1. Sociology 125 Lectures 17 & 18 Gender November 2 & 4

2. I. GENDER & NATURE

3. 1.Definitions of Sex & Gender Sex = a biological distinction based on roles in the process of biological reproduction Gender = a social distinction between roles and expectations linked to sex. Gender is the social transformation of a biological difference – sex -- into a social difference. Gender norms are the rules of appropriate behavior and roles for men and women.

4. 2. What is Natural? Women Men The intensity of caregiving behavior HighLow Gender gap in caregiving I. Existing distribution of caregiving in a world with strong gender norms

5. II. Hypothetical distributions of caregiving in a world with weak gender norms Women Men Gender gap in caregiving Men Women Gender gap in caregiving HighLow High 2. What is Natural? The intensity of caregiving behavior

6. II. THE EMPIRICAL STORY: MASSIVE TRANSFORMATIONS IN THREE GENERATIONS

7. Six important elements of transformations of gender relations 1.Legal Rights 2.Labor force participation 3.Occupational Structure & Income 4.Power 5.Family structure 6.Domestic division of labor

8. 1. Legal Rights gained by women Right to vote (1920) Right to own passport (early 1930s) Equal right to divorce (gradually since 1940s) Reproductive rights (1973, but eroding) Equal rights to university admission (1960s) Equal rights to all jobs (1960s) Equal rights to participate in sports (1972)

9. 2. Labor Force Participation Rates of Married Women with Children, 1950-2007

10. % of People in Selected Traditionally Male Professions who are Women, 1930, 1960, 1990, 2000, 2007

11. % Enrollments in Medical & Law Schools who are women, 1949-2007

12. 19702007 secretary98.1%96.1% RN97.8%91.2% Dental Assistant98.6%97.1% Carpenter1.6%1.9% Airline pilot1.6%4.9% auto mechanic1.6%1.7% % of Women in Selected Highly Gender-Segregated Jobs

13. Women’s wages = 63% of men’s wages Women’s wages = 82% of men’s wages Men’s and Women’s median wages, 1973-2004

14. % of corporate officers and CEOs who are women

15. Women elected officials, 1979-2009

16. Women in national legislatures, 2009 (%)

17. % of Households that consist of a Married Couple

18. % of Households that consist of a Single Person living alone

19. % of Women ages 30-34 who have Never Married, 1940-2000 6.9% 14.3% 27.3%

20. Time devoted by Mothers and Fathers to routine housecleaning

21. Ratio 4.1:1 Ratio 3.2:1 Ratio 2.0:1 Time spent per day on child care for fathers and mothers in homes with children mothersfathers

22. Domestic Division of Labor

24. III. EXPLAINING TRANSFORMATION

25. The Question Women have always tried to increase their autonomy and reduce their subjection. But throughout most of history these struggles have produced at best minimal change. Why do these struggles produce big changes sometimes and not others? Why in second half of the 20 th century was there such massive transformation?

26. The general answer While women have tried throughout history to increase their autonomy and reduce their subordination, they could only succeed in doing this on a large scale once social conditions had changed in ways that made existing gender power relations fragile.

27. Three basic processes 1.Decline in a coherent interest among men to defend male domination 2.Erosion of institutional system of female domesticity which eroded women’s interest in traditional gender relations 3.Increase in capacity for challenge by women

28. 1.The decline of coherent male interests in male domination Central explanation: The rapidly increasing economic demand for literate labor by male employers

29. 2. The Crisis of Female Domesticity

30. Traditional social supports for domesticity = a coherent system Stable marriage/personal relations fostered domesticity blocked work opportunities increased the attractiveness of domesticity A family wage made domesticity economically feasible dense social networks supported domesticity (neighbors, churches, communities, etc.) cultural norms and sexism reinforced identities and expectations

31. Collapse of the system of coherent domesticity beginning in the 1960s decline of stable marriage means women cannot count of support of husbands expansion of work opportunities increased the viability of alternatives to domesticity decline of the family wage made domesticity economically difficult erosion of dense social networks makes domesticity more isolated and difficult challenge to cultural norms and traditional sexism contributes to new identities

32. 3. The Women’s movement & Feminism

33. V. THE WORLD TODAY: DILEMMAS AND PROSPECTS

34. World #1World #2 Average wages of men and women are about the same Good quality childcare is provided by the city or employers free or at low cost Generous paid parental leave for caregiving emergencies and early infant care Average wages of women are 75-80% of wages of men No childcare is provided by the city or employers; private daycare is expensive or of poor quality no paid parental leave for caregiving emergencies or early infant care World #1 is like Sweden World #2 is like the United States 1. Imagine two possible worlds

35. Dramatic decline in family size unlikely to be reversed: permanent erosion of lifetime domesticity as an ideal Traditional marriage stability unlikely to be restored Women’s labor force participation unlikely to be reversed Women’s participation in powerful and influential positions unlikely to decline 2. IRREVERSIBILITY OF FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES

36. Gender equality imposes costs on some women and erodes some of the security that comes with traditional female dependency. Certain ways of life, valued by many women and men, are threatened by gender equality. Men have contradictory interests with respect to gender inequality: men have much to gain from gender equality, but some losses as well. Gains for men = opening up of choices around parenting & work; the cult of masculinity blocks the full development of personhood in men. Losses = more competition for higher jobs; end of gender- based privileges. 3. The problem of Winners & Losers

37. 1.Pay Equity: equal pay for comparable work 2.Quality public provision of childcare in neighborhoods and workplaces 3.Generous paid parental leaves 4. Three reforms

38. Paid Parental Leaves in Various Countries Weeks

39. The Family Ideals and Fallback Positions of Young Men and Women