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reserved.
Gender Inequality
Cha
pter
Out
line
Gender Stratification Sources of Gender Differences Sociological Perspectives on
Gender Stratification
Discussion
• Why does gender inequality exist?
• Are some places more prone to these inequalities than others?
• How can inequalities between males and females cause problems?
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Copy And Complete The Following:
Culture Work/Education
Use Of Men/Women
Diseases MEDC’s/LEDC’s
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Throughout the presentation, sort your ideas into each of the 5 categories below to show what inequalities exist between each category.
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Sex – whether one is genetically male or female; determines role in reproduction
Gender – sociological distinction between males and females
Gender identity – one’s self-concept of being male or female
Gender roles – sets of cultural expectations about the behavior each sex should exhibit
Definition of Terms
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Sexism• Individual level – the belief that one sex
is superior to the other– Inherent biological differences mean
that men and women naturally have different roles
– These roles are the primary cause of differential distribution of power, status, and income
• Institutional level – policies, procedures, and practices that produce unequal outcomes for men and women
Gender Stratification
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Are women a minority group?
Gender Stratification
Five properties of a minority group• Experiences discrimination from a dominant
group and lacks power to change the situation
• Distinguishing physical or cultural traits
• Self-conscious social group; sense of group identity
• Generally not voluntary
• Typically endogamous
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Patriarchy• A system of social organization in
which men have a disproportionate share of power
• Lorber: early societies were egalitarian
• Davis-Kimball: archaeological evidence of female military and social power
Gender Stratification
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World Gender Inequality• U.S. State Department Annual Human
Rights Report (2006) – 196 nations• Sex trade and forced labor (e.g.,
Ghana)• M. East and N. Africa – honor killings• Underage prostitution• Sex-selective breeding• Female circumcision• Literacy and education
Gender Stratification
reserved.
U.S. Gender Inequality• Today, marriage and family have
become less of an organizing force in the lives of contemporary women
• Families today likely to delay childbearing
• U.S. women’s labor-force participation: 59.2% (2004)
• More than 60% of women with children under the age of one are employed
Gender Stratification
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Gender Stratification
Disparities in Earnings Remain Significant
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Gender Stratification
Disparities in Earnings Remain Significant (continued)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2005 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, available at: http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/perinc/new03_000.htm.
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U.S. Gender Inequality• The Glass Ceiling
– Number of women top executives and board directors increased over the years, but positions at the top still elude women executives
• Disparities in Pay– Women earn less than men
Gender Stratification
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• The Second Shift– The burden of housework falls
disproportionately on women, working or not
• Career Patterns: Out of Sync with Family Life– Women who have children
encounter substantial career disadvantages
– Equal opportunity for women in public sphere remains substantially frustrated by gender-role differentiation within the family
Gender Stratification
reserved.
• Sexual Harassment and Rape– Sexual harassment remains
common workplace hazard– Rape is the most violent form of
sexual victimization– Culture and gender inequality
influence the prevalence of rape and sexual aggression
Gender Stratification
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• Politics and Government– Number of women in politics in U.S.
increased in recent years– Still difficult
• Low “supply” of candidates• Low “demand” for female candidates• Ideology affects women’s political
representation
• The Women’s Movement– Substantial impact on way
Americans think and act; legal and social equality
Gender Stratification
reserved.
• Persistence and Change– Opportunities for women changed
dramatically over the past several decades
– Women are still significantly disadvantaged
– As more women reach positions of economic, political, and social power, changes may occur at more rapid pace
Gender Stratification
reserved.
• Gender and Biology– Maccoby and Jacklin (1974)
• Beginning about age 11, girls show greater verbal ability than boys
• Boys are superior to girls on visual-spatial tasks in adolescence and adulthood
• At about age 12 to 13, boys move ahead in mathematical ability
• Males are more aggressive
– Hyde (2005) – picture not that simple
Sources of Gender Differences
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• Gender and Culture– All are born into societies with well-
established cultural guidelines for behavior of men and women
– Great variation in gender roles from one society to another
– Gender roles largely a matter of social definition and socially constructed messages
Sources of Gender Differences
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The Functionalist Perspective
• Gender division of labor retained because it promoted the survival of the species
• Critics say this view becomes powerful justification for the existence of gender inequality
Sociological Perspectives on Gender Stratification
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The Conflict Perspective• Gender inequality benefits men,
so they attempt to perpetuate it– Exploitation of labor– Availability of sexual gratification– Availability of tools for procreation
• Acker (1992): production > reproduction
Sociological Perspectives on Gender Stratification
reserved.
The Interactionist Perspective
• Gender is socially constructed and internally based
• Societal behavior follows internal meanings of gender
• Example: linguistic usages of gender terms such as “men”, “he”, “she”, “boys”, and “girls”
Sociological Perspectives on Gender Stratification