Sociology Chapter 9

Feminist theories

a sociological perspective that emphasizes the centrality of gender in analyzing the social world and particularly the experience of women. There are many strands of this, but they all seek to explain gender inequalities in society and to work to overcome them

Gender inequality in politics

has gotten better. Typically, the more local the political office, the more likely it is to be occupied by a woman. Men still outnumber women in politics at all levels, but the gender gaps is smaller among mayors and elected members of city and county governing boards.

Bad things on functionalist theory

roles of men and women change so not always do women have to take care of emotional needs etc..

Is a biological category

sex

A society in which ideas of masculinity are characterized by physical strength and tough attitudes will encourage men to cultivate a specific body image and set of mannerisms. This proves the theory of

social construction of gender

rape culture

social context where attitudes and norms perpetuate the treatment of women as sexual objects and instill in men a sense of sexual entitlement. men are socialized to regard women as sex objects, feel a sense of sexual entitlement, and to instill fear in women by dominating them

gender

social expectations about behavior regarded as appropriate for the members of each sex. Refers not to the physical attributes distinguishing men and women but to socially formed traits of masculinity and femininity.

housework

unpaid work carried on in the home, usually by women; domestic chores such as cooking, cleaning, and shopping. also called domestic labor. Women still do most of the housework compared to men, but the gap has lessened a little

Unequal Treatment in the classroom

1. Boys received more teacher attention and instructional time than girls did. This was due to the fact that boys were more demanding than girls. 2. boys were more often scolded and punished than female students because of their rowdy behavior. 3. Basically girls are trained to be quite and well behaved and to turn to others for answers, while boys are encouraged to be inquisitive, outspoken, active problem solvers.

Three main Feminist Approaches

1. Liberal 2. Radical 3. Black feminism

Two types of sexual harassment

1. Quid pro quo: a supervisor demands sexual acts from a worker as a job condition or promises work related benefits in exchange for sexual acts 2. hostile work environment - a pattern of sexual language, lewd posters, or sexual advances make a worker so uncomfortable that it is difficult to do his or her job.

Ranking of percent of women who make up a significant part of parliament

1. Rwanda 2. Netherlands 3. Canada 4. China 5. U.S 6. Turkey 7. India U.S has a very small percent of women in parliament

The gendering of college majors

1. Women focused more on fields associated with caring and nurturing, whereas men tend to pursue fields that emphasize logic and analysis. 2. Education, health fields, nursing, elementary education, library science, and school counciling were mostly women while engineering was a lot of men. 3. Because of the chosen majors, this was one explanation of the gender pay gap. The majors that girls mostly chose had a lower pay than the majors men chose

Black feminism

A strand of feminist theory that highlights the multiple disadvantages of gender, class, and race that shape the experiences of nonwhite women. They reject the idea of a single, unified gender oppression that is experienced evenly by all women and are that early feminist analysis reflected the specific concerns of white, middle-class women

Gender in space

Afghan bacha posh: if a family has all girls, they may turn one daughter into a male so they can have better advantages. Some cultures have multiple genders. Like the "third gender".

Functionalist approaches in to explain the nature of gender inequality at the level of society

Approach Parsons believed that supportive families are the key to successful socialization. family operates most efficiently with a clear cut sexual division of labor in which females act in expressive roles, providing care and security to kids and offering them emotional support, and men perform instrumental roles - namely being the breadwinner in the family.

Biological difference between males and females

Chromosomes: men have XY while women have XX Women have more Estrogen while men usually have more testosterone

through contact with various agents of socialization, children gradually internalize the social norms and expectations that are seen to correspond with their sex.

gender socialization

gender typed

Designation of occupations as male or female, with "women's" occupations, such as secretarial and retail positions, having lower status and pay, and "men's" occupations, such as managerial and professional positions, having higher status and pay

Gender from other cultures

Different cultures have different opinions on gender. Some cultures have men and women reversed where women handled business and men just gossiped

Women as a percent of total employed in selected occupations

Secretaries/administrative assistants 2. Registered nurses 3. elementary and middle school teachers 4. bartenders 5. physicians and surgeons 6. lawyers 7. police and sheriff's patrol officers

Gender in Time

Gender roles have changed throughout the years. Pink used to be manly

Type of feminist theory that concerns with sexism and discrimination against women in the workplace, educational institutions, and the media. They work through the existing system to bring about reforms in a gradual way

Liberal feminism

glass elevator

Males have it easy by climbing past women in corporate ranks. Men can get to the top easily.

Comparable worth

Policies that attempt to remedy the gender pay gap by adjusting pay so that those in female-dominated jobs are not paid less for equivalent work. Aim to remedy the pay gap.

these type of feminists theorists believe that gender equality can be attained only by overthrowing the patriarchal order because patriarchy is a systemic phenomenon.

Radical feminism

patriarchy

The dominance of men over women. All known societies are this, although there are variations in the degree and nature of the power men exercise, as compared with women.

Gender socialization

The learning of gender roles through social factors such as schooling, media, and family. Begins prior to birth

"Doing" gender

We learn how to present ourselves as "male" or "female" through our choices of behaviors, clothing, hairstyle, stance, body language, and even tone of voice.

Women and the workplace

Women have increased in joining the labor force. Probably because marriage age rose, birth rates, declined, women's educational attainment increased. Many women now postpone family formation to complete their education and establish themselves in the labor force.

intersectionality

You can't look at one social category, you have to look at multiple social categories. Part of black feminism

Glass ceiling

a promotion barrier that prevents a woman's upward mobility within an organization. This is particularly problematic for women who work in male dominated occupations. Women's progress is not blocked by virtue of innate inability or lack of basic qualifications, but by not having the sponsorship of well placed, powerful senior colleagues to articulate their value to the organization or profession. Women tend to not do any better than the mid level management positions

Why do mothers get hired less/pay less than non mothers?

because most employers believe mothers need more times to take care of their child and they don't like that. They assume mothers are the ones who should take care of kids not fathers.

Theory that argue that black women are multiply disadvantaged on the basis of their color, their sex, and their class position

black feminism

In what is called ______ _____ they try to objectively rank jobs according to skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions. After such a ranking, pay is adjusted so that equivalently ranked male and female dominated jobs receive equivalent pay.

comparable worth

Liberal feminism

form of feminist theory that believes that gender inequality is produced by unequal access to civil rights and certain social resources, such as education and employment based on sex. They tend to seek solutions through changes in legislation that ensure that the rights of individuals are protected. They want to change laws. They look for explanations of gender inequalities in social and cultural attitudes.

Radical feminism

form of feminist theory that believes that gender inequality is the result of male domination in all aspects of social and economic life. They believe that men are responsible for and benefit from the exploitation of women. They argue that men exploit women by relying on the free domestic labor that women provide in the home.

is a social category

gender

negatives of comparable worth

it is very hard to objectively rank jobs. People are biased.

Mothers vs. non mothers

mothers are less likely to be hired than non mothers who have the same work experience and qualifications, and mothers are offered significantly lower starting pay than equally qualified non mothers for the same job.

Most rapes are committed by....

people the victim knows

sex

the biological and anatomical differences distinguishing females from males

sex segregation

the concentration of men and women in different jobs. These differences are believed to contribute to the gender pay gap. Jobs dominated by women pay less vs jobs dominated by men which pay more

second shift

the excessive work hours borne by women relative to men; these hours are typically spent on domestic chores following the end of a day of work outside the home.

rape

the forcing of nonconsensual vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse

gender inequality

the inequality between men and women in terms of wealth, income, and status. The difference in the status, power, and prestige women and men have in groups, collectives, and societies.

infanticide

the intentional killing of a newborn. Female babies are more likely than male babies to be murdered in cultures because there boys are more highly valued than girls.

Social construction of gender

the learning of gender roles through socialization and interaction with others. Theorist who believe in this reject all biological bases for gender differences. Gender identities age, they argue, in relation to perceived sex differences in society and in turn help shape those differences.

Sexual harassment

the making of unwanted sexual advances by one individual toward another, in which the first person persists even though it is clear that the other party is resistant. Also includes behaviors that are offensive to the recipient and cause discomfort or interfere with job performance.