GENDER STRATIFICATION
SOCIOLOGISTS MAKE AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION BETWEEN SEX AND GENDER.
SEX Ascribed status – You are born male or
female
The physical and biological differences between men and women.
Sex differences are made evident by physical distinctions in anatomical, chromosomal, hormonal, and physiological characteristics.
GENDERAchieved Status – Learned through the
socialization process
The social, psychological, and cultural attributes of masculinity and femininity that are based, in part, on biological differences
An important factor in shaping individuals self image and social identity
RELIGIOUS VIEWS
Patriarchal Ideology The belief that men are superior to women
and should control all important aspects of society.
Almost all societies and religions held this view historically and many still do.
BIOLOGICAL VIEWS
Ethnologists Observed that sexual differences in
behavior exist throughout much of the nonhuman animal world, including primates.
SociobiologistsBelieve that much of human social behavior
has a genetic basis
BIOLOGICAL VIEWS
Gender-based biologyIdentifies the biological and physiological
differences between men and women as well as differences in responses to drugs.
Gender and Physiological Differences
The study of gender roles should take into account relative size and muscle development, longevity, susceptibility to disease and physical disorders.
GENDER INEQUALITY THEORIES
Two theoretical approaches have been used to explain male dominance and gender inequality:
.
FUNCTIONALIST VIEW
Talcott Parsons and Robert Bales (1955) applied functionalist theory to the modern family.
Argued that the division of labor and role differentiation by sex are universal principles of family organization and are functional to the modern family.
Believe that the family functions best when the father assumes the instrumental role and the mother assumes the expressive role.
Instrumental role Focuses on relationships between the
family and the outside world. Involves supporting and protecting the
family. Expressive role Focuses on relationships within the
family and requires her to provide the love and emotional support needed to sustain the family
CONFLICT THEORY VIEWMen have the better position in society
and hold onto it through social processes
Gender-Role SocializationLifelong process whereby people learn the
values, attitudes, motivations, and behavior considered appropriate to each sex according to their culture.
CHILDHOOD SOCIALIZATIONParents carry in their minds images of
what girls and boys are like.
How they should behave, and what they should be in later life.
Parents respond differently to girls and boys right from the beginning.
Three ways women experience discrimination in the business world
During the hiring process When women are given jobs with lower
occupational prestige than men who have equivalent qualifications receive
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