McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 3-1 Chapter Three l Gender and Families.
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McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
3-1
Chapter Three
Gender and Families
McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved
3-2
The Berdache Men or women in Native American
societies who dressed like, performed the duties of, and behaved like a member of the opposite sex
Berdaches were found in more than 100 Native American tribes
Number declined rapidly with the arrival of European culture
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3-4
The Difference Between Gender and Sex Gender = social and cultural
characteristics that distinguish women and men in a society
Different clothing Expectations about who should cry
Sex = biological characteristics that distinguish women and men
Sex chromosomes, reproductive organs, physical characteristics
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3-5
Gender
How many genders are there? Modification of gender identity
(berdache) Intersexuals – people born with
ambiguous sex organs Activists want doctors to wait until
individuals are older to reassign their sex
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3-6
Gender as reflection of power relationships in society How do gender roles reflect men’s
attempts to retain power over women?
Why is the study of gender and sex important to the understanding of family?
Gender
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3-7
The Gestational Construction of Gender Genetic transmission of sex
XX = female XY = male
Gestation Period Genitals develop in either male or
female form Males produce androgens which
cause genitals to develop into male form
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3-8
Some scientists believe that not only are sexual organs different, but the brain also develops differently in the male and the female
Studies of levels of male sex hormones while females were in womb Led to differences in gendered behavior Parental socialization had weaker effect on
behavior if hormone level was higher
Hormonal Influences
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3-9
Biosocial approach Biology and society influence gender
differences Biological differences in gendered
behavior exist only “on average” Individuals show a wide range of behavior
Social influences can counteract biological dispositions
Biosocial Influences
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3-10
Evolutionary Influences Evolutionary biology– women and
men evolved different strategies for reproductive success
Gender roles = different sets of behaviors that are commonly exhibited by women and men Gendered division of labor
Reflects men’s interests more than women’s
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3-11
Parental Socialization
Parents teach us the ways of our society and how to behave in it
Socialization approach Rewarding children for a set of
behaviors appropriate to their sex Social role = pattern of behaviors
(parent, teacher, child) that society expects
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3-13
The Media Children learn from books,
television, advertisements, music Characters in books
Males outnumbered females in 1972 More evenly distributed by 1990
Television and Computer Games Exhibit gender imbalance in favor of
males
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3-14
Early Peer Groups Peer group = a group of people at
roughly the same age and social status
Boy peer groups reinforce competition and dominance
Girl peer groups reinforce more open conversational interaction and agreement
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3-15
Children’s Preferences
Boys engage in more aggressive behaviors Also more likely to play with blocks
Girls engage in more nurturing behaviors and are less aggressive
Differences may reflect biological influences
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3-16
Later Peer Groups
Games and sports Boys more likely to play organized
games with rules and a goal Girls play reinforces the relational and
emotional skills exhibited by women Most play groups are either all-
male or all-female
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3-17
Unconscious Influences
Psychoanalytic Approach Stresses unconscious mental
processes Importance of internalization
Attachment to mother remains the same for females
Attachment changes for males at age 3-4 break/distancing
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Interactionist approach Gender identification and behavior based on
the day-to-day behavior that reinforces gender distinctions
Patriarchy and Male Domination Sex-gender system =Transformation of
biological differences between men and women into a social order that supports male domination
The Continual Construction of Gender
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3-19
The Sex-Gender System
Capitalist economies Men have access to more
resources
Social economies Sexes equal in theory, but not in
practice
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Gender theorists believe gender is a primary basis of social stratification, like class or race Sex differences in childbearing
Women becoming pregnant, bearing and breast-feeding children
May be relevant to different family roles of women and men
Gender, Class, and Race
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3-21
Gender: The Male Point of View Gender studies mostly done from
feminist point of view Sociologists are now studying
masculinity and the personal characteristics typical to men
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3-22
Contribution of Gender Studies Socialization approach best
explains differences between men and women
Biosocial and Psychoanalytic approaches both suggest girls and boys have predispositions for behavior
Gender studies demonstrate that men’s and women’s family roles are socially and culturally constructed
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