Think back to when you were a child… -What were your favorite toys? -What were your favorite activities?

GENDER Behavioral and psychological traits that are considered appropriate for men and women

GENDER  Sex = biological identity; same differences in all societies  Gender traits – socially created; vary from culture to culture  Gender, not biology, is what mostly determines what roles men and women play in society and how power is distributed between sexes

Gender Roles  Gender Roles- specific behaviors and attitudes that a society establishes for men and women  Ex.: Division of labor (in many societies)  Women care for children and household  Men provide economic support and physical safety

Gender Identity  Gender Identity- the awareness of being masculine or feminine as those traits are defined by culture  What does it mean to be a boy or be a girl?  Cultural values that influence gender identity and roles may change over time

Between Cultures: Tchambuli  Margaret Mead studied three societies in New Guinea and discovered variation in gender roles  In the Tchambuli society, both men and women cared for children  Women were bossy and efficient; men were gossipy and artistic  Men wore makeup and curled their hair; women wore few “adornments”

Between Cultures: Mundugumor & Arapesh  Among the Mundugumor, both men and women were aggressive  Among the Arapesh, both men and women were passive and emotionally warm  In Tahiti, names are not gender specific  Cross cultural variations suggest that gender roles are socially created, not biologically based

Gender Identity & Socialization  Gender socialization begins at birth and continues through life  How are we gender-socialized in the U.S.?  Names  Clothes  Toys  Nursery  ???

Gender Identity & Socialization  In the past years, girls’ treatment has changed; more variation  How do we expect little boys to behave? (play, school)  How do we expect little girls to behave? (play, school)  Most powerful agent of socialization is family!

Gender Roles & Social Inequality  In nearly every society, gender is the primary factor that determines social standing  Generally, females have less power in society--- WHY?

Nature of Human Reproduction  women give birth and nurse children  they take on roles at home  men take on roles that required travel and strength  risk their lives = more prestige own weapons = more power Patriarchy- system in which mean are dominant over womenPatriarchy- system in which mean are dominant over women In industrial societies, women often still occupy secondary status though they are seen as more responsibleIn industrial societies, women often still occupy secondary status though they are seen as more responsible

Conflict Perspective  Gender roles reflect male dominance  Men have blocked women’s access to power through laws and customs

Institutionalized Discrimination  Over generations, certain discriminatory customs based on gender have become part of the social structure  Based on Sexism- the belief that one sex is by nature superior to the other  Some believe men possess qualities superior to women  Becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Sexism  People who see women as incapable of holding positions of power make choices based on this belief  Men who see women as inferior oppose women entering powerful positions  Women who accept an inferior role do not pursue traditionally male roles  Thus, not enough women are in positions of power to push for greater access  The fact that few women hold positions of power is used to justify the opinion that women must be incapable of holding such positions