GENDER

GENDER STEREOTYPES

Sex classification of people as male and female based on biological characteristics. Gender social behaviors that define male or female. o This can be different than biological sex. SEX AND GENDER IDENTITY

Gender Roles expectations regarding the proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females.  Masculine/Feminine Question to consider: Nature v. nurture

Gender Identity Disorder or transgender: is the formal diagnosis used by psychologists to describe people who experience significant (discontent) with the sex they were assigned at birth and/or the gender roles associated with that sex. Children- Therapy? 20/20 Children with GID Baby Storm

 Society creates exaggerated male/female differences which leads to the definition of gender.  Gender and behavioral differences are culturally constructed because of socialization. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER

 Aggression- Females verbally aggress while men physically aggress.  Males are more confident than females, especially in academic areas such as math and science.  Communication- Men talk more than women, especially in public places.  Men test better spatially. Women are better at tracking specific objects (experiment)  Females are sensitive to people’s moods  Girls make more eye contact  Performance is based on testosterone  Women are more detail orientated- remember things well  Women are better at directions but men can read a map better BEHAVIORAL DIFFERENCES

 Muscle-to-bone ratio, Fat storage, Reproductive organs  Men’s brain activity is tied to fighting.  Women’s brain activity is linked to more emotional expression.  Women tend to use both sides of the brain when performing a task (multi-tasking)  Men use only the left side of the brain when tasking  Women use both ears when listening, while men tend to only use the right ear. BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES

What influences our behavior?  Parents  Media  School  Friends  Religion GENDER SOCIALIZATION

 Gender and family  Begins during pregnancy  “pink” or “blue” world  Sets expectations  Treatment of babies  Division of chores  Toys GENDER SOCIALIZATION

 Gender and the media  TV characters portray gender stereotypes  Advertisements  Movies- Disney  Women are objects of sex- advertisements, music, etc.  “beauty myth” both men and women GENDER SOCIALIZATION

 Gender and school  Areas of study (courses reflect gender patterns)  Discipline (males tend to have more disciplinary issues than females)  Gender and Peers  Female peer groups promote interpersonal skills of communication  Male peer groups promote competitiveness and lack of communication  Sports  Females tend to play sports with no goal – cheerleading, dance,  Males play sports that are competitive- scoring goals, GENDER SOCIALIZATION

Functionalism:  The division of responsibilities between males and females survived because it benefited human survival  Historically, division of labor based on sex was efficient  Size and strength  Men are more expendable: women allow group to survive  Today, division of labor is no longer necessary THEORIES

Conflict Theory  It is to men’s advantage to prevent women from gaining access to political, economic, and social resources  Even today, men still have maintained power and dominance  Outdated in developed nations: women take on leadership roles, manual labor dingus occupations, marry later, and do not have children Glass Ceiling: women can rise in power and importance in business and society but can never reach the highest level because they are restricted by an invisible barrier THEORIES

Symbolic Interactionism:  Gender is acquired in large part from interaction with parents, teachers, and peers  Beauty Myth THEORIES

Sexism a set of beliefs, attitudes, norms, and values used to justify sexual inequality. THINK: Can you think of any institutions whose leadership positions are customarily held by men? Would they be different if they were run by women? INEQUALITIES IN GENDER

Occupational Sex Segregation the concentration of women in lower status positions (Pink collar jobs: secretaries, clerks, etc.) Secretaries 96% Nurses91% Cashiers74% Elementary Teacher82% Librarians 89% INEQUALITIES IN GENDER

Sexual Harassment: Comments, gestures, or physical contacts of a sexual nature that are deliberate, repeated, and unwelcomed. Violence against women  304,720 aggravated assaults  169,370 rapes  College campus- high %  Globally INEQUALITIES IN GENDER

 Population control policy  1979 was established in China to alleviate social, economic, and environmental problems.  Estimates between the policy averted over 200 million births  Consequences: forced abortion, female infanticide, underreporting female births, China’s sex imbalance  Increase of twins using technology ONE CHILD POLICY

 Genital mutilation most common in 27 countries, including sub-Saharan and north-east Africa  Removal or injury of female’s external organs for non-medial reasons  Birth-womanhood  Cultural ritual practiced by ethnic groups- women seen as unclean, dirty because it guarantees monogamy because the pain of sex is so harsh  Over 125 million women have been victims of the ritual MUTILATION

 PROM ACTIVITY