Mrs. Martin

Sociology

THE UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH, POWER, AND

PRIVILEGE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN

Gender- the behavioral and psychological traits considered appropriate for males and females. What is masculine what is feminine?

MALE-FEMALE DIFFERENCES• SEX

– THE BIOLOGICAL DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN FEMALES AND MALES

• GENDER– PERSONAL TRAITS AND SOCIAL

POSITIONS THAT MEMBERS OF A SOCIETY ATTACH TO BEING FEMALE AND MALE

• DIFFERENCES– BIOLOGICALLY BASED– SOCIOLOGICALLY BASED

Conflict TheoryHOW PERCEPTIONS OF

BEAUTY AND OTHER ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL LIFE

COMBINE TO FORM A SYSTEM THAT GIVES MEN

THE UPPER HAND

1955: Why Take Home Economics?

• Gender, not biology, determines the roles of males and females

• Belief in gender roles results in power distribution between the sexes

• Role- socially or culturally defined behavioral expectation that is presumed to apply to all individuals in a category.

• Gender Roles-specific behaviors and attitudes associated with and established for men and women. Being masculine or feminine means displaying these roles appropriate for a person’s biological sex.

DOL-Individuals specialize to perform economic tasks

Men and women expected to do different work

Men- economic support and safety

Women- childcare, domestic * changing in US

Housework: Who does how Much?

• THE ISRAELI KIBBUTZIM– RAISING CHILDREN IN AN

EVIRONMENT IN WHICH SEX MADE NO DIFFERENCE

• MARGARET MEAD’S RESEARCH– IS SEX LINKED TO A SPECIFIC,

UNIVERSAL SOCIAL DISTINY?• STUDIES FOUND

– ARAPESH– MUNDUGUMOR– TCHAMBULI

• FAFAFUNGIE OF TONGA• NIUE NEW ZEALAND• FULNAI NORTH AFRICA

THE SOCIALIZATION PROCESS AND GENDER

WHAT IS FEMININE AND MASCULINE?HOW DO WE ACQUIRE SUCH DISTINCTIONS?

GENDER SOCIALIZATION FIRST OCCURS IN THE FAMILY, AND IS REINFORCED BY SCHOOL, PEERS, AND MEDIA

THE FAMILYTHE FAMILY• SELECTIVE ABORTION• SOCIALIZATION BEGINS AT

BIRTH-IS IT A BOY OR GIRL?– COLOR-CODING GENDER

• HANDLING OF CHILDREN– BE A GOOD “LITTLE MAN” “ACT

LADY LIKE”

• NURSERY RHYMES• IT’S OK TO BE A TOM-BOY

– WHY WOULDN’T A GIRL WANT TO BE A BOY?

– BUT, WHAT IF A BOY ACTS TOO MUCH LIKE A GIRL?

SCHOOL AND GENDERSCHOOL AND GENDER• HIGH SCHOOL

– GIRLS• SECRETARIAL, VOCATIONAL,

ENGLISH, THE ARTS, AND HOME ECONOMICS

– BOYS• MATH, SCIENCE, WOODWORKING

AND AUTOMECHANICS ATTRACT BOYS

• COLLEGE– MEN

• MATHEMATICS AND HARD SCIENCES

– WOMEN• THE HUMANITIES, FINE ARTS, AND

THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

• PEER GROUPS USE NORMATIVE CONCEPTIONS OF GENDER– PRESSURES TO TAKE PART IN

BEHAVIORS THAT ARE NORMATIVE TO AGE AND GENDER

• GAMES WITH SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS – BOYS

• “VICTORY” TEAM SPORTS

– GIRLS• “COOPERATIVE” GAMING

THE MEDIATHE MEDIATHE MEDIATHE MEDIA• WHITE MALES HAVE

CENTER STAGE• MINORITIES OF ALL

KINDS LOCKED OUT• WOMEN RECEIVE

ROLES BASED ON SEX APPEAL

• THE “BEAUTY MYTH”– EATING DISORDERS

– EMOTIONAL STRESS

– IDEAL IMAGING

Model 'fired by Ralph Lauren

for being too fat' • A former Ralph Lauren model

Filippa Hamilton, whose image in a roundly criticized advertisement was digitally slenderized said …that the apparel maker did not renew her contract because she was “too large.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBF6tURm99IDOVE BEAUTY MYTH

• Gender Stereotyping in advertisements

http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/01/09/crossing-gender-lines-boys-doing-double-dutch/-video double dutch

• MATRIARCHY • INEVITABILITY OF PATRIARCHY?

– IS BIOLOGY DESTINY? SHOULD WOMEN RULE?

– MARGARET MEAD’S TACHAMBULI

– MOSUO IN SOUTH EAST CHINA

“THE RULE OF FATHERS”A FORM OF SOCIAL ORGANIZATION IN

WHICH MALES DOMINATE FEMALES

• Sexism- belief that by nature one sex is superior to the other

• Misogyny- hate women-believe them inferior• Misandry- hate men-believe them inferior

• Men historically had the country and economy and have accepted this as the norm

Creation of self-fulfilling prophecy1. Male choices are based on beliefs so beliefs are reinforced2. Men often do not accept women in powerful positions3. Women often do not attempt to gain powerful positions

heart of gender discrimination

SOCIOLOGISTS INTERESTED IN THE INEQUALITY OF MEN AND WOMEN IN THE D.O.L.

ERNESTINE FRIEDL’S THEORY• Power is based on who exchanges

goods with non-family members. Men are the ones normally in this position

HUNTER-GATHERS: men hunted, women gathered food used for family while hunted food was shared

1. Inuet (Eskimo) 2. Washo Indians3. Hadza Tanzania

INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIESoften the sameFinancial independence tied to power

Women in the home therefore have less power

Women need to move into higher positions with better pay to change this

Women have often had lower paying lower status jobs when in the work force

HISTORY IN THE HOME• Women have historically worked

in the home in industrial societies

CHANGES TODAY• People are living longer; most of

adult life is no longer spent in child care

• Jobs are no longer (necessarily) too difficult physically for women

CONFLICT THEORISTS • claim gender roles are a

reflection of male dominance• Males control money, power,

and law

• EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT (ERA)

• 1920- 19th Amendment- • First proposed in 1923- • ERA STATES “equality of

rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the U.S or any state on the account of sex.”

• Has been put forward in each congress since 1923*

• 2009-2010 July 21, 2009, Representative Maloney introduced the ERA in the House of Representatives as House Joint Resolution 61

• Did not pass -ratified by 35 states but the bill needed 38

• Indiana was the last to ratify in 1977

• People saw it as a threat to family values

Ratified      Ratified, then rescinded      Ratified in 1 house of legislature      Not ratified

• Number of women in college has risen from being underrepresented to outnumbering men since 1980

• As of 2006: – Bachelors degrees Men 43% -Women 57%– Masters degrees Men 41%- Women 59%

• Ph. D’s- 2001-2006 women earned more Ph.D.’s than men in Humanities, social science, education, and life sciences

Women are less likely to pursue professional and doctoral degrees in engineering, science (women earn 24% of science Ph.D.’s)

• Major in areas that lead to low paying jobs- humanities or become Nurses instead of Doctors

• Majority 59.5% of women over age 16-work but in low paying, low status jobs

1. 2005- Median female income $31,858 a year 2.2005- Median male income $ 41,386 a year3. $0.77 on every male dollar

• Sometimes women will earn less for the same job

• Feminization of Poverty • Feb 2009 New York Times reported Recession

“Women are poised to surpass men on the nation’s payrolls, taking the majority for the first time in American history.”

• 82% of job losses have been men

Why are men paid more than women?

1. Different work patterns2. Occupational segregation: (1) men and women work different jobs and (2) female-dominated jobs are paid less than male-dominated ones

• The “family wage” vs. “pin money”• Womenʼs work is devalued

3. Pay discrimination (women are paid less for the same jobs)4. Promotion gap

• Job ladders (gendered internal labor markets)• “Glass ceiling” vs. “glass escalator”

• The Economist- Report on Oppertunities for Women World Wide

WOMEN AND…WOMEN AND…• THE MILITARY

• 14-15% OF THE ARMED FORECES ACTIVE AND RESERVE WERE WOMEN IN 2008• THE COAST GUARD OPENS ALL

ASSIGNMENTS TO WOMEN• THE UNTIED STATES MARINE

CORPS DENIES ACCESS TO TWO-THIRDS OF ITS MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL FIELDS

• Women are 50% of voting population, yet men have the majority of elected positions (2009)

• 112th congress 17% Women1. Senate 17 Serving =17%2. Representatives 75

serving=17% 3. State Governors 6= 12%Worldwide- only 18.6% of seats in

world parliaments THESE NUMBERS ARE

GROWING BUT STILL ARE FAR FROM EQUAL

Global Stats for Women in Parliaments

• GIVEN THE ECONOMIC REALITIES, WOMEN CERTAINLY QUALIFY

• AT ALL LEVELS IN THE CLASS SYSTEM, WOMEN HAVE:– LESS INCOME– LESS WEALTH– LESS POWER THAN MEN

• PATRIARCHY PROVIDES WOMEN WITH SOCIAL STANDING, FIRST THEIR, AND THEN THEIR HUSBANDS

ADDRESSING A LETTER

IN WHAT WAYSMIGHT AMERICAN TRADITIONS

CLOAK WOMEN IN A SHROUD OF LIMITATIONS?

Iran Illegal for women to have a tan?

• IN THE HOME– SOME WOMEN BELIEVE THAT A

“RAPE CULTURE” EXISTS IN AMERICA

• IN PUBLIC– SEXUAL ‘WHISTLING” AND

OTHER FORMS OF HARASSMENT AWAIT WOMEN ON STREETS

• THE WORKPLACE– SEXUAL HARASSMENT REMAINS

PROBLEMATIC FOR WOMEN

• PORNOGRAPHY– POWER ISSUE WHICH MAY TELL

MEN IT’S OK TO OBJECTIFY WOMEN

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

•FEMALE INFANTICIDE

•HONOR KILLINGS

•FEMALE GENITAL MUTALATION

•CHILD BRIDES

FROM A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE• STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONALISM

– MEN, WOMEN, AND THE FUNCTIONALITY OF CLEAR-CUT GENDER ROLES

• SOCIAL CONFLICT– WOMEN, CLASS POSITION, AND

CAPITALISM

• SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM– GENDER AND LANGUAGE USEAGE

FEMINISM IN AMERICAITS MOST BASIC PRINCIPLES

• IMPORTANCE OF CHANGE• EXPANSION OF HUMAN

CHOICE• NO GENDER STRATIFICATION

– EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW

• ENDING SEXUAL VIOLENCE• SEXUAL AUTONOMY

• LIBERAL FEMINISM– HUMANITARIAN-LIKE THINKING

• SOCIALIST FEMINISM– BELIEF IN SOCIALIST REVOLUTION

• RADICAL FEMINISM– ELIMINATE IDEA OF GENDER– EGALITARIAN, GENDER-FREE REVOLUTION

• OPPOSITION TO FEMINISM– MOST IS DIRECTED TOWARD SOCIALIST AND

RADICAL FEMINIST GROUPS– GENERALLY, MEN DO NOT WANT TO GIVE UP

THEIR STATUS. WHO REALLY WOULD?

Ratio of Women's Earnings to Men's Earnings by Earnings Precentile: 1999

U.S. MediaMedia criticism is a reflection of the gender inequality in society through print, advertisements, television and music. Media influences and reinforces the idea of The Beauty Myth as discussed in Naomi Wolf’s book, The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women, which refers to unrealistic standards of beauty for women. [1] The media perpetuates the idea of heteromasculinity by portraying men as dominant. [2] Men and women in the United States are influenced by the media which objectifies and oppresses women, and men who don’t fall into the heteronormative category. [3]

[edit] OppressionBoth men and women are oppressed in the media. Women are oppressed in the media through musical lyrics that discuss violence, distrust, and overall inferiority to men. Through the media, men are taught to be ultra-masculine by being desensitized, violent, and physically strong. [4] Other forms of media that often portray the ultra-masculine figure are advertisements, specifically beer commercials. These forms encourage men to oppress other men if they do not fit the ideals of heteromasculinity. [5]

[edit] Objectification of WomenWomen are often objectified and portrayed as objects. [6]This is shown through advertisements where women become the object. There are many repercussions, such as low self-esteem and eating disorders, this encourages the idea of women being subordinate to men in the sense that women are disposable and controllable. [7]