is not just a system of classification, it is also expressed in the near universal inequality between men and women. When we speak about gender, we are also inevitably speaking about hierarchy and dominance
Why is gender difference so important to us?
Is the major question that we are trying to answer. In fact, we shouldn't even say 'opposite sexes' we should say neighbouring sexes.
By understanding gender as simply a set of individual attributes, what problem does sex role theory create?
It depoliticizes gender.
institutional gender neutrality
It is opportunity that predicts success, and not gender. When men lack opportunity they behave in more stereotypical feminine ways. We assume that institutions are gender neutral, but in reality, they are arenas that have been already established to reproduce and sustain masculinity. Our behaviour in the family has more to do with family situation we are in than our gender socialization. Men can be as mothering and nurturing in child rearing as women- if the situation requires it. Women are in no win situation when in the workplace because the arenas are already established to reproduce masculinity. So this "gender neutral" job really requires females to take on masculinity in order to be successful.
What is problematic about comparing human gender differences with that of animals?
It is unclear what species we should use as the standard of measurement, and different species have far different behaviors.
In psychologist David Buss's study of men and women from many different cultures, what features did participants most prize in a mate?
Love and kindness for both women and men
What is the major claim about gender differences from the perspective of Social Darwinism?
Males and females develop reproductive "strategies" to ensure that our own genetic code passes on to the next generation
A key issue with evolutionary studies and their applicability to modern-day men and women is that:
Many of the data go far beyond what is empirically testable and thus are not applicable to any modern-day men and women.
Which of the following family forms is most common today?
Married couples without children
Research on differences between men and women have found, in relation to gender socialization, that:
Men and women are distinctly different, precisely because we teach them to be.
In Margaret Mead's study of three different tribes in New Guinea, which tribe's gender differences were most like U.S. culture (men were political leaders and warriors while women stayed at home with children)?
NONE OF THE ABOVE (not Tchambuli, Mundugumor, or Arapesh)
What are the three stages a child experiences along the way to adult sexuality, according to Freud?
Oral, anal, and phallic
What did Friedrich Engels claim is the basis of the sex-based division of labor?
Private property, which, according to Engels, is responsible for capitalism, the nation-state, and the nuclear family
social constructionism approach
Refutes both biological determinism and differential socialization. Neither gender difference nor gender inequality is inevitable in the nature of things or in the nature of our bodies; neither difference nor equality is explainable in terms of differential socialization either. By eliminating gender inequality, we will be eliminating the foundation on which gender differences are made; leaving the differences among people to emerge in a context in which all of us can be appreciated for our individual uniqueness as well as our commonality.
Sociologists challenge sex role theory by emphasizing not only the plurality of gender roles, but also the way in which gender is:
Relational
What is one problem with contemporary research about gender differences between the right and left hemispheres of the brain?
Scientists keep changing their minds about the functions of each hemisphere, which one is superior, and which one is dominated by men or women.
Those who wish to maintain inequality on the basis of sexual orientation often rely on what argument?
Sexual orientation is biological (i.e. "born this way"), and as such we should be able to cure or altogether eliminate it from the species. AND Sexual orientation is learned, and therefore we can simply teach people not to be gay (e.g., through conversion therapy).
When it comes to testosterone and competition, what have studies concluded?
Success in competitions leads to higher levels of testosterone.
Conclusions about gender difference research
That there are some differences between women and men, but those differences are not as great or decisive to social change as we think. Differences in behaviour may be more due to situation/context than innate OR learned gender differences.
Which of the following tests/inventories became the basis for sex-role theory in the 1940s?
The M-F Test
What is the "double bind" of gender and femininity?
The assumption of gender difference alongside the assumption of institutional gender neutrality
Cognitive development theories of gender claim that which two factors affect gendered behavior?
The demands of the social situation and one's prior experience of being a girl or a boy or a woman or a man
cross cultural differences in gender
The differences between two cultures is typically greater than the differences between the two genders. There can be more variation between two females than there can be between a male and a female.
The interplanetary theory of gender difference is just another way of explaining what universal phenomenon?
The expression of gender inequality between men and women
What evidence suggests that men are not naturally better at math than women?
The research that proves that it is our experience, not our gender, that predicts how we will handle our retirement investments
How do feminist anthropologists Marija Gimbutas and Riane Eisler envision Neolithic gender difference?
Their societies were goddess-worshipping, gender-equal, virtual gardens of Eden, in which women and men were equal and mutually respectful.
Prior to the nineteenth century, which group provided most explanations of gender difference?
Theologians
Interplanetary Theory
Theory of complete and universal gender differences. Essentially, this is typically the way we explain gender inequality; as in that men and women are naturally and biologically so different, they are almost from different planets.
Hegemonic definition (of masculinity)
There are multiple masculinities, but not all are created equal; influenced by race, ethnicity, age, sexuality, religion, etc. Masculinity held up as the opposite of femininity. "not a woman" definition of manhood that is also constructed in relation to various subordinate masculinities as well as inrelation to women. Is the one form of masculinity that reigns supreme. Is held up as a model for all else to be compared against. It is like this ideal that is unattainable for more than a short period of time.
emphasized femininity
There is no hegemonic femininity because Hegemonic masculinity arose through competition among men within patriarchic societies. Masculinity must be earned, femininity is simply grown into. Organized around compliance with gender inequality and accommodating the interests and desires of men. Like succumbing...Emphasized femininity exaggerates gender differences as strategy of adaptation to men's power--stressing female qualities; playing by the rules
Which of the following is true about LGBT families in the U.S.?
They often produce children with higher rates of self-esteem.
Two tasks when we study gender?
To explain both difference and inequality/ difference and dominance.
Unlike other fields of study, when it comes to gender, sociology is uniquely equipped to understand both:
What is really different between men and women, and what is not really different but still seems to be because of the gendered order
Mean differences
When we speak about gender differences, we are talking mean differences, not differences that apply to every individual person. The mean scores tell us about the difference between two groups, but not between two individuals. Sociology deals with averages. In fact, the differences among men and among women are greater than differences between men and women. So these mean differences between men and women may tell us less than we think. It sort of supports this interplanetary theory of gender difference- in our culture we seem obsessed with trying to prove it to be true.
According to the sociological point of view, would we be any safer if women took over powerful roles in political institutions?
Yes and no, because gendered individuals occupy places within gendered institutions, so the gendered institutions would reproduce hierarchical gender relations, even if those individual women might moderately transform those institutions
sex
biological apparatus; chromosomal, chemical and anatomical. Biological basis for the hierarchical, binary system we have of only two sexes.
sex differences
catalogues of anatomical, hormonal, and chemical and physical differences between females and males. In reality, sex differences are not binary. There is an enormous amount of variation in maleness and femaleness. It is far from clear that biological differences automatically lead men to dominate women.
From the point of view of the socializer, which of the following agents of socialization would be considered a secondary or life-course socializer?
grade school teachers
masculinities and femininities
idea of multiple femininities and masculinities undercuts the idea that we are differentially gendered people occupying gender neutral positions. Also the idea that these femininities and masculinities are on a hierarchy, just tells us that domination exaggerates difference.
law of the excluded middle
it is the place in the middle of the two binary positions of gender: where most women and men actually fall. There is this assumption that men act like men no matter where they are and so do women, but this isn't true, as the positions we occupy are actually gendered.
Deceptive distinctions
many distinctions that we see in our everyday lives between men and women are actually not really gender differences at all, but differences that are the result of being in different position or in different arenas. The positions themselves are gendered, not the people within them. So it is the position/situation that determines the appearance of gendered behaviour. So the differences appear to be based on gender differences, but they are actually based on the situation. Men and women act differently in different situations that are gendered. A) Communication differences are deceptive distinctions. B) mathematic and financial abilities are deceptive distinctions: based on this notion it is not socially acceptable for women to be good at them, it's nothing biological. They actually can be very good. If you control for earnings, experience and education, men and women are the same. **It is our experience and not our gender that predicts how we will behave**
gender
meanings attache to sex differences within a culture. Gender varies enormously across cultures and even within cultures. Gender varies enormously while biological sex doesn't as much.
sexuality
not procreation but pleasure. Defined as any activity that produces sexual pleasure, Combination of attraction, behaviour and identity.
functionalism
school of thought that mainatains that the sex based division of labour arose because it was a necessity for early human societies- hunting and gathering.
According to Freud, gender stereotypes are:
the result of successfully negotiating gender development
gendered society
the social institutions of our world--workplace, family, school, politics, are all gendered--sites where dominant definitions are reinforced and reproduced and deviants are disciplined. Organization of our society have evolved in ways that reproduce differences between sexes and the domination of men over women. Assuming institutional gender neutrality serves to maintain the gender politics of those institutions.
Differential socialization
these explanations assert that we are not born different, but that we become different through a socialization process. Domination is an outcome of society valuing men's experiences over women's.
Research has found that when men and women share housework and childcare duties more equitably:
they fight less often