¡Descarga Tema 13 - Gender stratification y más Apuntes en PDF de Sociología de Género solo en Docsity! Unit 13: Gender stratification Gender and inequality + Gender stratification > Unequal distribution of wealth, power and privilege between men and women Male-female differences + We must be careful not to think of social differences in biological terms + Biologically, men 8 women differ, but neither one is naturally superior + Culture can define the two sexes very differently Gender in global perspective e In!sraeli kibbutzim, men 8 women shared work and decision making + Margaret Mead's research > If gender is based on biological differences, everybody should define “feminine” and “masculine” in the same way; if it's cultural, these concepts should vary + George Murdock's research > 200 preindustrial societies, some agreement in which tasks are f/m o Equality in other tasks (agriculture, tattoo...) Patriarchy and sexism + Pa/Matriarchy > Form of social organization in which (fe)males dominate (fe)males + Sexism > Belief that one sex is innately superior to the other o Built into the institutions of society > Institutional sexism o Limits the ambitions women VS Put men in risky situations o Researchers say biological factors (hormones, brain...) difference sexes > Patriarchy won't change o Most sociologists believe that gender is socially constructed > Patriarchy can be changed Gender and socialization + Gender roles > Attitudes and activities that a society links to each sex + Gender 8 family > Boy/girl involves not just sex, also the direction the child's life + Gender 8 peer group > Young children tend to form single-sex play o Boys play games with rules, objectives and winners 8 losers VS Girls don't e Gender 8: mass media > Characters in series, advertisements... Gender and social stratification Working women 8: men + More women working > Decline of farming, growth of cities, shrinking family size and more divorce o They have children o Administrative and service work (food service industries, child and health care) = Attheendofthe pay scale, limited opportunities for advancement and with men supervising o Increasing the role of women in the business world is not only fairness > Most profitable o Glass ceiling Gender, income and wealth + Women earn less than men (especially if they're old) o Why? > Type of work, women taking care of parenting and discrimination against women Housework: Women's “second shift” Housework is important to family life but people get little reward for doing it The amount of housework women has gone down but not the share done by women Men support the idea of women entering the paid labor force but refuse a more equal share of housework Gender and education In the past, more necessary for men Women go to university (often a springboard to high-prestige jobs) but not all degrees Women predominate in education > Men in danger? Gender and politics In the past, women were legally barred from voting Today, they are majors, administrative posts... 19 % of seats in the world's 188 parliaments Gender and military More women on military Almost all military assignments are now open to both women 8 men o Law prevents women from engaging in offensive warfare = Physical strength? Better educated? > NO > They are seen as nurturers Are women a minority? Minority > People distinguished by physical/cultural differences that a society sets apart and subordinates White women don't think this way > They're well represented at all levels of the class structure o However, they have less income, wealth, education, and power than men Patriarchy makes women dependent on men Minority women: Intersection theory Intersection theory > Analysis of the interplay of race, class and gender, often resulting in disadvantage Violence against women 19th century > Men claimed the right to rule their households > Physical discipline Also in college, casual relationship... + Abuse of women 8: violence is built into our life > “Rape culture” Built into different cultures in different ways (genital mutilation...) Violence against men Although men are more likely to be arrested, they are victims too Masculinity > Higher crime rate Men?s lives involve more stress and social isolation > Higher suicide rate Sexual harassment Sexual harassment > Deliberate, repeated and not wanted comments, gest. or contact of a sexual nature Most victims are women o Culture encourages men to be sexually assertive and to see women in sexual terms o Most people in positions of power are men who oversee the work of women
