Define stereotype. How are male/female stereotypes related to each other?

-stereotypes- a generalization, over-simplification, or assumption that all members of a group are the same.

- male/female stereotypes are related to each other because neither have real logic, they’re just culturally assigned. Beliefs vs. behaviors

How are beliefs about gender different than behaviors?

What can be gendered (besides people)? What is the consequence of gender being everywhere?

Traditional Western Gender Theory vs. Sociological Gender Theory (definition of sex,definition of gender, and how they relate to each other)

                                             - Traditional Western Gender Theory:

                   a. sex- natural and biological

b. gender- comes from your sex

         c. how they relate: your biology created your                   sex which determines your gender as well

- Sociological Gender

                        a. sex- biological and cultural (categories & meaning)

                                            b. gender- cultural and social (context matters)

                                           c. how they relate- sex does not cause gender expression

         -Individual (micro) - personal characteristics, personality, appearance

         -Social Interaction (meso) - social expectations, social scripts (rituals) “Doing Gender”

 -Institution/ Structure (macro) – organizes lives, socialization, enforces social constraints, ideology, ex. work, family, religion, politics

Define social construction and be able to give an example related to gender.

                   1.) Significant cross-cultural differences

        2.) Meaning changes over time

             3.) Often supports inequality

Why is it important to define something as a social construction?

Not real and it can change.

-things can change because they were different in the past, thus can be diffeent in the future

-things can change because they are different in different countries                      

- Traditional Western Gender Theory is an essentialist perspective

-essentialism is heavily critiqued for ignoring variation among women,            and politically significant differences in the treatment of women 

How does Sociological Gender Theory support social constructionism?

Main legislation supported by the 1^st wave of women’s movement

-The 19^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified in 1920

-“The right of citizens of the U.S. to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the U.S. or by any other state on the account of sex.”

What amendment gave women the right to vote? What year?

Describe the 3 theories of why there aren’t more women in math and science majors in college - the leaky pipeline, micro inequalities in the chilly classroom, and lack of advantage.

-the leaky pipeline- the proportion of women “on track” to potentially become top scientists falls off at every step of the way

- micro inequalities in the chilly classroom- small everyday inequalities through which individuals are often treated differently because of their gender, race, age, or other ‘outsider’ status

            -lack of advantage- favor-in-group, not disfavor-out-group

Where is the real gender gap in college education today?  How does the reading

explain this gap – why does it exist?  Why do some people think it is a crisis?

Explain the mobility theory versus the social reproduction theory of education. Which describes what is happening in the U.S. today?

- mobility theory- the lower classes have a chance to succeed through higher education, this results in upward social mobility

- social reproduction theory of education- education recreates class differences and gender differences

Define the gender wage gap.  What are the 2 main causes of the gender wage gap? Which is the most serious cause?

 -gender wage gap- the difference between a man and a woman’s                      salary

1.) Job Segregation- women and men have different jobs, sometimes                   diff. industries

2.) Pay Inequality in same job- women generally earn less 

-Glass ceiling- the point at which women and minorities are blocked from any further upward movement in organizations

What legislation was passed to deal with unequal pay?  How successful was it in

reducing the gender wage gap?

-1963, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act- prohibits employment discrimination by sex, but not by race

-if men and women are in the same job, with similar credentials and seniority, they could no longer receive different salaries

****NOT SUCCESSFUL****

Define the two types of sexual harassment. Has legislation against sexual harassment been successful?

1.) Quid Pro Quo (this for that) - the use of sexual threats or bribery to make employment decisions

2.) Hostile Environment Harassment- consists of behavior that creates an “intimidating hostile, or offensive working environment”

Yes, it has been successful!

-women interrupt their careers with child birth, child care, elder care (discontinuous). As a result they acquire less seniority, less prestige. Are more likely to have a part time job, work around childcare. Flex time

What is the second shift?  On average how many hours are spent on home care by women vs. men?

- housework and childcare for women constitutes a second job (30h/week)

            -Men: 16hours/week    -women: 30hours/week

[Film] What problems are faced by middle class families with children? How does the United States compare to other countries? What are the solutions proposed in the film?

-Women are faced with the challenge of choosing her family or her career but most families cannot survive on only one salary. The U.S. has the shortest maternity leave. Some solutions proposed in the film are having more affordable daycare or more time off.

-gives women flexible work hours but it costs a lot of money to start your own business

Where are the jobs? What is the fastest growing job sector? What does this mean for the middle class?

-the jobs are in service and retail work which is also the fastest growing job sector. The middle class may have to suffer

What was Barbara Ehrenreich’s goal and did she accomplish it?  What was her and herco-worker’s main problem?  What did she conclude about low wage work?

-she wanted to know what it was like to live in poverty and to see if she could get by and no, she didn’t accomplish it. Her and her co-worker’s main problem was their housing situation. Low wage work is not the solution to poverty.

What is the real purpose of the Want Ads?

-want ads find people who can be easily replaced, minimal skill requirements

What is the feminization of poverty? Women make up about what percentage of the poor?

-30% of families are headed by women

      -family status (kids or single = lower wage)

Definition of minimum wage versus living wage

-minimum wage- is the lowest hourly wage that employers may legally pay to employees or workers

-living wage- is a term used by advocates to refer to the minimum hourly wage necessary for a person to achieve some specific standard of living in a particular geographic region 

What were the 3 main reasons for sex discrimination at Wal-Mart according to the reading?

            1.) culture

            2.) centrality of headquarters

            3.) stereotypes

How many people are in poverty in the U.S.?

-companies refuse to hire more help because that person’s salary could potentially be going into the shareholders’ pockets instead keeping the money in the business

-consumerism- people purchase goods that they clearly do not need for subsistence or for traditional display

-use value- utility of products for buyers, or when an object is valued for what it means

-fashion value- when an object is valued for what it means, what it communicates to others, what brand name it carries, what status it conveys

What are the 4 main explanations for consumerism?

1.) Emulation- buying in order to keep up with, fit in with, and impresses people who have higher status than you (middle copies upper class)

2.) Indulgence- assumes that over-buying results from an irresistible desire to possess goods

            3.) Self-Expression- what one buys tells the world who they are

4.) Social Connections- consumerism is made up of “meaningful practices” that connect people to family, friends, and groups

What are the 2 theories of how children/teenagers deal with the consumer society?

1.)  perfectly socialized, vulnerable population, exploited by advertising

                        -selling adulthood            -emulation(esp. young women)

2.) children/teens are active and empowered- can resist mainstream culture; make their own decisions 

-perfectly socialized, vulnerable population, exploited by advertising

What were the goals of the consumer society? Were they accomplished?

            1.) economic prosperity for all

            2.) social equality for women/minorities

            3.) democratic participation (voting)

            ****it did not work****

Define objectification

What are the four forms of objectification

            1.) Women as sex objects, sexually available

            2.) Women as fragmented, cropped, dismembered, murdered

            3.) Women have an averted gaze- passive, silent, covering their mouths

4.) Dehumanizing, animalization, primitive, animals are female, women as meat (most often black women)

What are Erving Goffman’s five behavior displays commonly seen in gendered

advertisements?

1.) Relative size- power, authority, rank

                        Ex. height, foreground/background

2.) The feminine touch- cradle, caress, trace, outline or lightly touch product

                        Ex. Vanna White

3.) Function ranking- men have an executive role, active/passive, proud, prestige

                        Ex. jobs, sports

4.) Ritualization of subordination- lawing oneself physically vs. a show of superiority

                        Ex. on knees, leaning

5.) Licensed withdrawal- isolation, women are engaged in something which isolates them from social situations

            Ex. in kitchen and observing the action, averted gaze

            -passive receptors vs. active interpreters

            -media reflects society vs. influences society

            - builds up over time

            -decentered to violence

            -normalizes beauty ideal

What are the two solutions proposed to address sexist advertising images?

            1.) reject negative images of women

            2.) support more diverse depictions of women

The western verison of beauty ideal is the appearance that women are supposted to strive to be like. Ex. being thin, tan, having big boobs

Real Benefits? Yes, people pay more attention to more attractive people

It is a myth to think that beauty is universal or to think that women naturally want to be beautiful and find it rewarding. 

How does the beauty ideal homogenize people and normalize certain behaviors?

How did cosmetic surgery begin?  Why was it eventually accepted by the general

population?