Chapter Three Gender and Families McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Gender 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? McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Hormonal Influences 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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Biosocial Influences 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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

The Continual Construction of Gender 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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

The Sex-Gender System Capitalist economies Social economies Men have access to more resources Social economies Sexes equal in theory, but not in practice McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Gender, Class, and Race 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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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 McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Contribution of Gender Studies Gender distinctions reflect differences in power Biological differences exist without dismissing cultural and social influences McGraw-Hill © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved