Sex, Gender and Sexuality Chapter 10 Sex, Gender and Sexuality

Chapter Outline Sexual Differentiation Perspectives on Gender Inequality Gender as Social Construction and Social Structure Differences in Life Chances by Sex Gender and Power The Sociology of Sexuality

Sex and Gender Biology differentiates the sexes. Society differentiates male and female roles. Gender roles ascribed to men and women vary greatly from culture to culture.

Gender Roles Across Cultures In virtually all cultures: Women are expected to focus on child-raising. Men tend to have more power. Male children are valued over female children.

Violence Toward Women In the U.S. in 1996 more than 840,000 women were murdered, raped, assaulted or robbed by an intimate. More than 100 million women, in African countries and in Asia, South America, and Europe, have undergone genital mutilation. In India 6,006 new brides were known to have been murdered in 1997 by their husbands or in-laws.

Greg Hardy

4,774,000 The number of women in the U.S. who experience physical violence by an intimate partner every year.

1 in 4 – The number of women who will be victims of severe violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes 1 in 7 - The number of men who will be victims of severe violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes 2 in 5 – The number of gay or bisexual men who will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetimes 2 in 4 -The number of lesbian women who will experience domestic violence(not necessarily intimate partner violence) in their lifetimes

Functionalist Theory of Gender Inequality Focuses on the functions of gendered division of labor: Reduces competition between men and women. Makes both sexes specialists in their roles. Requires an interdependence of men and women.

1 male is enough to ensure the group’s chance of survival 1 woman is not enough Male became more valuable to society

Conflict Theory of Gender Inequality Subjugation of women to subordinate roles benefits men and capitalism. Capitalists benefit from a labor market that splits the interests of men and women workers—in favor of men. Segmented labor market provides a low-wage female labor reserve.

Prevent women from gaining political, economic or social power Afghanistan – Gender apartheid Taliban prohibits girls from attending school May not work outside the house May not leave the house without a man House windows must be painted black Societal changes Married later Fewer children Choosing to stay single

Symbolic Interaction and Gender Inequality Sexism arises through culturally patterned interaction in everyday life. Studies demonstrate differences in the ways boys and girls are are treated by teachers and each other. Gender Socialization-process of learning how to act like a boy or girl

Parents and Gender Socialization Begins at birth and is established by 3 Child appropriate gifts Girls play with dolls Boys play with action figures Girls handled more delicately at birth Chores Grass cutting, shoveling snow, raking leaves Washing dishes, cleaning windows, dusting

School and gender socialization Boys are 8x more likely to answer questions(4th, 6th, and 8th graders) Boys are allowed to yell out answers while girls were scolded when answering out loud

Peers and gender socialization Adolescents want to be liked More respect for traditional gender role Male football player Female cheerleader To oppose this teens could risk rejection

Symbolic Interaction and Gender Inequality Teachers tend to ask boys analytical questions. Boys in a summer camp setting tend to be ranked based on athletic prowess and aggressiveness.

Differences in Life-chances by Sex There is a gap between the sexes when it comes to doctoral or professional degrees. The care of children makes it difficult for women to be considered on an equal occupational footing with men. Labor-force participation by women approaches that of men.

Bachelor’s Degrees Earned, by Field, 1971 and 2000 % Female Field of Study 1971 2000 Business 9.1 49.7 Computer and information sciences 13.6 28.1 Education 74.5 75.8 Engineering 0.8 20.4

Bachelor’s Degrees Earned, by Field, 1971 and 2000 % Female Field of Study 1971 2000 Health sciences 77.1 83.8 Home economics 97.3 87.9 Pre-law 6.0 73.0 Mathematics 37.9 47.1 Social sciences and history 36.8 51.2

Labor-Force Participation of Men and Women 16 and Over

Reasons Why Women and Men Have Different Jobs Gendered jobs.Lower paying jobs like nursing and teaching tend to be “women’s work”. Different qualifications.Women are less likely to have as much experience or education as men. Discrimination, often based on sexism, works against women’s options in the world of work.

Same Job, Different Earnings Three reasons why men earn more than women who do the same work: Different titles. Segmented labor market. Family responsibilities.

Sex Differences in Earnings from the Same Occupation Median Weekly Earnings Occupation Males Females Accountants $953 $690 Engineers 1,126 949 Natural scientists 1,007 726 Computer programmers 968 868 Lawyers 1,439 1,053

 Male Disadvantages Men also pay for the imbalances of power and privilege in gender roles. Mortality rates for men are higher throughout the life cycle partly due to norms that encourage men to suppress their feelings.

Male Disadvantages The male role does not encourage the cultivation of emotionally supportive relationships. Men may suffer serious stress from associating self-esteem with net worth.