Inequalities of Gender
& Age
Section 1
Sex & Gender Identity
How are children taught about
gender and gender roles from a
young age?
Who teaches them these ideas?
Defining Male & Female
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and Spice
And everything nice.
That’s what little girls re made of.
What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails
And puppy dog tails
That’s what little boys are made of.
What do children think about gender?
Children and Gender Roles
Research has
determined that
women re no more
likely than men to touch
other people;
“touchiness” is a
function of personality
and modeling, not
gender.
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.
Women talk more than men
Research does bear this
finding to be true. Men tend
to take up more space than
women.
Women are more likely than man to touch each other.
Women use less personal space than men.
Gender Vocabulary
Biological Determination the principle that
behavioral differences are the result of
inherited physical characteristics.
•
Gender Identity a sense of being male or
female based on learned cultural values
•
Section 2
Theoretical Perspectives on Gender
Focus on Theoretical Perspectives
Theoretical Perspective
Social Arrangement
Example
Functionlism
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.
Section 3
Gender Inequality
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 & No There have been many improvements,
but still more to come.
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?
•
- Earn about $0.77/$1.00 ON AVERAGE
•
Are all occupations affected? Yes
Is there a reason for this??
Do Women Earn Less Than Men?
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 &
kinds of work
- Title VII (Civil Rights Act of 1964) nullified such laws
•
How do American women stand politically?
- Very involved, participate on many levels
- Zwiegenhaft & Domhoff point out women are now
part of the power elite.
IN CLASS WRITING ASSIGNMENT
How does socialization impact our development as
the human beings we become?
How did gender roles and gender
stereotypes impact you as you were
growing up?
How do you think this will impact your
choices as you become adults?
Section 4
Ageism
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.
•
Section 5
Inequality in America’s Elderly
Population
Theoretical Perspectives on
Ageism
Theoretical
Perspective
Social Arrangement
Example
Functionalism
Elderly people play
People retire as they
the role the aged play reach a certain age.
in that society.
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.
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 & ethinic 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
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 & ethinic 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