Mrs. Martin
Sociology
THE UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION
OF WEALTH, POWER, AND
PRIVILEGE BETWEEN
MEN AND WOMEN
Gender- the behavioral and psychological traits
considered appropriate for males and females. What is
masculine what is feminine?
MALE-FEMALE DIFFERENCES
• SEX
– THE BIOLOGICAL DISTINCTIONS
BETWEEN FEMALES AND MALES
• GENDER
– PERSONAL TRAITS AND SOCIAL
POSITIONS THAT MEMBERS OF A
SOCIETY ATTACH TO BEING
FEMALE AND MALE
• DIFFERENCES
– BIOLOGICALLY BASED
– SOCIOLOGICALLY BASED
Conflict Theory
HOW PERCEPTIONS OF
BEAUTY AND OTHER
ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL LIFE
COMBINE TO FORM A
SYSTEM THAT GIVES MEN
THE UPPER HAND
1955: Why Take
Home Economics?
• Gender, not biology, determines
the roles of males and females
• Belief in gender roles results in
power distribution between the
sexes
• Role- socially or culturally defined
behavioral expectation that is presumed to
apply to all individuals in a category.
• Gender Roles-specific behaviors and
attitudes associated with and established for
men and women. Being masculine or
feminine means displaying these roles
appropriate for a person’s biological sex.
DOL-Individuals specialize to perform economic
tasks
Men and women expected to do different work
Men- economic support and safety
Women- childcare, domestic * changing in US
Housework: Who does how Much?
• THE ISRAELI KIBBUTZIM
– RAISING CHILDREN IN AN
EVIRONMENT IN WHICH SEX MADE
NO DIFFERENCE
• MARGARET MEAD’S RESEARCH
– IS SEX LINKED TO A SPECIFIC,
UNIVERSAL SOCIAL DISTINY?
• STUDIES FOUND
– ARAPESH
– MUNDUGUMOR
– TCHAMBULI
• FAFAFUNGIE OF TONGA
• NIUE NEW ZEALAND
• FULNAI NORTH AFRICA
THE SOCIALIZATION
PROCESS AND GENDER
WHAT IS FEMININE AND MASCULINE?
HOW DO WE ACQUIRE SUCH DISTINCTIONS?
GENDER SOCIALIZATION FIRST
OCCURS IN THE FAMILY, AND IS
REINFORCED BY SCHOOL, PEERS, AND
MEDIA
THE FAMILY
• SELECTIVE ABORTION
• SOCIALIZATION BEGINS AT
BIRTH-IS IT A BOY OR GIRL?
– COLOR-CODING GENDER
• HANDLING OF CHILDREN
– BE A GOOD “LITTLE MAN” “ACT
LADY LIKE”
• NURSERY RHYMES
• IT’S OK TO BE A TOM-BOY
– WHY WOULDN’T A GIRL WANT
TO BE A BOY?
– BUT, WHAT IF A BOY ACTS TOO
MUCH LIKE A GIRL?
SCHOOL AND GENDER
• HIGH SCHOOL
– GIRLS
• SECRETARIAL, VOCATIONAL,
ENGLISH, THE ARTS, AND HOME
ECONOMICS
– BOYS
• MATH, SCIENCE, WOODWORKING
AND AUTOMECHANICS ATTRACT
BOYS
• COLLEGE
– MEN
• MATHEMATICS AND HARD SCIENCES
– WOMEN
• THE HUMANITIES, FINE ARTS, AND
THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
• PEER GROUPS USE
NORMATIVE CONCEPTIONS
OF GENDER
– PRESSURES TO TAKE PART IN
BEHAVIORS THAT ARE
NORMATIVE TO AGE AND
GENDER
• GAMES WITH SERIOUS
IMPLICATIONS
– BOYS
• “VICTORY” TEAM SPORTS
– GIRLS
• “COOPERATIVE” GAMING
THE MEDIA
• WHITE MALES HAVE
CENTER STAGE
• MINORITIES OF ALL
KINDS LOCKED OUT
• WOMEN RECEIVE
ROLES BASED ON SEX
APPEAL
• THE “BEAUTY MYTH”
– EATING DISORDERS
– EMOTIONAL STRESS
– IDEAL IMAGING
Model 'fired by
Ralph Lauren
for being too fat'
• A former Ralph Lauren model
Filippa Hamilton, whose
image in a roundly criticized
advertisement was digitally
slenderized said …that the
apparel maker did not renew
her contract because she was
“too large.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBF6tURm99I
DOVE BEAUTY MYTH
• Gender
Stereotyping in
advertisements
http://thesocietypages.org/socimag
s/2009/01/09/crossing-genderlines-boys-doing-double-dutch/video double dutch
“THE RULE OF FATHERS”
A FORM OF SOCIAL ORGANIZATION IN
WHICH MALES DOMINATE FEMALES
• MATRIARCHY
• INEVITABILITY OF PATRIARCHY?
– IS BIOLOGY DESTINY? SHOULD WOMEN RULE?
– MARGARET MEAD’S TACHAMBULI
– MOSUO IN SOUTH EAST CHINA
• Sexism- belief that by nature one sex is superior to
the other
• Misogyny- hate women-believe them inferior
• Misandry- hate men-believe them inferior
• Men historically had the country and economy
and have accepted this as the norm
Creation of self-fulfilling prophecy
1. Male choices are based on beliefs so beliefs are
reinforced
2. Men often do not accept women in powerful
positions
3. Women often do not attempt to gain powerful
positions
heart of gender discrimination
SOCIOLOGISTS INTERESTED
IN THE INEQUALITY OF
MEN AND WOMEN IN THE
D.O.L.
ERNESTINE FRIEDL’S THEORY
• Power is based on who exchanges
goods with non-family members.
Men are the ones normally in this
position
HUNTER-GATHERS: men hunted,
women gathered food used for
family while hunted food was
shared
1. Inuet (Eskimo)
2. Washo Indians
3. Hadza Tanzania
INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
often the same
Financial independence
tied to power
Women in the home therefore
have less power
Women need to move into
higher positions with better
pay to change this
Women have often had lower
paying lower status jobs
when in the work force
HISTORY IN THE HOME
• Women have historically
worked in the home in
industrial societies
CHANGES TODAY
• People are living longer; most
of adult life is no longer spent
in child care
• Jobs are no longer (necessarily)
too difficult physically for
women
CONFLICT THEORISTS
• claim gender roles are a
reflection of male dominance
• Males control money, power,
and law
• EQUAL RIGHTS
AMENDMENT (ERA)
• 1920- 19th Amendment• First proposed in 1923• ERA STATES “equality of
rights under the law shall not
be denied or abridged by the
U.S or any state on the account
of sex.”
• Has been put forward in each
congress since 1923*
• 2009-2010 July 21, 2009,
Representative Maloney introduced the
ERA in the House of Representatives as
House Joint Resolution 61
• Did not pass -ratified by 35
states but the bill needed 38
• Indiana was the last to ratify
in 1977
• People saw it as a threat to
family values
Ratified
Ratified, then
rescinded
Ratified in 1 house of
legislature
Not ratified
• Number of women in college has risen from being
underrepresented to outnumbering men since 1980
• As of 2006:
– Bachelors degrees Men 43% -Women 57%
– Masters degrees Men 41%- Women 59%
• Ph. D’s- 2001-2006 women earned more Ph.D.’s than men
in Humanities, social science, education, and life sciences
Women are less likely to pursue professional and doctoral
degrees in engineering, science (women earn 24% of
science Ph.D.’s)
• Major in areas that lead to low paying jobs- humanities
or become Nurses instead of Doctors
• Majority 59.5% of women over age 16-work
but in low paying, low status jobs
1. 2005- Median female income $31,858 a year
2.2005- Median male income $ 41,386 a year
3. $0.77 on every male dollar
• Sometimes women will earn less for the same job
• Feminization of Poverty
• Feb 2009 New York Times reported Recession
“Women are poised to surpass men on the nation’s
payrolls, taking the majority for the first time in
American history.”
• 82% of job losses have been men
Why are men paid more than
women?
1. Different work patterns
2. Occupational segregation: (1) men and women
work different jobs and (2) female-dominated jobs are
paid less than male-dominated ones
• The “family wage” vs. “pin money”
• Womenʼs work is devalued
3. Pay discrimination (women are paid less for the
same jobs)
4. Promotion gap
• Job ladders (gendered internal labor markets)
• “Glass ceiling” vs. “glass escalator”
• The
EconomistReport on
Oppertunities
for Women
World Wide
WOMEN AND…
• THE MILITARY
• 14-15% OF THE ARMED FORECES
ACTIVE AND RESERVE WERE
WOMEN IN 2008
• THE COAST GUARD OPENS ALL
ASSIGNMENTS TO WOMEN
• THE UNTIED STATES MARINE
CORPS DENIES ACCESS TO TWOTHIRDS OF ITS MILITARY
OCCUPATIONAL FIELDS
• Women are 50% of voting
population, yet men have the
majority of elected positions (2009)
• 112th congress 17% Women
1. Senate 17 Serving =17%
2. Representatives 75
serving=17%
3. State Governors 6= 12%
Worldwide- only 18.6% of seats in
world parliaments
THESE NUMBERS ARE
GROWING BUT STILL ARE
FAR FROM EQUAL
Global Stats for Women in
Parliaments
IN WHAT WAYS
MIGHT AMERICAN TRADITIONS
CLOAK WOMEN IN A SHROUD OF LIMITATIONS?
• GIVEN THE ECONOMIC REALITIES,
WOMEN CERTAINLY QUALIFY
• AT ALL LEVELS IN THE CLASS
SYSTEM, WOMEN HAVE:
– LESS INCOME
– LESS WEALTH
– LESS POWER THAN MEN
• PATRIARCHY PROVIDES WOMEN
WITH SOCIAL STANDING, FIRST
THEIR, AND THEN THEIR HUSBANDS
ADDRESSING A LETTER
Iran Illegal for women to have a tan?
• IN THE HOME
– SOME WOMEN BELIEVE THAT A
“RAPE CULTURE” EXISTS IN
AMERICA
• IN PUBLIC
– SEXUAL ‘WHISTLING” AND
OTHER FORMS OF HARASSMENT
AWAIT WOMEN ON STREETS
• THE WORKPLACE
– SEXUAL HARASSMENT REMAINS
PROBLEMATIC FOR WOMEN
• PORNOGRAPHY
– POWER ISSUE WHICH MAY TELL
MEN IT’S OK TO OBJECTIFY
WOMEN
INTERNATIONAL
ISSUES
•FEMALE INFANTICIDE
•HONOR KILLINGS
•FEMALE GENITAL
MUTALATION
•CHILD BRIDES
FROM A
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
• STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONALISM
– MEN, WOMEN, AND THE
FUNCTIONALITY OF CLEAR-CUT
GENDER ROLES
• SOCIAL CONFLICT
– WOMEN, CLASS POSITION, AND
CAPITALISM
• SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
– GENDER AND LANGUAGE USEAGE
FEMINISM IN AMERICA
ITS MOST BASIC PRINCIPLES
• IMPORTANCE OF CHANGE
• EXPANSION OF HUMAN
CHOICE
• NO GENDER STRATIFICATION
– EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW
• ENDING SEXUAL VIOLENCE
• SEXUAL AUTONOMY
• LIBERAL FEMINISM
– HUMANITARIAN-LIKE THINKING
• SOCIALIST FEMINISM
– BELIEF IN SOCIALIST REVOLUTION
• RADICAL FEMINISM
– ELIMINATE IDEA OF GENDER
– EGALITARIAN, GENDER-FREE REVOLUTION
• OPPOSITION TO FEMINISM
– MOST IS DIRECTED TOWARD SOCIALIST AND
RADICAL FEMINIST GROUPS
– GENERALLY, MEN DO NOT WANT TO GIVE UP
THEIR STATUS. WHO REALLY WOULD?
Ratio of Women's Earnings to
Men's Earnings by Earnings
Precentile: 1999
U.S. Media
Media criticism is a reflection of the gender inequality in society through print, advertisements, television
and music. Media influences and reinforces the idea of The Beauty Myth as discussed in Naomi Wolf’s book,
The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women, which refers to unrealistic standards of
beauty for women. [1] The media perpetuates the idea of heteromasculinity by portraying men as dominant. [2]
Men and women in the United States are influenced by the media which objectifies and oppresses women,
and men who don’t fall into the heteronormative category. [3]
[edit] Oppression
Both men and women are oppressed in the media. Women are oppressed in the media through musical lyrics
that discuss violence, distrust, and overall inferiority to men. Through the media, men are taught to be ultramasculine by being desensitized, violent, and physically strong. [4] Other forms of media that often portray
the ultra-masculine figure are advertisements, specifically beer commercials. These forms encourage men to
oppress other men if they do not fit the ideals of heteromasculinity. [5]
[edit] Objectification of Women
Women are often objectified and portrayed as objects. [6]This is shown through advertisements where women
become the object. There are many repercussions, such as low self-esteem and eating disorders, this
encourages the idea of women being subordinate to men in the sense that women are disposable and
controllable. [7]