1. Chapter 10
Gender Inequality

2. Chapter Outline The Global Context: The Status Of Women And Men
Sociological Theories Of Gender Inequality
Gender Stratification: Structural Sexism
The Social Construction Of Gender Roles: Cultural Sexism

3. Chapter Outline
Social Problems And Traditional Gender Role Socialization
Strategies For Action: Toward Gender Equality
Understanding Gender Inequality

4. Sexism
The belief that there are innate psychological, behavioral, and/or intellectual differences between women and men and that these differences connote the superiority of one group and the inferiority of the other.
Double or triple jeopardy - When a person is a member of 2 or more minority groups.

5. Question
How comfortable are you with the gender roles our society defines as appropriate for males and females?
Very comfortable
Somewhat comfortable
Unsure
Somewhat uncomfortable
Very uncomfortable

6. Gender and Sex
Gender is the social definitions and expectations associated with being female or male.
Sex is one's biological identity.

7. Question
If you could temporarily be the other gender, how long would you like to do so?
One day
One week
I have no desire to be the other gender

8. Gender Gap Rankings: Top 10 Countries
Country
Rank
Sweden 1
New Zealand 6
Norway 2
Canada 7
Iceland 3
United Kingdom 8
Denmark 4
Germany 9
Finland 5
United States 10

9. Gender Gap Rankings: Bottom 10 Countries
Country
Rank
Venezuela 49
Korea 54
Greece 50
Jordan 55
Brazil 51
Pakistan 56
Mexico 52
Turkey 57
India 53
Egypt 58

10. Structural Functionalist Perspective
Pre-industrial society required a division of labor based on gender.
Women nursed and cared for children.
Men were responsible for material needs.
Industrialization made traditional division of labor less functional, belief system remains.

11. Conflict Perspective
Continued domination by males requires a belief system that supports gender inequality.
Two beliefs
Women are inferior outside the home.
Women are more valuable in the home. 

12. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Gender and gender roles are learned through socialization process.
Women are socialized into expressive roles; men are socialized into instrumental roles.

13. Question
Symbolic interactionists emphasize that through the socialization process both females and males are taught the meanings associated with being feminine and masculine.
True
False

14. Answer: A. True
Symbolic interactionists emphasize that through the socialization process both females and males are taught the meanings associated with being feminine and masculine.

15. Education and Structural Sexism
Worldwide, women are less likely than men to be literate.
In U.S. men are more likely to have doctorate degrees.
Women are socialized to choose marriage and motherhood over career preparation.

16. Science and Engineering Doctorates Awarded to Women, 2003

17. Income and Structural Sexism
Women with same level of education will earn, on average, 60% of what men earn.
The higher the percentage of females in an occupation, the lower the pay.
Employers channel women and men into different jobs that have different wages.

18. Work and Structural Sexism
Women make up 1/3 of world’s labor force.
Women tend to work in jobs with little prestige in roles where they are facilitators for others.
Women are more likely to have little or no authority in workplace.

19. Occupational Sex Segregation: Reasons
Through socialization, females and males learn different skills and acquire different aspirations.
Women are given fewer opportunities in higher-paying male-dominated jobs.
Women have primary responsibility for childcare and choose professions with flexible hours and career paths.

20. Sex Segregation Between 1983 and 2003:
female physicians increased from 16% to 30%
female dentists increased from 7% to 22%
female clergy increased from 6% to 14%
Public school teaching is even more dominated by women today than it was two decades ago.
Women are still heavily represented in low-prestige, low-wage, pink-collar jobs that offer few benefits.

21. Highly Sex-Segregated Occupations 2003
Female Dominated Occupations
% of Female Workers
Child-care workers 95
Dental hygienists 99
Dieticians 91
Elementary and middle school teachers 82
Librarians 84
Paralegals

22. Highly Sex-Segregated Occupations 2003
Female Dominated Occupations
% of Female Workers
Prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers 98
Receptionists 93
Registered Nurses 92
Secretaries 97
Speech therapists 95
Teacher assistants
Travel Agents 83

23. Highly Sex-Segregated Occupations 2003
Male Dominated Occupations
% of Male Workers
Pilots and Navigators 97
Architects 78
Auto mechanics 98
Civil engineers 91
Clergy 86
Construction Workers
Dentists

24. Highly Sex-Segregated Occupations 2003
Male Dominated Occupations
% of Male Workers
Firefighters 96
Grounds Maintenance Workers 94
Lawyers 76
Mechanical Engineers
Physicians 70
Police Officers 88

25. Question
Do you approve or disapprove of a married woman earning money in business or industry if she has a husband capable of supporting her?
Approve
Disapprove
No opinion

26. Gender Gap Hypotheses Devaluation hypothesis
Argues women are paid less because the work they do is socially defined as less valuable than the work performed by men.
Human capital hypothesis
Argues that female-male pay differences result from differences in women's and men's education, skills, training, and work experience.

27. Comparable Worth
The belief that individuals in occupations, even in different occupations, should be paid equally if the job requires “comparable” levels of education, training, and responsibility.
In a comparable worth lawsuit, nurses successfully sued the City of Denver for paying them less than other employees (e.g., tree trimmers, sign painters) who had less education.

28. Ratio of Women’s to Men’s Earnings Across the U.S., 2002.

29. Effects of Education and Sex on Income of Full-Time Workers, 2004
Educational Attainment
Men
Women
Total, 25 years old and over
39,624
31,148
Less than 9th grade
20,748
19,292
9th to 12th grade (no diploma)
26,000
23,712
High school graduate (includes equivalency)
33,540
29,848
Some college, no degree
38,948
33,384
Associate degree
40,976
36,088

30. Effects of Education and Sex on Income of Full-Time Workers, 2004
Educational Attainment
Men
Women
Bachelor’s degree or more
59,436
51,272
Bachelor’s degree
54,288
47,632
Master’s degree
66,924
57,304
Professional degree
84,656
71.604
Doctorate degree
80,288
72.696

31. % of Women Elected by Level and Type of Government Position, 2005
Number of Seats
Number of Women
U.S. President 1
U.S. Vice President
U. S. Congress
535 80
Governors 50 8
State Legislators
7,382
1,662

32. Question
Do you agree or disagree with this statement: Most men are better suited emotionally for politics than are most women.
Agree
Disagree

33. GSS National Data Education No High School Degree High School Degree
College Education
Agree
37%
24.9%
18.8%
Disagree 63
75.1
81.2

34. Cultural Sexism
The ways in which the culture of society (norms, values, beliefs, symbols) perpetuates subordination based on sex classification.

35. Explanations for the Continued Traditional Division of Labor
Time-availability approach
Claims role performance is a function of who has the time to accomplish certain tasks.
Relative resources approach
The spouse with the least power is relegated the most unrewarding tasks.

36. Explanations for the Continued Traditional Division of Labor
Gender role ideology
The division of labor is a consequence of traditional socialization and accompanying attitudes and beliefs.

37. Question
Steve and Linda are married and both work full time outside the home. Steve works as a lawyer and Linda works as an elementary school teacher. Linda finds that she performs the majority of household tasks. Using this example which of the following ideas explains the continued traditional division of labor?
"relative resources approach"
"time-availability approach"
all of these choices
"gender role ideology"

38. Answer: C
Steve and Linda are married and both work full time outside the home. Steve works as a lawyer and Linda works as an elementary school teacher. Linda finds that she performs the majority of household tasks. Using this example all of the following ideas explains the continued traditional division of labor:
"relative resources approach”
"time-availability approach”
“gender role ideology"

39. Question
Which of the following two types of relationships would you prefer
A relationship where the man has the main responsibility for providing the household income and the woman has the main responsibility for taking care of the home and family.
A relationship where the man and woman equally share responsibility for providing the household income and taking care of the home and family?

40. GSS National Data Marital Status Married Widowed Div./Sep.
Never Married
Relationship A
36.3%
38.5%
25.8%
16.1%
Relationship B
63.7
61.5
74.2
83.9

41. The School Experience and Cultural Sexism
1990 study of storybooks used in schools:
Males were depicted as clever, brave, adventurous, and income-producing.
Females were depicted as passive and as victims in need of rescue.
Timed, multiple-choice tests favor males.

42. The Feminization of Poverty
Many female households are young women with children and women who have outlived their spouses.
“Report card” released by U.S. Women Connect gave U.S. an “F” for efforts to reduce female poverty.

43. International Women’s Bill of Rights
Adopted by united nations in 1979.
Establishes rights for women in education, politics, work, law, and family life.
Has not been ratified by required 2/3 vote of the U.S. Senate.
Every industrialized country except Switzerland and the U.S., has ratified the treaty.

44. Quick Quiz

45. 1. George is a Hispanic and a known homosexual
1. George is a Hispanic and a known homosexual. On the job he encounters discrimination because of his membership in two minority groups. This is known as:
intensive discrimination.
polysemia.
double jeopardy.
dual prejudice.

46. Answer: C
George is a Hispanic and a known homosexual. On the job he encounters discrimination because of his membership in two minority groups. This is known as double jeopardy.

47. 2. Which is true about women regarding gender inequality in the U.S.?
Women have lower incomes.
Women earn fewer graduate degrees.
Women hold fewer prestigious jobs.
All of these choices.

48. Answer: D
The following statements are true about women regarding gender inequality in the U.S.:
Women have lower incomes.
Women earn fewer graduate degrees.
Women hold fewer prestigious jobs.

49. 3. In hunting and gathering society, men hunted and women gathered
3. In hunting and gathering society, men hunted and women gathered. This division of labor based on gender became defined as normal and natural over time. Which sociological perspective views this division as purposeful for the time?
conflict theory
structural functionalism
symbolic interactionism
exchange theory

50. Answer: B
In hunting and gathering society, men hunted and women gathered. This division of labor based on gender became defined as normal and natural over time. The structural functionalism sociological perspective views this division as purposeful for the time.