Chapter 10

Sex, Gender and Sexuality

Chapter Outline

 Sexual Differentiation
 Perspectives on Gender Inequality
 Gender as Social Construction and
Social Structure
 Differences in Life Chances by Sex
 Gender and Power
 The Sociology of Sexuality
Sex and Gender

 Biology differentiates the sexes.

 Society differentiates male and female
roles.
 Gender roles ascribed to men and
women vary greatly from culture to
culture.
Gender Roles Across Cultures

In virtually all cultures:

 Women are expected to focus on child-
raising.
 Men tend to have more power.
 Male children are valued over female
children.
Violence Toward Women

 In the U.S. in 1996 more than 840,000

women were murdered, raped, assaulted or
robbed by an intimate.
 More than 100 million women, in African
countries and in Asia, South America, and
Europe, have undergone genital mutilation.
 In India 6,006 new brides were known to
have been murdered in 1997 by their
husbands or in-laws.
Structural-functional Theory of
Gender Inequality
Focuses on the functions of gendered
division of labor:
 Reduces competition between men and
women.
 Makes both sexes specialists in their
roles.
 Requires an interdependence of men
and women.
Conflict Theory of Gender
Inequality
 Subjugation of women to subordinate
roles benefits men and capitalism.
 Capitalists benefit from a labor market
that splits the interests of men and
women workers—in favor of men.
 Segmented labor market provides a
low-wage female labor reserve.
Symbolic Interaction and
Gender Inequality
 Sexism arises through culturally
patterned interaction in everyday life.
 Studies demonstrate differences in the
ways boys and girls are are treated by
teachers and each other.
Symbolic Interaction and
Gender Inequality
 Teachers tend to ask boys analytical
questions.
 Boys in a summer camp setting tend to
be ranked based on athletic prowess
and aggressiveness.
 Girls are devalued and denied power
relative to even the lowest status boys.
Differences in Life-chances by
Sex
 There is a gap between the sexes when
it comes to doctoral or professional
degrees.
 The care of children makes it difficult for
women to be considered on an equal
occupational footing with men.
 Labor-force participation by women
approaches that of men.
Bachelor’s Degrees Earned, by
Field, 1971 and 2000
% Female
Field of Study 1971 2000
Business 9.1 49.7
Computer and information 13.6 28.1
sciences
Education 74.5 75.8
Engineering 0.8 20.4
Bachelor’s Degrees Earned, by
Field, 1971 and 2000
% Female
Field of Study 1971 2000
Health sciences 77.1 83.8
Home economics 97.3 87.9
Pre-law 6.0 73.0
Mathematics 37.9 47.1
Social sciences and history 36.8 51.2
Labor-Force Participation of
Men and Women 16 and Over
Reasons Why Women and Men
Have Different Jobs
1. Gendered jobs.Lower paying jobs like
nursing and teaching tend to be “women’s
work”.
2. Different qualifications.Women are less
likely to have as much experience or
education as men.
3. Discrimination, often based on sexism,
works against women’s options in the world
of work.
Same Job, Different Earnings

 Three reasons why men earn more

than women who do the same work:
1. Different titles.
2. Segmented labor market.
3. Family responsibilities.
Sex Differences in Earnings
from the Same Occupation
Median Weekly Earnings
Occupation Males Females
Accountants $953 $690
Engineers 1,126 949
Natural scientists 1,007 726
Computer
968 868
programmers
Lawyers 1,439 1,053
Male Disadvantages

 Men also pay for the imbalances of

power and privilege in gender roles.
 Mortality rates for men are higher
throughout the life cycle partly due to
norms that encourage men to suppress
their feelings.
Male Disadvantages

 The male role does not encourage the

cultivation of emotionally supportive
relationships.
 Men may suffer serious stress from
associating self-esteem with net worth.