Gender Revision Session

Are men and women really different? There are definitely physical differences between men and women – Sex differences. However Sociologists argue that the differences in behaviour between men and women are not a result of these differences, they are learned – Gender differences.

Gender Roles In our culture, women are expected to be ‘feminine’ (weaker, gentler, maternal) while men are expected to be ‘masculine’ (stronger, aggressive, less emotional). These gender roles are learnt through the process of socialisation Parents act as role models teaching children about gender roles around the home. They may also have different expectations of sons and daughters and treat them differently Different toys The mass media reinforces gender differences Peers influence gender roles Education – teachers may have different expectations of boys and girls and they are also likely to chose different subjects. The hidden curriculum also reinforces gender roles. At work there are less females higher up the career ladder to act as role models Leisure pursuits are often different too Sociologists argue that these gender roles are artificial, not natural. In other cultures these differences do not exist → In New Guinea three tribes illustrate this: The Arapesh – both males and females are treated the same – they are both expected to share responsibility for child-rearing The Mundugumor – Both sexes are equally aggressive and active The Tchambuli – the men are interested in gossip and beauty regimes while the women are assertive and run the society

Feminism Though there a lot of disagreements between different groups of feminists – the basic shared belief is that men and women should be treated equally During the twentieth century, feminist successes include gaining equal voting rights for women and the Sex Discrimination Act. Despite this, there are a lot of negative stereotypes of feminists → do not forget though that these come from the media – which is male dominated! Feminists argue that our society is still patriarchal (Controlled by men)

‘Genderquake’ This term is sometimes used to describe the shift in gender relations that has occurred since the 1960s (especially since the 1990s) As more women are making it to the top, more girls have higher aspirations This is one reason why girls now do better in education The younger generations of women have much more confidence in what they can achieve than in the past, and do not see their life chances as being limited because of their gender – they take sexual equality for granted The may also copy traditional male behaviour eg ‘laddettes’ But barriers such as the pressure to conform to traditional gender roles still exist

Discrimination The Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 made it illegal to treat males and females differently in the workplace, education, entertainment etc However, discrimination is hard to prove and still occurs

Gender Divisions in the Home Women are still expected to be responsible for child care and housework This means that their careers may suffer because they may have to take a break to raise children If women do work full time they will probably face a double burden/shift or a triple burden/shift Only 8% of mothers with children aged 0-4 work full time and 21% work part time. But 80% of fathers with children aged 0-4 work full time and 2% work part time However, are these arrangements always good for men and bad for women?

Gender Divisions at Work The majority of people in managerial roles and the higher levels of the professions are still men. The average women’s wage is 80% of what the average man earns Women are more likely to be concentrated in certain low paid jobs such as cleaning and care work, and the service industries. There is a glass ceiling which prevents women from getting to the top jobs There is still prejudice against women at work

Other gender divisions Politics – still dominated by men. We have only had one female prime minister and only 6 out of the 23 members of the cabinet (the most important people in government) are women – though this is an improvement on what it was in the past. Education - Girls do better than boys at school, and there are now nearly as many women as men getting degrees. However, there is difference in subject choice, which will affect careers Media – women are judged much more on their looks and portrayed in a much more narrow way than men Crime – Women are less likely to commit crime or be victims of street crime. However, to be victims of sexual attacks and violence in the home Welfare – women are more likely to be unpaid carers than men Class Mobility – women have less chance of being upwardly mobile than men and more chance of being downwardly mobile. This may be because of divorce, or taking time off their careers. Health – although women have longer life expectancies, they are more likely to suffer serous and mental illness

How important are gender divisions? Gender is still one of the most important divisions in society – though sociologists diagree over whether it is more important than divisions based on class, ethnicity and age. Although women’s position has improved considerably and is continuing to do so, there is still not full equality between the sexes. Don’t forget – different women will have different experiences (based partly on their class, ethnicity, age)