SOC Chapter 10: Gender & Age Flashcards
Gender stratification
Males and females unequal access to property, power, and prestige
Sex
Biological characteristics that distinguished females and males, consisting of primary and secondary sex characteristics
Gender
The behaviors and attitudes that a society considers proper for its males and females; masculinity or femininity
Patriarchy
Men-as-a-group dominating women-as-a-group authority is vested in males
Feminism
The philosophy that men and women should be politically, economically, and socially equal; organized activities on behalf of this principles
Glass ceiling
The mostly invisible barrier that keeps women from advancing to the top levels at work
Sexual harassment
The abuse of one’s position of authority to force unwanted sexual demands on someone
Life span
The maximum length of life of a species; for humans, the longest that a human has lived
Life expectancy
The number of years that an average person at any age, including newborns, can expect to live
Graying of America
The growing percentage of older people in the U.S. Population
Ageism
Prejudice and discrimination directed against people because of their age, can be directed against any age group, including youth
Age cohort
People born at roughly the same time who pass through the life course together
Disengagement theory
The view that society is stabilized by having the elderly retire (disengage from) their positions of responsibility so the younger generation can step into their shoes
Activity theory
The view that satisfaction during old age is related to a person’s amount and quality of activity
Continuity theory
A theory focusing on how people adjust to retirement by continuing aspects of their earlier lives
