1. Chapter Three Gender and Families
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2. The Berdache
Men or women in Native American societies who dressed like, performed the duties of, and behaved like a member of the opposite sex
Berdaches were found in more than 100 Native American tribes
Number declined rapidly with the arrival of European culture
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4. The Difference Between Gender and Sex
Gender = social and cultural characteristics that distinguish women and men in a society
Different clothing
Expectations about who should cry
Sex = biological characteristics that distinguish women and men
Sex chromosomes, reproductive organs, physical characteristics
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5. Gender How many genders are there?
Modification of gender identity (berdache)
Intersexuals – people born with ambiguous sex organs
Activists want doctors to wait until individuals are older to reassign their sex
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6. Gender Gender as reflection of power relationships in society
How do gender roles reflect men’s attempts to retain power over women?
Why is the study of gender and sex important to the understanding of family?
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7. The Gestational Construction of Gender
Genetic transmission of sex
XX = female
XY = male
Gestation Period
Genitals develop in either male or female form
Males produce androgens which cause genitals to develop into male form
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8. Hormonal Influences
Some scientists believe that not only are sexual organs different, but the brain also develops differently in the male and the female
Studies of levels of male sex hormones while females were in womb
Led to differences in gendered behavior
Parental socialization had weaker effect on behavior if hormone level was higher
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9. Biosocial Influences Biosocial approach
Biology and society influence gender differences
Biological differences in gendered behavior exist only “on average”
Individuals show a wide range of behavior
Social influences can counteract biological dispositions
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10. Evolutionary Influences
Evolutionary biology– women and men evolved different strategies for reproductive success
Gender roles = different sets of behaviors that are commonly exhibited by women and men
Gendered division of labor
Reflects men’s interests more than women’s
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11. Parental Socialization
Parents teach us the ways of our society and how to behave in it
Socialization approach
Rewarding children for a set of behaviors appropriate to their sex
Social role = pattern of behaviors (parent, teacher, child) that society expects
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13. The Media Children learn from books, television, advertisements, music
Characters in books
Males outnumbered females in 1972
More evenly distributed by 1990
Television and Computer Games
Exhibit gender imbalance in favor of males
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14. Early Peer Groups
Peer group = a group of people at roughly the same age and social status
Boy peer groups reinforce competition and dominance
Girl peer groups reinforce more open conversational interaction and agreement
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15. Children’s Preferences
Boys engage in more aggressive behaviors
Also more likely to play with blocks
Girls engage in more nurturing behaviors and are less aggressive
Differences may reflect biological influences
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16. Later Peer Groups Games and sports
Boys more likely to play organized games with rules and a goal
Girls play reinforces the relational and emotional skills exhibited by women
Most play groups are either all-male or all-female
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17. Unconscious Influences
Psychoanalytic Approach
Stresses unconscious mental processes
Importance of internalization
Attachment to mother remains the same for females
Attachment changes for males at age 3-4  break/distancing
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18. The Continual Construction of Gender
Interactionist approach
Gender identification and behavior based on the day-to-day behavior that reinforces gender distinctions
Patriarchy and Male Domination
Sex-gender system =Transformation of biological differences between men and women into a social order that supports male domination
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19. The Sex-Gender System Capitalist economies Social economies
Men have access to more resources
Social economies
Sexes equal in theory, but not in practice
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20. Gender, Class, and Race
Gender theorists believe gender is a primary basis of social stratification, like class or race
Sex differences in childbearing
Women becoming pregnant, bearing and breast-feeding children
May be relevant to different family roles of women and men
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21. Gender: The Male Point of View
Gender studies mostly done from feminist point of view
Sociologists are now studying masculinity and the personal characteristics typical to men
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22. Contribution of Gender Studies
Socialization approach best explains differences between men and women
Biosocial and Psychoanalytic approaches both suggest girls and boys have predispositions for behavior
Gender studies demonstrate that men’s and women’s family roles are socially and culturally constructed
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23. Contribution of Gender Studies
Gender distinctions reflect
differences in power
Biological differences exist without dismissing cultural and social influences
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