Sex, Gender,
and Gender
Role
Socialization
Chapter 3
Sex
 Refers
to the physical and biological
 Includes:
 Chromosomal

xx and xy
 Hormonal

Testosterone, Estrogen

And…
Sex
Anatomical
Gender and Gender Identity
Gender
:
Social
Psychological
Cultural
 Masculinity and Femininity
Gender
View
identity :
of herself or himself as:
 Feminine or Masculine
Gender Characteristics
Sex—Ascribed
status
Gender—Achieved
Gender
status
characteristics:
 Physical
 Emotional
 Behavioral
Social Construction of Gender
Gender
Roles
– Expectations regarding proper:
– Behavior
– Attitudes
– Activities
– Roles in work
– Reaction to others
Little Girl comments on gender roles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CU040Hqbas&feature=related
Gender Role Socialization
“...a
lifelong process people
learn:
Values
Attitudes
Motivations
Behavior
Considered appropriate by their
culture”
Gender Role Socialization
 Children
learn proper behavior
 Parents/family
 Peer
groups
 School
 Media
9/19 Masculine Scripts


Man vs Woman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1ferw30pUo&feature=player_de
tailpage
1.
No sissy-stuff – Distance themselves
from the feminine
2.
Big wheel-Occupationally and/or
financially successful
3.
Sturdy oak-Confident and self-reliant
4.
Give ‘em hell-Do what is necessary
to “make it”
Feminine Scripts
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

Dove Transformation
Attractive
Not
too competitive
Good listener
Adaptable
Good mother
Put needs of others first


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjg_pmdX8no&feature=re
lated
Female to Male and Back Again
Pink & Blue
Telling the Boys from the Girls
 Smithsonian

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/multimedia/photos/?c=y&articleID=1194
83704&page=1
Theories on Gender
Inequality
Structural Functionalist Perspective
Parsons
and Bales (1956):
Women--Expressive
Men--Instrumental
roles
roles
Structural Functionalist Perspective
 Women
give birth & nurse children
 “Natural” to provide care
 Prepare meals
 Maintain home
 Men
 Financial
support
 Economically dominant roles in family
 Budget
 Spending
Decisions
 Bank Account
Structural Functionalist Perspective
 Pre-industrial
society=Gender based
division of labor
 Women nursed and cared for children
 Men
responsible for material needs
Industrialization—Traditional
of labor less functional
Belief system remains
division
Conflict Theory
Gender
inequality=Power
Men dominate women
Economic
Political
Social
resources
Powerful
To
have no incentive:
give up power or
Share it
Conflict Theory
 Continued
Domination:
 Requires
belief system (ideology)
 Supports gender inequality
 Two
1.
2.
beliefs
Women-Inferior outside the home
Women-More valuable in the home
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Gender
& gender roles learned
through socialization (process)
Women socialized into Expressive roles
Men socialized into Instrumental roles
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Micro level behavior expressing &
maintaining dominance (research)
Men
more likely than women to:
Change
Ignore
topic of conversations
topics chosen by women
Minimize
ideas of women
Interrupt
women
Research
Rubin,
First
Provenzano, and Luria, (1974)
24 hours after birth
Parents
described girls & boys
differently
Research
“Boy”
babies described as:
Alert
Strong
Firm
“Girl”
Less
babies described as:
attentive
Weak
Fragile
Research
Jacklin
(1984)
Boys
given blocks & tools
Girls given dolls & easy-bake
ovens
McHale
et al., (1990)
Boys mow lawn
Girls do dishes & babysit
Other Influences on Gender
Socialization
Peers
Schools
Mass
Media
Religion
Media and Socialization
Typical
day: 47% of babies &
toddlers ages 0-1 watch TV or
DVDs
Those
who watch average nearly
2 hours (1:54)/day
Nearly
1 in 3 (30%) have TV in
bedrooms

(Knowledge Networks survey of 1,384 parents of children ages 0 to 8
years old, May 27-June 15, 2011 )
Media and Socialization
Children
ages 6-23 months
(2005)
19%
TV in their bedrooms
Children
ages 6-23 months
(2011)
29%
TV in their bedrooms
Media and Socialization
Two-thirds
(65%) of 0 to 8-year-olds
watch TV at least once every day
37%
of 0-1 year-olds
73%
of 2- to 4-year-olds
72%
of 5- to 8-year-olds
What
are they learning?
Media and Socialization
1. Learn about gender identity from
news media?
2. Learn from video games?
3. Gender messages from movies?
What are the consequences?
Personally and Socially?