Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010 Gender Inequality This multimedia product and its contents are...

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010

Chapter FourGender Inequality

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Chapter 4 Outline• Sex• Gender

Basic Definitions

• Parents• Peers• Education• Sports• Media

Gender Role Socialization

• Division of labor• Wage gap• Sexual Harassment• Glass ceiling and escalator• Double Shift

Contemporary Gender Inequality

• Symbolic Interactionist• Functionalist• Conflict

Perspectives on Gender Inequality


Sex vs. GenderSex:

Biological distinctionDefined as male or female

Gender:Social and cultural constructed differencesDefined as masculine or feminineVaries by group or society defining it.


Gender Belief SystemIdeas of masculinity and femininity that are

held to be true in a society.This is reflected in the gendered division of

labor (tasks divided on the basis of gender, i.e. “men’s work vs. women’s work”)

Cross cultural research finds social factors determine division of labor not biological factors.Women’s domain is private and domestic while

Men’s is public, economic and political.


Gender Role SocializationGender-role approach: focus on how

socialization contributes to inequality.

5 major agents of socialization

Parents Peers

Media Sports


ParentsPrimary means of socializationReinforce gender distinction through:

Clothes pink for girls, softer colors with hearts and flowers blue for boys, bolder colors with superheroes and sports

Toys Dolls and homemaking items for girls Balls and trucks for boys

Chores Domestic chores assigned to girls (dishes, laundry) Maintenance chores assigned to boys (take out garbage,

mowing)


PeersPeer groups have common interests and are

usually similar in age.

Boy peer groups stress masculinity more than girls stress femininity.

Gender appropriate emotions are taught and stressed.


EducationStudies indicate gender bias in schools.

Teachers show favoritism toward boys in subtle ways.

Some gender segregated activities are encouraged.

Boys not reprimanded for behaviors because “boys will be boys”

Female gender roles conflict less with school norms.


Sports

Title IX passed in 1972 resulted in increase in females in sports.

Boys still 1.5 times more likely to participate in sports.

Most sports seen as masculine.

Helps individuals learn teamwork and leadership


MediaIncludes: newspapers, magazines, television,

movies, books, and others.

Display significant gender stereotyping

Very big influence on what we perceive to be appropriate gendered behavior

Advertising significantly reinforces notion of women being physically attractive and thin.This believed to contribute to eating disorders


Contemporary Gender InequalityPatriarchy: a hierarchical system of social organization in

which cultural, political, and economic structures are controlled by men.

5 Structural forms contributing to gender inequality

Gendered division of labor

The wage gap

Sexual harassment

The glass ceiling and glass escalator

The double shift


Gendered division of labor:More women in workforce than ever before.Women on average have lower salaries, status, and

opportunities compared to working men.

High concentration of women pink collar occupations: low-paying, non manual, semiskilled positions (clerical work, child care).

Also concentrated in contingent work: Part time, temporary, subcontractedGood for employers but not great for employees


Wage GapWage gap: disparity in earnings between men and

women.Women make 81¢ for every $1.00 men make. (full time)Wage gap increases by age.

Comparable worth has been proposed to even things out.Wages reflect worth of job not gender or race of workerFigure out worth of job by breaking job down into

smaller components.


Sexual HarassmentIntentional gender discriminationViolates Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964

Most often women are victims, but occurs with male victims as well.

Usually abuse of power more than about attraction.

Costs companies millions of dollars each year due to low productivity, absenteeism, and employee turnover.


Glass ceiling and escalatorGlass Ceiling: invisible barrier preventing

women from reaching top ranking positions.Male executives afraid employees won’t work

under women.In 2005, only 15% of corporate officers in

largest 500 U.S. companies were women.Worse in male dominated occupations.

Glass escalator: men whisked to top quickly in female dominated occupations.Registered nurses, librarians, social workers.


Double ShiftHochschild (1989) calls it “second shift”

Women doing majority of housework while also working for a wage outside of home.

Men and women do different housework:Women do daily tasks (caring for children, cooking,

making beds, cleaning up dinner mess.)Men do sporadic chores (mowing lawn, car repair)

Women also a part of the “sandwich generation”Caring for dependent children and aging parents


Perspectives on Gender InequalitySymbolic Interactionist:

Linguistic Sexism: words and patterns of communication that ignore, devalue, or make sex objects of one sex (usually women). Ex: chairman, mailman, mankind Words can reinforce perceived position of women in

society.

Non verbal communicationMen control more space than women Reinforces male domination according to

interactionists.


Perspectives on Gender InequalityFunctionalist:

Parsons and Bales (1955): gender inequality is inevitable due to biological division of labor Instrumental vs. expressive tasks.

Continuation of gender segregation in workforce with women in support positions requiring expressive work.

Human capital analysts state that women diminish their human capital when they leave workforce to bear children.


Perspectives on Gender InequalityConflict:

Gender inequality comes from capitalism and private ownership of means of production by men.

Capitalism exploits women in workplace and at home patriarchy leads to women in unequal position.

Feminist views:Socialist: men gain control over property and womenRadical: patriarchy cause of inequalityLiberal: gender role socialization spurs inequalityBlack: women of color face complex effect of race and gender


Global Gender InequalityWomen and girls victims of sexual abuse.

Female genital mutilation

Some nations use sex-selective abortion to keep boys

High rates of illiteracy for girls worldwide

High rate of maternal mortality(pregnancy related death)


Solving gender inequalityFunctionalists:

Better education and strengthen social institutions

Conflict:Eliminate gender based discriminationAbolish capitalism and patriarchy

Symbolic Interactionists:Redefine social realities via socializationGet rid of linguistic sexism

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