Gender Stratification

1
Gender Stratification

• FIT Introduction to Sociology Professor Graham

2
How does gender inequality differ throughout the
world?

• P. 279 is Global Map 10-1this map gives an
  estimate of the social standing of women in
  different nations

3
Gender Stratification in a Low Income Country -
Nigeria

• Remember from Ch. 9, we discussed the
  characteristics of low income countries. What
  are some of these characteristics?

4
Gender Stratification in a Low Income Country -
Nigeria

• Two of these characteristics are They are
  traditional They are agricultural
• Countries with these characteristics tend to be
  poor, and the women tend to be the poorest
  because they are denied education and
  opportunities to work
• The best way to combat poverty for women AND
  combat poverty for the country is by letting
  women be self-sufficient. Here is a video about
  women entrepreneurs in Nigeria
  http//www.undp.org/women/

5
How are people from different countries
socialized to understand gender?

• Remember the four agents of socialization?
  (Chapter 3)
• Remember the connection between status and role?
• (Chapter 4)
• In each country, the roles given to the status of
  gender are
• slightly different. In each country, people are
  socialized by
• the four agents of socialization to understand
  how males
• and females are supposed to behave.

6
The Family

• In many low income countries, the parents hope
  their child will be a boy and not a girl. Why?
• After birth, parents choose pink colors for
  girls and blue for boys
• Girl infants are handled more tenderly than boys
• The female world revolves around cooperation and
  emotion, the male world revolves around
  independence and action

7
Peer Group

• Boys favor games with an objective, winners and
  losers
• Girls favor games that do not always have a clear
  winnerand they emphasize interpersonal skills
  and communication
• These games (remember Mead) teach us how to live
  as adults. Girls learn to be cooperative, and
  men learn to be competitive

8
School

• Males tend to go into science and math
• Engineering
• Physics
• Biology
• Females tend to go into fine arts, social
  sciences
• English/Literature
• Psychology
• Sociology

9
Mass Media

• Men are seen as dominant and superior in ads (me
  are taller, shown as managers and businessment)
• Mens facial expressions in ads show competence
  and dominance
• Women are seen as childlike, submissive, and
  sexual

10
Mass Media ExamplesMen are for actionwomen are
romantic interests
11
What is the beauty myth? (p. 282)

• Cultural patterns create a beauty myth that is
  damaging to women
• Society teaches women measure their worth by
  their physical appearance
• Society teaches women to prize relationships with
  men, who they attract with their beauty
• The myth affects menmen are told repeatedly that
  they should want to possess beautiful women
• Beauty is in every culturebut the question is
  how much value do we place in beauty? Also,
  whether or not beauty is how we look, or how we
  act?

12
The Beauty MythExamples
The idea here is that it is so uncommon for an
Ugly woman to be on TV, that they can make a
show about it
These women are successful professionals..but the
show revolves around them dating men
13
The Beauty Myth?...What is the pattern here?
14
How does gender effect income and wealth? (p. 288)

• In 2006, the median earnings for women were
  34,989 and men working full time were 44,958.
• The main reason why women earn less is because
  the jobs women do, womens work, are not valued
  in society (Remember the Davis-Moore Thesis, Ch.
  8)

15
How do sociologists understand sexual harassment?
(p. 291)

• 2 reasons for sexual harassment
• Our culture encourages men to be sexually
  assertive
• Most people who are in positions of power are men
• Most (but not all) victims of sexual harassment
  are women
• Harassment does not need to be physicaland can
  be subtle. A man complimenting a woman on her
  appearance repeatedly may be considered
  harassment. How?

16
Viewing of Bangkok Girl

• Understanding the Documentary
• This is a documentary about the sex industry in
  Bangkok. We should view this documentary as the
  intersection between global stratification and
  gender stratification.
• Thailand is a middle income country, but poor by
  high income country standards. Tourists from
  America, Europe, and Japan spend their high value
  currency here.
• The women in Thailand do not have the same legal
  protection or opportunities that women in other
  countries have. The sex industry is a way to
  gain resources.