Inequalities in gender

S O C I O LO GY

INEQUALITIES IN GENDER

GOALS

• distinguish concepts of sex, gender, and gender identity• How is gender identity formed according to most

sociologists?• summarize the perspectives of gender taken by

functionalists, conflict theorists, and symbolic interactionists

• describe the status of women in the U.S. and in other countries

• choose one country to explore the treatment and status of women

• Note: corresponding textbook reading: pp308-329

MEN V WOMEN

• Men dominate social, political and economic spheres

domestic: women devalued in industrial society because you don’t get paid to work on house chores or raising kids.

SEX V GENDER IDENTITY

• Behavioral differences between men and women are culturally conditioned

biological determinism: principle that behavioral differences are the result of inherited physical characteristics: lacks scientific evidence!

Weak biological tendencies are easily overridden by cultural and social influences.

GENDER IDENTITY

• gender identity: a sense of being male or female based on learning cultural values

dif b/w sex and gender: sex=biologygender=socially learned behaviors and expectations associated with the 2 sexes

Does biology or socialization play a greater role in gender dif?• We don’t know for sure whether difs are based on

bio or culture.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN WESTERN SOCIETY

• women-more emphasis on social class, income,  and like older men in relationships

Men in relationships: prefer younger women, physical attractiveness more importantmen tend to be more aggressive in western society

New Guinea: makes and females both conditioned to NOT be aggressive and cooperative and empathetic

Mundugumor: men and women BOTH trained to be aggressive and ruthless

Tchambuli: women dominant, impersonal, and aggressive.  men dependent and submissive

based on this evidence, gender roles not formed at birth

SOCIOLOGISTS THINK THAT GENDER RELATED BEHAVIOR IS RELATED TO CULTURE BECAUSE:

• New Guinea: makes and females both conditioned to NOT be aggressive and cooperative and empathetic

Mundugumor: men and women BOTH trained to be aggressive and ruthless

Tchambuli: women dominant, impersonal, and aggressive.  men dependent and submissive

based on this evidence, gender roles not formed at birth

THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON GENDER

• Functionalism: division of responsibility b/w males and females survived b/c it benefitted human living-men big and strong: hunt

Recognize that division of labor created probsInequality in occupational opportunities. We’ll discuss later.• Gender based hierarchy: riddle about car accident

BEING RAISED AS THE OPPOSITE GENDER

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CONFLICT THEORY

• It’s men’s advantage to prevent women from gaining access to political, economic, and social resources

Ex: maintain gender status quo: Afghanistan so school or working outside of the home (changing in Kabul)

SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

• focus on how boys and girls learn to act the way they are supposed to actgender socialization: social process of learning how to act as a boy or girl

PARENTS

• learning of gender well est by age 2 ½.pink v. blue dolls v. action fuguresboys discouraged from cuddlingdif fam chores

IN SCHOOLS

• boys should be more aggressive and not punished as harshly for being so

PEER STATUS

• feminine boys and masculine girls generally assigned low statuschanging?  depends on the society of the school

GENDER INEQUALITY

• sexism: set of beliefs, attitudes, norms and values used to justify sexual inequality

Sex discrimination is disappearing?  Dramatic inc in work force womenBUT concentrated in low status occupations

12% engineers women20% lawyersseldom in high level admin positions

MORE INEQUALITIES!

• Income inequality: 80 cents/$1 for same job!  Also varies based on race and ethnicity.  Minoroty women have it even worse.

Legal and political inequality:  Biases of law: pregnancy costs not covered in all health insurance.  But prostate problems providesd for

Limited in jobs allowed to apply for.  Front line battles, working with toxic materials (some of these jobs are high paying)

POLITICS

• inc participation but fewer women in gov’t than men.  Lowers # of women in gov’t compared to all other countries in the western world.

READINGS

• Internet trend: helping inequalities?  P329

Baby X article (342)

HOMEWORK

• How do your parents feel about gender equality?  Would your dad be upset if your mom made more money?

REVIEW

• distinguish concepts of sex, gender, and gender identity• How is gender identity formed according to most

sociologists?• summarize the perspectives of gender taken by

functionalists, conflict theorists, and symbolic interactionists• describe the status of women in the U.S. and in

other countries• choose one country to explore the treatment and

status of women