Gender Stratification

1

• Gender Stratification
• Chapter 11

2
Learning Objectives

• Contrast biological and sociological views of sex
  and gender.
• What is gender stratification?
• Do we live under a patriarchal ideology.
• How do we learn gender-roles.
• Describe gender differences in the world of work.
• Be aware of the effect of changes in gender roles
  in U.S. society.

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Sex and Gender

• Sex
• The physical and biological differences between
  men and women.
• Evident by physical distinctions in anatomical,
  chromosomal, hormonal, and physiological
  characteristics.

• Gender
• The social, psychological, and cultural
  attributes of masculinity and femininity that are
  based on the previous biological distinctions.

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Sex and Gender

• Can you think of instances where the experiences
  of males and females are complicated by issues of
  sex and gender?
• Gay, bisexual, pansexual
• Intersexed individuals
• What should you write on the birth certificate?
• Transgender or transexual individuals
• Does it have to exist in binary oppositions?

5
Sex and Gender

• Are differences in gender between males and
  females natural to human beings?
• Biological views
• Physiological differences
• The Sociological View

6

• How comfortable are you with the gender roles our
  society defines as appropriate for males and
  females?
• Activities?
• Professions?
• Media portrayals
• How about toys?

7
You know you want it!
Ok, now he was closeTried to domesticate youBut
you're an animalBaby, it's in your natureJust
let me liberate youYou don't need no papersThat
man is not your makerAnd that's why I'm gon'
take a Good girl
Soo, exactly what blurred lines is the song
referring to?
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Gender-Role Socialization

• Lifelong process whereby people learn
• Values
• Attitudes
• Motivations
• Behaviors
• All considered appropriate to each sex according
  to their culture.

9
Erik Erikson
10
What Produces Gender Inequality?

• Two theoretical approaches have been used to
  explain dominance and gender inequality
• .

11
The Functionalist Viewpoint

• Talcott Parsons and Robert Bales (1955)
• Division of labor and role differentiation by sex
  are universal principles of family organization
  and are functional to the modern family.
• Family functions best when roles are assigned.
• Instrumental role the father
• Expressive role the mother

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The Conflict Viewpoint

• Friedrich Engels
• Acknowledgment of early functionalist based
  gender roles
• Linked modern gender inequality to economic
  system, capitalism
• Concentration of wealth in hands of powerful/men
• Subordination of women follows
• Perception that current gender role division is
  dysfunctional and economically regressive

13
Job Discrimination
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Discrimination against Women

• Three primary methods of discrimination
• During the hiring process
• Women are given jobs with lower occupational
  prestige than men who have equivalent
  qualifications.
• Through unequal wage policies
• Women receive less pay than men for equivalent
  work.
• In the awarding of promotions
• Women find it more difficult than men to move up
  the career ladder.

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Education Inequality