Sociology chapter 9 - Gender and Sexuality

Symbolic Interaction-ism approach to gender inequality

Gender is learned though the process of socialization; gender inequalities are reproduced though interactions with family, peers, schools, and the media.

Constructionist would say

Gender is socially determined

Second wave

Equal rights in employment and education

Peers

Guide to games with others, play with the same sex

Essentialist would say

Gender is genetic or biological and therefore cannot be changed.

Symbolic interactionist

gender inequality is a social contribution that emerges through day-to-day interactions and reflects people's gender role expectations. / the social construction of sexuality varies across cultures because of societal norms and values.

functionalist

gender roles are complementary, equally important for a society's survival, and affect human capital / agreed-on sexual norms contribute to a society's order and stability.

Conflict

gender roles give men power to control women's lives instead of allowing the sexes to be complementary ans equally important / most societies regulate women's, but nit men's, behavior.

Gender identity

our awareness of ourselves as male or females and the ways that we express our sexual values, attitudes, feelings, and beliefs.

Media

shows how to behave, dress ext..

social learning theory

the process of learning behaviors and meaning though social interaction

Gender inequality

Unequal treatment based on gender

Feminist theories

agree with conflict theories that gender stratification benefits men and capitalism.

sexism

an attitude or behavior that discriminates against one sex, usually females, based on the assumed superiority of the other sex.

Number of intersexed babies and reactions toward them

7 in 1000, treating and unacceptable

Third wave

Diversity

Conflict theory approach to gender inequality

Division of labor in families, males have had more access to resources and privileges. Men are more dominate

Feminism

Men and woman should be equal

Roles of family

Primary source of socialization, girls are cooks, guys are workers

First wave

Right to vote

Functionalist approach to gender inequality

Sex determines which roles men and women are best suited for; its more appropriate for men to play instrumental roles and for women to play expressive roles.

Feminization of poverty

The fact that women are more likely to be in poverty

Gender role socialization

The lifelong process of learning to be a man or a women.

What problem did Betty Friedan address in The Ferminine Mystique?

The sense of limitation and dissatisfaction that women felt within their life time.

Feminist

Women's inequality reflects their historical and current domination by men, especially in the workplace / many men use violence---including sexual harassment, rape, and global sex trafficking---to control women's sexuality.

gender stereotypes

expectations about how people will look, act, think, and feel based on their sex.

Symbolic interactionism

focus on the everyday processes that produce and reinforce gender roles.

gender stratification

people's unequal access to wealth, power, status, prestige, and other valued resources because of their sex.

gender

refers to learned attitudes and behaviors that characterize women and men. It is based on social and cultural expectations rather than on physical traits.

Conflict theory

see gender inequality as built into the social structure, both within and outside the home.

sex

the biological characteristics with which we are born-- chromosomes, anatomy, hormones, and other physical and physiological attributes.

gender roles

the characteristics, attitudes, feelings, and behaviors, that society expects of females and males.

Functionalism

view women and men as having distinct roles that ensure a family's and society survival.