Transcript Families_lec07_gender_02_10_12

Gender & Families
Introduction to Family Studies
Gender & Families
Individuals
and families are influenced
by larger social forces that we may not
always notice
What
role does gender play in families?
Gender & Families
The
distinction between male and female,
masculine and feminine is basic to the
study of families
All societies exhibit a sharp
distinction between what women and
men do in families
 All cultures have a family division of
labor based on gender
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Gender Theory
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Gender theory argues that differences
between men and women are socially
constructed or created to
And these differences help maintain
power of men over women.
Emphasizes culture, rather than biology.
In other words being feminine or
masculine is learned and created
through our social interactions
Sex & Gender
Sociologists distinguish between sex and
gender
Sex: refers to the biological attributes that
distinguish females from males such as:
chromosomes, hormones, and anatomical
apparatus
Gender: refers to the cultural and social
meanings, experiences, and characteristics
that are defined as appropriate for females
and males
i.e. different clothing, expectations of who can
cry
Gender Theory
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Because gender is a SOCIAL construction
it is fluid or always changing
Then….
Gender Theory
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Because gender is a SOCIAL construction it
is fluid or always changing
Now…
Sex
Sex & Gender
Sex is biological
 Gender is a social creation
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Sociologists argue that gender is
“socially constructed” or created
 In other words men and women learn
many masculine and feminine behaviors
though socialization
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Social Construction of Gender
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Why do sociologists argue that gender is
socially constructed?
1) Expectations of each gender vary from
society to another
Example: In Pakistan it is common for male friends to hold
hands but this is not common among American men.
2) Gender behaviors vary within one culture
at different points in time
Example: Men’s fashions in 17th century America were much
more “feminine” compared to men’s fashions today.
Social Construction of Gender
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Why do sociologists argue that gender is socially
constructed?
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3) The meanings of masculinity and femininity
change over the course of a person’s life.
Example: The meaning of femininity changes as women
age – compare pre-pubescent girls to women who are of
childbearing age or who are postmenopausal
4) Meaning of gender varies among different
groups within a particular culture at a given point
in time.
Example: Gender behaviors may be structured by class,
race, ethnicity, age, region of the country etc.
Sociological Perspectives on Gender
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How are gender roles acquired & how is
gender constructed?
Gender role approach focuses on the how parents,
and other social institutions transmit gendered
expectations about appropriate behavior through
socialization
Socialization is the process by which individuals
acquire society’s norms and values
Socialization is a life long process
Sociological Perspectives on Gender
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West and Zimmerman ‘Doing Gender’
Argue that we need to be continually
“resocialized” into gender roles or
reminded how to act like a man or act like
a woman
Gender is produced through interaction
For example: in families – doing housework
is “doing gender”
Men and women reinforce gender roles by
doing gender appropriate household work
Doing Gender in Families
Sociological Perspectives on Gender
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West and Zimmerman ‘Doing Gender’
They argue that gender is a “routine
accomplishment” embedded in every day
interaction
In other words, we are continually acting
out being a man or being a woman in
social situations
Gender emerges from an interaction or a
social situation
POP QUIZ
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What percent of women (over age 16) are
in the PAID labor force (employed)
A. 40 percent
B. 50 percent
C. 60 percent
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Answer C
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Source: U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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POP QUIZ
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What percent of women who enroll in
college, graduate?
A. 45 percent
B. 60 percent
C. 75 percent
Answer: B
The rate is up to 11 percent lower for men
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www.nces.gov
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POP QUIZ
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What percent of women age 40 – 44 with
advanced or professional degrees are
childless (childfree)?
A. 12 percent
B. 20 percent
C. 27 percent
Answer 27 percent
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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/us/19census.html
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Doing Gender?
Doing Gender?
Doing Gender
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Think of an example of a situation or
interaction when you were “doing gender”
Example “I was doing gender when I
bought a pink outfit for my niece”
Women and Education
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http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/fashio
n/07campus.html?scp=1&sq=The%20new%
20math%20on%20campus&st=cse
American Council on Education:
http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Se
ction=Press_Releases2&TEMPLATE=/CM/Co
ntentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=35338
Sociological Perspectives on Gender
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Taking your husbands name ….
Some argue – it is just easier if couple and
children have the same name –
Others argue - isn’t changing your name on
all legal documents confusing and time
consuming?
And why is it almost always women who
change their names to their husbands’
name?
This is a holdover from older patriarchal
customs
Summary
 Summary
Acting in gender appropriate ways
reinforces gender differences
 Sociologists argue that gender is
socially constructed through
economic and social constraints on
women’s behavior and their ability to
achieve equality with men
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Summary
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Summary
Gender is continuously constructed through
everyday interaction
Men’s power is embedded in the social structure
Gender and families are intertwined
Families are a social institution in which gender is
socially constructed