1. The Role of Gender in Myths
HU300

2. Goddess Character Types
Literary Character Types
Great Mother, Universal Womb, “births, feeds, clothes, teaches, and guards all living things”
Queens of the Underworld, witches, sorceress, mediums, wise women; can control sterility and fertility
“appear as virgins and nymphs, as objects of sexual desire, and as sponsors of and the inspiration for everything beautiful”
Goddess of Life:
Goddess of Death:
Goddess of Regeneration:

3. “A Taste of Earth” Vietnamese Myth
Au Co, “youngest and loveliest goddess,” solely creates the sun and the moon.
Desiring to bath in the warmth of the sun, she and her sisters transform themselves into birds and fly to the earth.
Out of curiosity, Au Co tastes the earth, which hinders her ability to fly back home with her sisters.
She befriends the Dragon Prince, who eventually becomes her husband and the father of her half-human and half-dragon children.
They live a seemingly happy life together teaching their children until the Dragon Prince has to return to his underwater home to inherit the throne.
The myth leaves off with his promise to return while she calls longingly for him.

4. Cephalus and Procris
Cephalus and Procris

5. Cephalus and Procris
Cephalus, a devoted husband, aided his country in a time of distress by sending out his dog to capture a savage fox.
Tired from the hunt, Cephalus rested in the woods and said aloud, “Come, sweet breeze, come and fan my breast, come and allay the heat the burns me” (Bulfinch 22).
Nosey maidens told his wife that he was in the woods calling for another lover.
In an effort to learn the truth, his wife set out to the woods, there finding her husband.
Upon hearing a noise, Cephalus threw his trusty javelin, killing his wife.
With her dying words, she pleaded with him not to marry the other woman named, “Breeze.”

6. Cupid and Psyche

7. Cupid and Psyche
Venus was enraged that Psyche was being praised with the same affections as she was, so she commanded her son, Cupid, to cast a spell upon her that would make her love the lowliest monster.
Cupid mistakenly wounds himself with his own arrow, and he does not fulfill the wishes of his mother.
Psyche learns of her fate and goes by a mountainside where she falls asleep. Upon awaking, she is catered by invisible hosts.
She “marries” her host, who she is not allowed to see.
Overly intrigued (and encouraged by her sisters), she betrays her husband and looks at him while he sleeps; she discovers that it is Cupid.
In order to win Cupid’s heart back, she endures a series of tests from his mother Venus all the while being aided by various gods.
She becomes immortal, and she and Cupid are once again bound by love.

8. Discussion Point Two
Consider the myths of Cephalus and Procris, and Cupid and Psyche. What is the resulting consequence from curious action?
Typically, the goddesses are curious when it comes to their male partners. What does this say about the female gender as well as the male gender?
Consider why the women feel the need to be curious; do women consider men to be untrustworthy? Do the women consider the men to be their property?

9. Definitions (cont.)
Sex - the biological and physiological differences between men and women.
Sex Roles - the behaviors and patterns of activities men and women may engage in that are directly related to their biological differences.
Sexual Identity - the degree of awareness and recognition of sex and sex roles.
Gender - behaviors or patterns of activities that a society or culture deems appropriate for men and women.

10. Definitions (cont.)
Gender Role - the degree to which a person adopts the gender-specific behaviors ascribed by his or her culture.
Gender Identity - the degree to which a person has awareness or recognition that he or she adopts a particular gender role.
Gender Stereotypes - the psychological or behavioral characteristics typically associated with men and women.

11. Introductory Comments
Who does what?
It is clear that men and women perform different tasks in most cultures.
Hence, division of labor between the man and women, among other things, is said to be culturally determined.

12. Sex
Sex refers to the physical and biological attributes of men and women
Sex includes the chromosomal, hormonal, and anatomical components of males and females.

13. Gender and Gender Identity
Gender refers to the social, psychological and cultural attributes of masculinity and femininity, many of which are based on biological distinctions
Gender includes people’s self image and expectations for behavior among other things
Gender describes societal attitudes and behaviors expected of and associated with the two sexes.
Gender identity refers to the degree to which an individual sees herself or himself as feminine or masculine based on society’s definitions of appropriate gender roles.

14. Gender Characteristics?
Generally, sex is considered to be an ascribed status while gender is an achieved status
Examples of gender characteristics? What physical, emotional, or other characteristics are considered “masculine” or “Feminine”?

15. The Social Construction of Gender
Gender Roles
Expectations regarding proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females
Gender roles evident in work and in how we react to others

16. Gender Role Socialization
Gender role socialization is “...a lifelong process whereby people learn the values, attitudes, motivations, and behavior considered appropriate to each sex by their culture”
Gender role socialization takes place from earliest childhood through adolescence and throughout all social interactions in which we participate

17. Gender Role Socialization
Socialization approach emphasizes conscious social learning
‘Proper’ behavior is reinforced through rewards while inappropriate behavior is punished
- children modify behavior in order to maximize rewards and minimize sanctions
Modify behavior-young boys cry as much as little girls, but are told not to do so; as they get older, they modify their behavior, so that men cry less often than women

18. Gender Role Socialization
Children learn proper behavior for girls and boys through parents, the media, peer groups, and other sources of socialization
At an early age, children develop stereotypical conceptions of both genders, and begin to use these conceptions to organize their knowledge and behavior

19. Masculine Scripts
No sissy-stuff - men are expected to distance themselves from anything feminine.
Big wheel - men should be occupationally or financially successful.
Sturdy oak - men should be confident and self-reliant.
Give ‘em hell -men should do what is necessary to “make it”

20. Feminine Scripts Women should offer emotional support.
Ideal woman is attractive, not too competitive, a good listener and adaptable.
Women are expected to be good mothers and put the needs of others first.
Superwoman - successful at a career and a good wife/mother.

21. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Gender and gender roles are learned through socialization process.
Women are socialized into expressive roles; men are socialized into instrumental roles.
The Interactionist Approach
Study micro level of everyday behavior
Men are more likely than women to:
Change topics of conversation
Ignore topics chosen by women
Minimize ideas of women
Interrupt women

22. Rubin, Provenzano, and Luria, 1974
- in the first 24 hours after birth, parents described girls and boys differently, though there were no actual differences between them
Jacklin, 1984
- parents give sons toys that encourage invention and manipulation, while girls receive toys that emphasize caring and imitation
McHale et al., 1990
- parents assign boys maintenance chores, and give girls domestic tasks
Rubin et al., 1974-boys were thought to be more alert, stronger, and firmer while girls were described as less attentive, weaker, and more fragile
-all newborns are fragile, weak, and generally inattentive
Jacklin, 1984-boys given blocks and tools, girls given dolls and easy bake ovens
McHale et al., 1990-boys mow lawn and girls do dishes and babysit
Thinking back to your childhood and adolescence, was there any one thing your parent did or said that largely impacted your views on gender?

23. Media Influences
Messages about gendered behavior and interactions are also conveyed through television, movies, magazines, and books
On average, each day a 4-year-old watches 2 hours of television and a 12-year-old watches 4 hours (Comstock and Scharrer, 2001)
Some European nations ban ads before, during, and after children’s television programming
28 % of preschool children and 60 % of adolescents have TVs in their bedrooms
The importance of media increases as children get older
-media influence also increases as advertisers and corporations market more to young children
-many children spend more time viewing screen media (TV, movies, video games) than interacting with parents, friends, or teachers

24. Questions?