chapter 10 gender inequality. chapter outline the global context: the status of women and men ...
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Chapter 10
Gender Inequality
Chapter Outline
The Global Context: The Status Of Women And Men
Sociological Theories Of Gender Inequality Gender Stratification: Structural Sexism The Social Construction Of Gender Roles:
Cultural Sexism
Chapter Outline
Social Problems And Traditional Gender Role Socialization
Strategies For Action: Toward Gender Equality Understanding Gender Inequality
Sexism
The belief that there are innate psychological, behavioral, and/or intellectual differences between women and men and that these differences connote the superiority of one group and the inferiority of the other.
Double or triple jeopardy - When a person is a member of 2 or more minority groups.
Question
How comfortable are you with the gender roles our society defines as appropriate for males and females?
A. Very comfortableB. Somewhat comfortableC. UnsureD. Somewhat uncomfortableE. Very uncomfortable
Gender and Sex
Gender is the social definitions and expectations associated with being female or male.
Sex is one's biological identity.
Question
If you could temporarily be the other gender, how long would you like to do so?
A. One day
B. One week
C. I have no desire to be the other gender
Gender Gap Rankings: Top 10 Countries
Country Rank Country Rank
Sweden 1 New Zealand 6
Norway 2 Canada 7
Iceland 3 United Kingdom 8
Denmark 4 Germany 9
Finland 5 United States 10
Gender Gap Rankings: Bottom 10 Countries
Country Rank Country Rank
Venezuela 49 Korea 54
Greece 50 Jordan 55
Brazil 51 Pakistan 56
Mexico 52 Turkey 57
India 53 Egypt 58
Structural Functionalist Perspective
Pre-industrial society required a division of labor based on gender.– Women nursed and cared for children.– Men were responsible for material needs.
Industrialization made traditional division of labor less functional, belief system remains.
Conflict Perspective
Continued domination by males requires a belief system that supports gender inequality.
Two beliefs– Women are inferior outside the home.– Women are more valuable in the home.
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Gender and gender roles are learned through socialization process.
Women are socialized into expressive roles; men are socialized into instrumental roles.
Question
Symbolic interactionists emphasize that through the socialization process both females and males are taught the meanings associated with being feminine and masculine.
A. True
B. False
Answer: A. True
Symbolic interactionists emphasize that through the socialization process both females and males are taught the meanings associated with being feminine and masculine.
Education and Structural Sexism
Worldwide, women are less likely than men to be literate.
In U.S. men are more likely to have doctorate degrees.
Women are socialized to choose marriage and motherhood over career preparation.
Science and Engineering Doctorates Awarded to Women, 2003
Income and Structural Sexism
Women with same level of education will earn, on average, 60% of what men earn.
The higher the percentage of females in an occupation, the lower the pay.
Employers channel women and men into different jobs that have different wages.
Work and Structural Sexism
Women make up 1/3 of world’s labor force. Women tend to work in jobs with little prestige
in roles where they are facilitators for others. Women are more likely to have little or no
authority in workplace.
Occupational Sex Segregation: Reasons
Through socialization, females and males learn different skills and acquire different aspirations.
Women are given fewer opportunities in higher-paying male-dominated jobs.
Women have primary responsibility for childcare and choose professions with flexible hours and career paths.
Sex Segregation
Between 1983 and 2003:– female physicians increased from 16% to 30%– female dentists increased from 7% to 22%– female clergy increased from 6% to 14%
Public school teaching is even more dominated by women today than it was two decades ago.
Women are still heavily represented in low-prestige, low-wage, pink-collar jobs that offer few benefits.
Highly Sex-Segregated Occupations 2003
Female Dominated Occupations % of Female Workers
Child-care workers 95
Dental hygienists 99
Dieticians 91
Elementary and middle school teachers
82
Librarians 84
Paralegals 84
Highly Sex-Segregated Occupations 2003
Female Dominated Occupations % of Female Workers
Prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers
98
Receptionists 93
Registered Nurses 92
Secretaries 97
Speech therapists 95
Teacher assistants 92
Travel Agents 83
Highly Sex-Segregated Occupations 2003
Male Dominated Occupations % of Male Workers
Pilots and Navigators 97
Architects 78
Auto mechanics 98
Civil engineers 91
Clergy 86
Construction Workers 97
Dentists 78
Highly Sex-Segregated Occupations 2003
Male Dominated Occupations % of Male Workers
Firefighters 96
Grounds Maintenance Workers 94
Lawyers 76
Mechanical Engineers 96
Physicians 70
Police Officers 88
Question
Do you approve or disapprove of a married woman earning money in business or industry if she has a husband capable of supporting her?
A. Approve
B. Disapprove
C. No opinion
Gender Gap Hypotheses
Devaluation hypothesis– Argues women are paid less because the
work they do is socially defined as less valuable than the work performed by men.
Human capital hypothesis– Argues that female-male pay differences
result from differences in women's and men's education, skills, training, and work experience.
Comparable Worth
The belief that individuals in occupations, even in different occupations, should be paid equally if the job requires “comparable” levels of education, training, and responsibility.
In a comparable worth lawsuit, nurses successfully sued the City of Denver for paying them less than other employees (e.g., tree trimmers, sign painters) who had less education.
Ratio of Women’s to Men’sEarnings Across the U.S., 2002.
Effects of Education and Sex on Income of Full-Time Workers, 2004
Educational Attainment Men Women
Total, 25 years old and over 39,624 31,148
Less than 9th grade 20,748 19,292
9th to 12th grade(no diploma)
26,000 23,712
High school graduate (includes equivalency)
33,540 29,848
Some college, no degree 38,948 33,384
Associate degree 40,976 36,088
Effects of Education and Sex on Income of Full-Time Workers, 2004Educational Attainment Men Women
Bachelor’s degree or more 59,436 51,272
Bachelor’s degree 54,288 47,632
Master’s degree 66,924 57,304
Professional degree 84,656 71.604
Doctorate degree 80,288 72.696
% of Women Elected by Level and Type of Government Position, 2005
Position Number of Seats Number of Women
U.S. President 1 0
U.S. Vice President 1 0
U. S. Congress 535 80
Governors 50 8
State Legislators 7,382 1,662
Question
Do you agree or disagree with this statement: Most men are better suited emotionally for politics than are most women.
A. Agree
B. Disagree
GSS National Data
EducationNo High School Degree
High School Degree
College Education
Agree 37% 24.9% 18.8%
Disagree 63 75.1 81.2
Cultural Sexism
The ways in which the culture of society (norms, values, beliefs, symbols) perpetuates subordination based on sex classification.
Explanations for the Continued Traditional Division of Labor
1. Time-availability approach– Claims role performance is a function of
who has the time to accomplish certain tasks.
2. Relative resources approach – The spouse with the least power is
relegated the most unrewarding tasks.
Explanations for the Continued Traditional Division of Labor
3. Gender role ideology – The division of labor is a consequence of
traditional socialization and accompanying attitudes and beliefs.
Question
Steve and Linda are married and both work full time outside the home. Steve works as a lawyer and Linda works as an elementary school teacher. Linda finds that she performs the majority of household tasks. Using this example which of the following ideas explains the continued traditional division of labor?
A. "relative resources approach"B. "time-availability approach"C. all of these choicesD. "gender role ideology"
Answer: C
Steve and Linda are married and both work full time outside the home. Steve works as a lawyer and Linda works as an elementary school teacher. Linda finds that she performs the majority of household tasks. Using this example all of the following ideas explains the continued traditional division of labor:– "relative resources approach”– "time-availability approach”– “gender role ideology"
Question
Which of the following two types of relationships would you prefer
A. A relationship where the man has the main responsibility for providing the household income and the woman has the main responsibility for taking care of the home and family.
B. A relationship where the man and woman equally share responsibility for providing the household income and taking care of the home and family?
GSS National Data
Marital Status
Married Widowed Div./Sep.Never
Married
Relationship A
36.3% 38.5% 25.8% 16.1%
Relationship B
63.7 61.5 74.2 83.9
The School Experience and Cultural Sexism
1990 study of storybooks used in schools:– Males were depicted as clever, brave,
adventurous, and income-producing.– Females were depicted as passive and as
victims in need of rescue. Timed, multiple-choice tests favor males.
The Feminization of Poverty
Many female households are young women with children and women who have outlived their spouses.
“Report card” released by U.S. Women Connect gave U.S. an “F” for efforts to reduce female poverty.
International Women’s Bill of Rights
Adopted by united nations in 1979. Establishes rights for women in education,
politics, work, law, and family life. Has not been ratified by required 2/3 vote of
the U.S. Senate. Every industrialized country except
Switzerland and the U.S., has ratified the treaty.
Quick Quiz
1. George is a Hispanic and a known homosexual. On the job he encounters discrimination because of his membership in two minority groups. This is known as:
A. intensive discrimination.
B. polysemia.
C. double jeopardy.
D. dual prejudice.
Answer: C
George is a Hispanic and a known homosexual. On the job he encounters discrimination because of his membership in two minority groups. This is known as double jeopardy.
2. Which is true about women regarding gender inequality in the U.S.?
A. Women have lower incomes.
B. Women earn fewer graduate degrees.
C. Women hold fewer prestigious jobs.
D. All of these choices.
Answer: D
The following statements are true about women regarding gender inequality in the U.S.:– Women have lower incomes.– Women earn fewer graduate degrees.– Women hold fewer prestigious jobs.
3. In hunting and gathering society, men hunted and women gathered. This division of labor based on gender became defined as normal and natural over time. Which sociological perspective views this division as purposeful for the time?
A. conflict theory
B. structural functionalism
C. symbolic interactionism
D. exchange theory
Answer: B
In hunting and gathering society, men hunted and women gathered. This division of labor based on gender became defined as normal and natural over time. The structural functionalism sociological perspective views this division as purposeful for the time.
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