syd3800 final study guide
In the chapter we read from the Second Shift, what was "Joey's problem" and why was it an issue for Evan and Nancy Holt?
"Joey's problem" was that he wouldn't go to sleep. Nancy absorbs more of the second shift than Evan, yet finds ways to rationalize the inequality she endures
Explain the functionalist perspective and conflict perspective on families (i.e., how do each of these perspectives make sense of families?)
- Functionalist approach: the family has numerous "functions" in society; highlights two family "roles": instrumental (leadership and decision-making responsibilities) and expressive (housework, care for children, tend to to family's emotional needs) - Conflict Perspective:the family both reflects and contributes to structural inequalities; women disproportionately engage in housework, women disproportionately care for children, and queer families are still marginalized
What are some reasons heterosexual men are less involved in child-rearing than their women counterparts?
- Men often view rearing as "women's work"; most men sometimes do not realize that raising children requires a great deal of knowledge and a lot of work; most men don't recognize this knowledge and engaging in this work could theoretically be the responsibility of BOTH parents - Many mothers think fathers need to do more with kids, however they also have worries: unwarranted spankings; men as incompetent; men will ignore children; men won't clean up; even if men are willing to help, they'll need to be monitored and told exactly what to do - Mothers worry about consequence, while fathers, they claim, do what they feel like doing at the moment
Why do heterosexual women feel conflicted about their husband's lack of participation?
- Mothers love their man partners and do not want to pain them in a negative way - Since women generally have the sense that most husbands do not help, they are genuinely grateful when their own mates help in some way - Some women may fear that marriages will be threatened if they refuse to do the larger share of domestic chores
What is the "pay gap"? According to the video "What people miss about the gender wage gap", what are some reasons that the pay gap exists? How does the pay gap vary by race?
- Pay gap: the short-fall between how much men earn and how much women earn - Part of the wage gap reflects the fact that women are more concentrated in lower-paying occupations. - Women start to have children around their 20s and 30s adding to the spread of the wage gap between men and women. - Some jobs require really specific hours. Others are more flexible.
Discuss patterns within same-gender couples. Do they tend to be more or less egalitarian than heterosexual couples? What are some general outcomes for children of same-gender couples?
- Some research suggests that same gender couples (especially lesbian couples) are more egalitarian - Other research shows how heteronormative roles encourage gendered "specialization" with same gender couples. - Same gender parents tend to provide more educational resources for their children - Children of same gender parents may be more likely to value diversity, tolerance, and respect for others - Children of same gender parents may be more inclines to explore their own sexual identities and desires, beyond heterosexuality
Describe the major findings of the paper by Elliott and Reid about low income Black mothers. What kinds of struggles made their parenting especially challenging?
- Stereotypes are also used to blame racial minorities for "failures" - "All too often, the mothers' stories underscored how state institutions and policies positioned mother as suspect parents but also solely responsible for their children's behavior"
What is the "super-strong Black mother" stereotype and how does it negatively impact Black mothers?
- Stereotypes may emerge when racial minority parents try to insulate their children from racism, or manage racism themselves. - The stereotype of the "super-strong Black mother" paints Black mothers in a negative light by portraying them as very aggressive and mean to their children when it comes to rearing
When it comes to gender inequality in the workplace, discuss the difference between supply side and demand side explanations.
- Supply side explanations: primarily focus on individual workers' skills, preferences, and decisions about how they invest their time and energy (worker as "labor supply")/time spent working; skill acquisition; effort; education; experience; wage bargaining - demand side explanations: explanations that focus on employers' actions and decisions/statistical discrimination; gender ideology and stereotypes; employers' pay practices; aversion to female workers and wage discrimination; public policy and wage discrimination; gender segregation
What is the "work-family narrative", according to Padavic and Ely? What was the primary issue at work that workers covered up with the work-family narrative?
- The "work-family narrative" allows firms and their members to avoid this reality and the anxieties it creates by projecting the problem exclusively onto women and by projecting the image of a successful employee exclusively on to men. - Organizations may rely on the work-family narrative as an explanation for women's blocked mobility partly because it diverts attention from the boarder problem of a long-hours work culture among professionals
Explain the intensive mothering ideology. What are some of its assumptions and characteristics?
- The intensive mothering ideology urges mothers to live unselfishly with their time, money, and love on behalf of "sacred" children - Assumptions and Characteristics: woman as caretakers, whether they like it or not; motherhood as most important identity (more than occupational identity)
According to the reading by Ezzell (2008) what does it mean to live in a rape culture? What role, according to Ezzell, do pornography, lad mags, and video games play in a rape culture?
- To say we liv in a rape culture means that we liv in a culture where rape is persuasive, prevalent, and normalized through societal attitudes about gender, sex, and sexuality. - Media reflects and reinforces rape culture. It may not cause anyone to partake in these actions and it doesn't mean that everyone that is engaged in this type of media participates in acts in violence; however, media is implicated in real social interaction
What are Kristen Schilt's main findings about transgender men in her study "Just One of the Guys?"
-some transgender men have an "outsider within" perspective on gender discrimination in the workplace -found that some trans men report gaining: authority and competency form coworkers and bosses; respect and recognition for their workplace contributions; economic opportunities than they as women
According to class lecture, what are three ways we can conceptualize feminism?
1. a social movement 2. an identity 3. a frame for examining gender relations
In the study on subjective aging by Barrett and Barbee, what four perspectives do the authors test to examine the relationship between sexual minority status and subjective experience of aging? For what perspective did the authors find most evidence?
1. double jeopardy: predicts that sexual minorities have more negative aging experiences than do heterosexuals 2. crisis competence: asserts that sexual minorities are more—rather than less—advantaged 3. Gender Initiative: suggests that gender interacts with sexual minority status to shape subjective aging experience; it suggests that heterosexual men may experience more positive aging than sexual minority men—but the reverse may be true for women 4. Limited salience: argues that sexual minority status has relatively few effects on subjective aging experiences, particularly compared with other characteristics, like socioeconomic status, health, or gender The authors found the most evidence for limited salience perspective, suggesting that sexual minority status has less impact on subjective aging than do other social statuses and experiences.
In the study on subjective aging by Barrett and Barbee, what are three dimensions of subjective aging examined by the authors?
1. individuals' self-perceptions of aging - age identity/subjective age - ideal age/desired age - aging anxiety - aging stereotypes 2. generalized views of the life course - timing of the life course - meaning of different life course stages 3. interpretation of experience of aging bodies - how health, gender, and sexual norms impact the way we view our bodies - hopes and expectations for our aging bodies
Discuss (don't just list) the three primary ways that work is gendered.
1. the assignment of tasks based on workers' gender 2. the higher value placed on men's work than on women's work 3. employers' and workers' construction of gender on the job
Define patriarchy. Explain the three primary characteristics of a patriarchy.
A society is patriarchal if it gives men an unearned advantage that it denies other genders. The three characteristics of a patriarchal society are: male dominance (men occupy the majority of authority positions), male identification (cultural ideas of what is good or normal are associated with the ideas about men and masculinity), and male centeredness (when attention is placed on men and boys and what they do)
What is hegemony? Antonio Gramsci developed the concept of hegemony in response to Karl Marx. How did Gramsci's development address Marx's problem of "inevitability"?
Hegemony is the influence on institutions associated with the production of knowledge and culture. Gramsci brought attention to the ways elite are able to influence the publics perception of social problems--elites can prevent revolution by blinding marginalized people to their oppression.
How are men and women sexualized differently?
Men are sexualized as: - heterosexual - dominant - aggressive/assertive - unemotional/rational - multiple partners Women are sexualized as: - heterosexual - submissive - available - emotional/irrational - monogamous
According to Gail dines in the video "Neoliberalism and the Defanging of Feminism" what is neoliberalism and how has it harmed the feminist movement?
Neoliberalism acts as if we are all individuals; there is no collective, there is no class interest and there is no collective interest. There is an individual and that individual has free choice - free market economy - minimal state intervention - limited social programs - free trade - strong property rights - privatization - weak unions It has harmed the feminist movement because
Define privilege. Explain the two different types of privilege. How does privilege affect men and women differently in a patriarchal society?
Privilege exists when one group has something of value that is denied to others simply because of the groups they belong to, rather than because of anything they've done or failed to do. Two kinds of privilege: unearned entitlements (things of value all people should have) and conferred dominance (privilege that gives one group power over another) Men have more privileges over women in almost every situation.
What was the "upstairs/downstairs" policy that Evan and Nancy Holt agreed to? What was the purpose of this agreement, and why was it unfair?
The "upstairs/downstairs" policy was that Nancy wore this myth as an "ideological cloak" to shield herself from the inequalities in her marriage. It was unfair because she was taking up more if not all the responsibilities of being a parent and essentially doing everything on her own without sufficient help from the father.
What is the glass ceiling? According to Alice Eagly, why is it a misleading concept? What metaphor does she propose?
The glass ceiling is a promotion barrier that prevents a group's (particularly women) mobility within an organization or institution
What is the "ideal worker"?
The ideal worker is: -is 100% committed to the goals and objectives of their occupation/workplace/employer - prioritizes work over personal and domestic responsibilities -works efficiently and is unencumbered by external matters -is totally competent and knowledgeable in their field (does not need extensive training) -is ambitious -works well with other (well-liked)
How do media contribute to hegemony?
The media is a tool that can widely distribute ideology, thus creating hegemonic ideas.
What is sexualization?
The process of sexualization occurs when an individual's value and worth come solely from their sexual appeal or potential, one is objectified or regarded as an item for another's sexual use, an individual is held to a narrow standard that equates attractiveness with sexiness, or sexuality is inappropriately imposed upon an individual
How does gender segregation in the workplace harm both women and men?
gender segregation: the unequal distribution of genders across different places of work - physical separation: separation by physical location - substantiative separation: separation by task within on location
What is the glass escalator? Who benefits from the glass escalator?
the glass escalator: - the more women in an occupation, the greater men's chances of moving into supervisory positions - many men of color do not enjoy this privilege