Soc 100 - Gender/Sex Flashcards
Gender
socially-derived ideas of correct masculine and feminine behavior (who raises the children, who’s more caring, etc.)
Essentialism
Belief in unchangeable ‘essence’ or nature of something – e.g. ‘human nature.’
Any differences between genders explained by supposed inherent features of women.
By nature, Women were more…
Women were ‘weaker’ or more ‘passive’ by nature, so weren’t suited to positions of command. (Aristotle.) �
Performativity
Gender/Sexuality not nature, but roles we play. There are several possible roles for both male and female
Thus, most feminists today accept some version of ________ _________ approach to gender�
Social Constructionist
-‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ are products of our social interaction and roles we adopt.
What did Judth Butler say about the idea of womanhood/manhood
that there is no such thing as a single idea of womanhood or manhood, and thus gender is not binary (man or woman).
What teaches us as children what is masculine and feminine?
Primary socialisation teaches us what is masculine or feminine.�
Statistical areas wherein women are worse off
- Earn less
- For every 100 boys not in primary school, there are 115 girls
- Higher rate of HIV/AIDS
- 130 million women alive victim of genital mutilation
- Only account for 26% of senior managers, unrepresented in construction or natural sciences
Sexual Harassment
Any form of bullying, pressure, intimidation focused on gender or sexuality of victim.
Constant comments on appearance, or unwanted sexual pressure.
How women harassed sexually in workplace?
- Judged by appearance, expected to dress sexily
- Unwanted sexual pressures
- Successful, accused of sleeping to top
Glass Ceiling
Unofficial barrier to female promotion. No rules make it so, but women often not promoted higher than certain level. Blocked.
What did Kanter reveal about unassertiveness?
Kanter revealed that unassertiveness was a consequence of weak position, not a cause of it�
Earnings Gap
Difference between average wage of women and of men, especially as seen when they do they same job.
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What types of jobs women usually have
Less responsibility or autonomy usually. Clerical work (secretary etc) often seen as ‘female,’ whilst decision-making bosses are men. Women’s work often in ‘caring’ professions (social work, nursing), which is often lower-paid.
How has the earnings gap changed since 1980? What will it look like in the futre?
Situation has improved slightly over past thirty years: in 1980, women earned 75% of male wage; now they earn 85% (p.141), but now relative stable and unlikely to change much.
Double Ghetto
On the one hand, they are often given temporary jobs, not full ‘careers’, so drift in and out of work, serving as an industrial reserve army for capitalism.
On the other hand, they’re treated as unpaid labour at home.
Second Shift
Women expected full-time job, second job of housework, whilst husbands relax.
-Arlie Hochschild (b.1940) discovered that women do bulk of housework: on average, 70% of it�
What blind spot did Ann Oakley find in sociological treatment of domestic labour?
Male sociologists ignored this non-public labour.
Most importantly, showed that housework inequalities were related to broader social gender inequalities.
How do St Fu argue gender inequality is a good thing?
By assigning women the job of childcare, society frees up men for other tasks of production and fighting. It’s for the good of all that one gender has this role.
Patriarchy
In the context of feminist theory, refer to the structures or systems of male domination.
Simply by virtue of gender, women are placed in relations of subordination and domination�.
Sylvia Walby’s Theorizing Patriarchy - Six variable structures that combine in a system of patriarchy overall:
Relations in State -males dominate legislatures, laws have gender-specific effects, reinforces male hegemony Mode of Production -takes place in household, focused on reproduction not production Relations in Paid Work -earn less, more unpaid work, diff jobs Relations in Sexuality -sexuality treated as porblematic Relations in Cultural Institutions -women socialized differently from men Male Violence -victims of rape, sexual harassment, wife-beating, men not always punished
How are women underrepresented as authority figures in media?
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‘Experts’ on news usually male; women only ‘opinion.’
-if women in position of authority, media focus on appearance not character (comment on attractiveness)
