Theoretical Perspectives
Gender
Functionalism and Gender
• Functionalists argue that any pattern of
behavior that does not benefit society
will become unimportant.
– Division of responsibilities between males
and females survived because it benefited
human living.
• Example: Early Humans: men hunted/protected
because they were expendable.
• Today, traditional division of labor has
created problems for modern society.
Conflict Theory and Gender
• According to the conflict theory, it is the
men’s advantage to prevent women from
gaining access to political, economic, and
social resources.
– If men can prevent women from gaining their
potential, men can maintain status quo.
– Example: Taliban women
• Conflict theorists see tradition gender
roles outdated. They are inappropriate for
the industrial and postindustrial era.
Symbolic Interactionism and
Gender
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Symbolic interactionists focus on how boys and girls learn
to act the way they are “supposed to act.”
– Gender socialization: the social process of learning
how to act as a boy or girl.
• Taught through interaction with peers, parents and
media.
How do parents contribute to gender socialization?
In what ways do schools reinforce gender socialization?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-12-17texas-school-hair_N.htm
How do peers contribute to gender socialization?
How does the media contribute to gender socialization?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CWMCt35oFY&feature
=player_embedded
How do sports contribute to gender socialization?
http://www.mediaed.org/cgibin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=208
http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/01/14/portrayin
Women and Sport
• Educational Amendment Act of 1972:
Title IX
– Bars the discrimination on the basis of
gender in any program – including athletics at
any educational institution receiving federal
funds.
– High School participation:
• 1971: 294,000
• 2006: 3 million
– Media
• 1989: 5% televised
• 2004: 6% televised (mostly tennis)
• http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/04/2
5/sports/100000000786802/roster-
Extreme pictures of kids and their stuff!
Job Segregation