1. Inequalities of Gender & Age
Chapter 10

2. Section 1
Sex & gender identity

3. Defining Male & Female
What are little boys made of? Snips and snails And puppy dog tails That’s what little boys are made of. What are little girls made of? Sugar and Spice And everything nice. That’s what little girls are made of.

4. What children think about gender?

5. Women talk more than men Women use less personal space than men
Research shows that in spite of what most people believe, just the opposite is true. In one study, men talked on the average of 10 minutes more than women about an engraving.
Research as determined that women are no more likely than men to touch other people; “touchiness” is a function of personality and modeling, not gender.
Research does bear this finding to be true. Men tend to take up more space than women.
Women are more likely than men to touch each other.
Women use less personal space than men

6. Gender Vocabulary
Biological determination The principle that behavior differences are the result of inherited physical characteristics. Gender Identity A sense of being male or female based on learned cultural values

7. Biology, Culture and Behavior
Are male and female brains difference?
Do such biological differences lead to differences in social behavior?
How do biologists view behavior?
What can we conclude from studies about male and female behaviors?
In general, researchers investigating behavioral differences between the sexes have not been able to prove that any particular behavior has a biological cause. While biological characteristics exist, they can be modified through social influences.
Recent research indicates that the brains of men and women are slightly different in structure. Men show more activity in the area of the brain tied to adaptive evolutionary responses and women in emotional expression. Women also tend to use both side of the brain when performing a task and listen with both ears. Men are more likely to use the left side when performing a task and listen with the right ear.
Most sociologists feel that gender-related behavior is not related to biology. Margaret Mead found that both sexes were conditioned to be cooperative, unaggressive, and empathetic in the tribes she studied.
This is overlooked by biological determinists who assume (without evidence) that physical differences result in biologically programmed differences in social behavior. Male babies less sensitive to sound (females listen with both ears) and male babies/children engage in more active play. When looking for a partner men value physical appearance and women value social class and income. We see this across many cultures but we do not know if this difference is a result of biology or culture.
Biology, Culture and Behavior

8. Theoretical Perspectives on gender
Section 2
Theoretical Perspectives on gender

9. Focus on Theoretical Perspectives
Social Arrangement
Example
Functionalism
Gender-based division of labor
Women are expected to perform household tasks for the benefit of society.
Conflict Theory
Patriarchy (male domination)
Women are denied high status occupations for the benefit of men.
Symbolic Interactionism
Favoring males over females in the classroom
Few females believe they can become scientists.

10. Section 3
Gender inequality

11. Women as a Minority Group
Sexism A set of beliefs, attitudes, norms and values used to justify sexual inequality Isn’t sex discrimination disappearing? Yes and No There have been many improvements, but still more to come.

12. Sexism, Gender & Masculinity

13. Occupational & Economic Inequality
What kinds of jobs are women doing? Occupational sex segregation The concentration of women in lower-status positions Do women earn less than men? YES Are all occupations affected? How do American women fare globally? Women earn more in Australia

14. Legal & Political Inequality
What are some biases in law?
Some states do not allow women to keep their surnames
Limit the number of hours women can work and the kinds of work they can do
Title VII nullified such laws
How do American women stand politically?
Very involved, participate on many levels
Zwiegenhaft & Domhoff point out that women are now part of the power elite

15. Section 4
ageism

16. Defining Ageism
Age Stratification The unequal distribution of scarce resources based on age. Ageism A set of beliefs, attitudes, norms and values used to justify age-based prejudice and discrimination

17. Theoretical Perspectives on Ageism
Social Arrangement
Example
Functionalism
Elderly people play the role the aged play in that society
People retire as they reach a certain age.
Conflict Theory
Elderly people compete with other age groups for economic resources
Forced retirement
Symbolic Interactionism
Children learn negative images of older people as they learn aspects of their culture.
Stereotypes of the elderly: no sex, senile, fragile, etc.

18. Inequality in America's elderly population
Section 5
Inequality in America's elderly population

19. Economics of the Elderly
Why is poverty measured differently for older people? The government assumes that elderly require less money to live What other factors affect elderly Americans? Racial and ethnic groups Overall, what is the economic position of older people in the United States? Better off than years ago but some still live at poverty level

20. Not for just the young…