Transcript Gender - Ladue School District

+
Gender
+
+
+
Gender is a social construction.
 Nature
makes you male or female, but society
gives gender its significance.
 Sex
= biological identity
 Gender
 But
= socially learned expectations
consider…are there really only two
genders?
+
Sex identity occurs when the
father’s sperm provides either an X
or a Y chromosome.
If X, then the child is female.
If Y, then the child is male.
But this process of fetal sexual
differentiation can be
compromised.
+
Hermaphrodite (Greek) Louvre, Paris
+
Physical Sex Differences
Male:

Slightly larger at birth

Slightly lower heart rate as adults, higher blood pressure, higher
muscle mass (more muscle fibers), muscle density

Larger thyroid cartilage (Adam’s apple) and therefore deeper
voice

More body hair

Smaller hip section

Endocrine levels

…
+
Differences between the sexes
often lead to biological
determinism:
explanations for beliefs about
gender are based on physical
characteristics, e.g. boys are more
aggressive due to increased
testosterone, girls more emotional
during hormone fluctuations
+
Social Construction of Gender

Gender socialization:

Men and women (and children) learn about the expectations
associated with their gender.

Is reinforced every time gender-associated behaviors are met
with approval or disapproval from multiple areas

Is noticed as early as 18 months

Varies from culture to culture, socioeconomic class, education
attained, etc.

Influences include:
-
Parents, peers
-
Childhood games and toys
-
Schools
-
Books
-
Advertisements
-
Religion
+
- Parents
- Religion

Labels used for children: “sissy”, “Mama’s boy”, “tomboy”

Chore assignments around the house (boys: cut lawn, girls:
wash dishes, babysit)

Roles within religious spheres (service leaders, prescribed
social roles with regards to beliefs)
+ - Toys and Games
+
+
+
- Schools
 This
is a particularly thorny issue in the 21st
century:

Title IX legacy – equality of the sexes

Achievement gap based on sex
+
+
- Media:

Women on TV are 5 times more likely to be blonde than
brunette

The majority of women characters in TV shows are between
18 and 34, although only 28% of the population fits this
demographic

Women on TV are 4 times more likely than men to be shown
provocatively dressed

Fashion models are 23% thinner than the average women
(thirty-five years ago, the average fashion model was 8%
thinner than the average woman).

Statistics from Kilbourne J: Deadly persuasion: Why Women Must Fight the Addictive Power of
Advertising. New York: Free Press, 1999

Anderson, Taylor: Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society. 3rd Edition. Thomson Wadsworth, 2004
+
Advertisements can be especially
powerful
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
“The Leading Brand Moms Trust
And Kids Love”
“Choosy Moms Choose Jif”
+
+
http://www.urdown.com/funny/baby-instructions-for-new-dads.html
+
+
+
+
+
The pressure to conform to
stereotypes can be
overwhelming…