THE UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH, POWER, AND

PRIVILEGE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN

MALE-FEMALE DIFFERENCES• SEX– THE BIOLOGICAL DISTINCTIONS

BETWEEN FEMALES AND MALES• GENDER– PERSONAL TRAITS AND SOCIAL

POSITIONS THAT MEMBERS OF A SOCIETY ATTACH TO BEING FEMALE AND MALE

• DIFFERENCES– BIOLOGICALLY BASED– SOCIOLOGICALLY BASED

• THE ISRAELI KIBBUTZIM– RAISING CHILDREN IN AN EVIRONMENT IN

WHICH SEX MADE NO DIFFERENCE• MARGARET MEAD’S RESEARCH

– IS SEX LINKED TO A SPECIFIC, UNIVERSAL SOCIAL DISTINY?• STUDIES FOUND

– MORE FEMININITY DISPLAYED AMONG THE ARAPESH

– BOTH SEXES DISPLAYED PRIMARILY MASCULINE IN TRAITS AMONG THE MUNDUGUMOR

– REVERSAL OF TRADITIONAL ROLES AMONG THE TCHAMBULI

• CHALLENGES MADE TO MEAD’S STUDIES– MUCH OF HER FINDINGS WERE “TOO NEATLY

PACKAGED”– OTHER FOUND THAT EXTERNAL INFLUENCES

BROUGHT ABOUT RESULTS OF HER STUDIES

• MATRIARCHY– SOCIAL DOMINANCE BY WOMEN

• SEXISM– BELIEF THAT ONE SEX OR THE OTHER IS INNATELY

INFERIOR OR SUPERIOR– UNTOLD LOSSES WHEN CONSIDERING HOW MUCH

TALENT HAS BEEN LOCKED OUT• INEVITABILITY OF PATRIARCHY– IS BIOLOGY DESTINY? SHOULD WOMEN RULE?– MARGARET MEAD’S RESEARCH

“THE RULE OF FATHERS”A FORM OF SOCIAL ORGANIZATION IN

WHICH MALES DOMINATE FEMALES

THE SOCIALIZATION PROCESS AND GENDER

WHAT IS FEMININE AND MASCULINE?HOW DO WE ACQUIRE SUCH DISTINCTIONS?

THE FAMILYTHE FAMILY• SELECTIVE ABORTION– SOCIAL VALUE AND DEATH

• IS IT A BOY OR GIRL?– COLOR-CODING GENDER

• HANDLING OF CHILDREN– BE A GOOD “LITTLE MAN”

• IT’S OK TO BE A TOM-BOY– WHY WOULDN’T A GIRL WANT TO BE A BOY?– BUT, WHAT IF A BOY ACTS TOO MUCH LIKE A

GIRL?

• PEER GROUPS USE NORMATIVE CONCEPTIONS OF GENDER– PRESSURES TO TAKE PART IN

BEHAVIORS THAT ARE NORMATIVE TO AGE AND GENDER

• GAMES WITH SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS – BOYS• “VICTORY” TEAM SPORTS

– GIRLS• “COOPERATIVE” GAMING

SCHOOL AND GENDERSCHOOL AND GENDER• HIGH SCHOOL– GIRLS

• SECRETARIAL, VOCATIONAL, AND FOOD SERVICE CLASSES

– BOYS• WOODWORKING AND

AUTOMECHANICS ATTRACT BOYS

• COLLEGE– MEN

• MATHEMATICS AND HARD SCIENCES– WOMEN

• THE HUMANITIES, FINE ARTS, AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

THE MEDIATHE MEDIA• WHITE MALES HAVE

CENTER STAGE• MINORITIES OF ALL

KINDS LOCKED OUT• WOMEN RECEIVE

ROLES BASED ON SEX APPEAL

• THE “BEAUTY MYTH”– EATING DISORDERS– EMOTIONAL STRESS– IDEAL IMAGING

• ALMOST 60% OF ALL WOMEN WORK OUTSIDE OF THE HOME

• ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND SERVICE SECTOR JOBS MAKE UP THE TYPE OF WORK DONE BY ONE-HALF OF ALL WORKING WOMEN

• MANY WOMEN RETURN HOME FROM WORK TO BEGIN THEIR “SECOND SHIFT”

• ON AVERAGE, WOMEN EARN 74 CENTS FOR EVERY DOLLAR EARNED BY MEN (1998)– LARGELY DUE TO TYPE OF WORK DONE

• CORPORATE WOMEN AND THE GLASS CEILING

• RECENTLY, 12% OF RICHEST AMERICANS IDENTIFIED BY FORBES WERE WOMEN

WOMEN AND…WOMEN AND…• EDUCATION– MANY THINGS ARE LOOKING UP

• POLITICS– TODAY, THOUSANDS OF WOMEN HOLD PUBLIC

OFFICE– MUCH LESS MOVEMENT IN UPPER RANKS

WORLDDWIDE• ONLY 11.7% OF SEATS IN WORLD PARLIAMENTS

• THE MILITARY– 15% OF THE ARMED FORECES WERE WOMEN IN

1998• THE COAST GUARD OPENS ALL ASSIGNMENTS TO WOMEN• THE UNTIED STATES MARINE CORPS DENIES ACCESS TO

TWO-THIRDS OF ITS MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL FIELDS

• GIVEN THE ECONOMIC REALITIES, WOMEN CERTAINLY QUALIFY

• AT ALL LEVELS IN THE CLASS SYSTEM, WOMEN HAVE:– LESS INCOME– LESS WEALTH– LESS EDUCATION, AND – LESS POWER THAN MEN

• PATRIARCHY PROVIDES WOMEN WITH SOCIAL STANDING, FIRST THEIR, AND THEN THEIR HUSBANDS

IN WHAT WAYSMIGHT AMERICAN TRADITIONS

CLOAK WOMEN IN A SHROUD OF LIMITATIONS?

• IN THE HOME– SOME WOMEN BELIEVE THAT A

“RAPE CULTURE” EXISTS IN AMERICA

• IN PUBLIC– SEXUAL ‘WHISTLING” AND

OTHER FORMS OF HARASSMENT AWAIT WOMEN ON STREETS

• THE WORKPLACE– SEXUAL HARASSMENT REMAINS

PROBLEMATIC FOR WOMEN• PORNOGRAPHY

– POWER ISSUE WHICH MAY TELL MEN IT’S OK TO CONTROL WOMEN IN A SEXUAL WAY

FROM A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE• STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONALISM–MEN, WOMEN, AND THE

FUNCTIONALITY OF CLEAR-CUT GENDER ROLES

• SOCIAL CONFLICT–WOMEN, CLASS POSITION, AND

CAPITALISM• SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM–GENDER AND LANGUAGE USEAGE

FEMINISM IN AMERICAITS MOST BASIC PRINCIPLES

• IMPORTANCE OF CHANGE– IT IS CRITICAL

• EXPANSION OF HUMAN CHOICE– NO RESTRICTIONS ON POTENTIAL

• NO GENDER STRATIFICATION– EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW

• ENDING SEXUAL VIOLENCE– DISTORTS RELATIONSHIPS

• SEXUAL AUTONOMY– CONTROL OVER REPRODUCTION

• LIBERAL FEMINISM– HUMANITARIAN-LIKE THINKING

• SOCIALIST FEMINISM– BELIEF IN SOCIALIST REVOLUTION

• RADICAL FEMINISM– ELIMINATE IDEA OF GENDER– EGALITARIAN, GENDER-FREE REVOLUTION

• OPPOSITION TO FEMINISM– MOST IS DIRECTED TOWARD SOCIALIST AND

RADICAL FEMINIST GROUPS– GENERALLY, MEN DO NOT WANT TO GIVE UP

THEIR STATUS. WHO REALLY WOULD?