Sociology Final Exam Part 4: Gender

Front 1

Give 1-2 definitions for gender roles.

Back 1

(a) the rights and obligations assigned to each gender in a particular culture, or

(b) a culture's definitions of what is masculine and what is feminine

Front 2

What is the term for the rights and obligations assigned to each gender in a particular culture?

Back 2

gender roles

Front 3

What is the term for a culture's definitions of what is masculine and what is feminine?

Back 3

gender roles

Front 4

define sex roles

Back 4

traits of maleness and femaleness

Front 5

What is the term for the traits of maleness and femaleness?

Back 5

sex roles

Front 6

Are gender roles biological or cultural?

Back 6

cultural

Front 7

Are sex roles biological or cultural?

Back 7

biological

Front 8

Which tend to be more universal: gender roles or sex roles?

Back 8

sex roles

Front 9

What is the sociological problem that arises with the establishment of gender roles?

Back 9

stereotyping

Front 10

What do sociologists believe is the reason for inequity between the two main genders (and the reason that women are at a disadvantage in the USA)?

Back 10

stereotyping is the reason for this.

Front 11

What kind of general kind of personality traits does USA society expect women to have?

Back 11

expressive

Front 12

Name 3-14 examples of specific, stereotypical traits that USA society expects women to have.

Back 12

artistic, caring, compassionate, dependent, domestic, impulsive, loving, nonmechanical, nurturing, passive, patient, sensitive, submissive, understanding

Front 13

What kind of general kind of personality traits does USA society expect men to have?

Back 13

instrumental

Front 14

Name 3-15 examples of specific, stereotypical traits that USA society expects men to have.

Back 14

action-oriented, assertive, athletic, authoritarian, competitive, dependent when they have the sniffles (a "man cold"), dominant, goal-oriented, independent, insensitive, logical, mechanical, protective, sexual, territorial

Front 15

Describe the practice of raising a child androgynously

Back 15

raising the child without bias towards any socially-assigned gender traits

(A.H. editorial: the instructor and many dictionaries get the actual definition of "androgyny" wrong. It is actually the state of having a blend of masculine and feminine traits. Most dictionaries mislabel this as "maleness and femaleness" instead, which are biological, not cultural.)

Front 16

In the USA, members of which 3 classes are more likely to attempt raising a child androgynously?

Back 16

upper-upper, lower-upper, and and upper-middle classes (the top 3)

Front 17

What are the 3 theories of how we learn gender roles, in quasi-chronological order?

Back 17

Social Learning Theory, Modeling Theory, and Cognitive Development Theory

(Mnemonic: Social Learners Model Cognitive Development.)

Front 18

Explain Modeling Theory.

Back 18

Children will model their behavior after (or copy the behaviors of) one or more other persons.

Front 19

What theory asserts that children will copy the behaviors of one or more other persons?

Back 19

Modeling Theory

Front 20

In modeling theory, whom do little boys copy, and whom do little girls copy?

Back 20

older boys and older girls, respectively

Front 21

Explain Cognitive Development Theory in regards to gender.

Back 21

Once kids learn what gender they are, they actively pursue behaviors associated with that gender.

Front 22

What theory asserts that Once kids learn what gender they are, they actively pursue behaviors associated with that gender?

Back 22

Cognitive Development Theory

Front 23

What does Cognitive Development Theory assert will happen after a child has begun to model their behavior after others, and what is the main characteristic of that behavior?

Back 23

(a) They will continue to copy those behaviors, thus behaving in (b) stereotypical ways.

Front 24

Explain Social Learning Theory.

Back 24

It asserts that we learn through positive reinforcements and rewards.

Front 25

What theory asserts that we learn through positive reinforcements and rewards?

Back 25

Social Learning Theory

Front 26

According to Social Learning Theory, what happens in order for a behavior to be learned?

Back 26

It must be rewarded (which is a form of positive reinforcement).

Front 27

In what way does the average USA family reinforce gender stereotypes in girls?

Back 27

They are more protective of them.

Front 28

In what 3 areas does the average USA family treat boys and girls differently?

Back 28

assignment of household chores, choices of toys to provide, and selection of bedroom decorations

Front 29

How do friends usually reinforce gender stereotypes in USA children?

Back 29

They use ridicule, often in large quantities, to discourage gender non-conformant behaviors.

Front 30

With regard to gender stereotypes, How do peer groups usually treat boys, and how is this different from the way they treat girls?

Back 30

Boys put a lot of pressure on other boys to behave in masculine ways. This is not as true (pronounced?) as it is for girls.

Front 31

What are the 2 strongest mass media for reinforcing gender stereotypes in the USA? What category of mass media is less potent, but still pervasive?

Back 31

(a) Movies and TV shows are the strongest.

(b) Periodicals (magazines and newspapers) are pervasive, but not as strong.

Front 32

What component (or aspect) of nearly all mass media reinforce gender stereotypes?

Back 32

Advertisements

Front 33

Regarding gender stereotypes, what phenomenon does careful observation of advertisements reveal?

Back 33

It shows that we have a tendency to give masculine and feminine traits to inanimate objects.

(It also reinforces some activities as being performed exclusively by men or exclusively by women.)

Front 34

In what 2 ways does the average USA family reinforce gender stereotypes in boys?

Back 34

They encourage boys to be more independent and exploratory.

Front 35

For what do sociologists feel that gender stereotypes are responsible?

Back 35

placing women at a disadvantage (and that there is inequity between the two genders)

Front 36

What are the 2 major disparities between most men and women in the USA?

Back 36

Men have more options, while women have to make more sacrifices.

Front 37

How do the following concepts tend to relate?

control, exhibiting power, less powerful people, more powerful people, and simple (non-aggressive) touch

Back 37

The more powerful people exhibit their power and sometimes control over the less powerful people by simply touching them. (For example, my boss may touch me, and ask, "How are things going?" However, I would never touch my boss and ask the same.)

Front 38

How do the behaviors of most men and women differ in regards to using simple, power-asserting touch?

Back 38

Men touch women more in this way than vice versa.

Front 39

Of might simply touching something be a symbol?

Back 39

It might be a symbol of asserting possession over the thing being touched (as if to say, "This is mine.")

Front 40

Besides using simple touch, how do many

men associate women as possessions?

Back 40

They often refer to inanimate objects as "she" (and the other feminine pronouns).

Front 41

Which gender typically takes up more space when posturing, sitting, and standing: men or women?

Back 41

men

Front 42

Of what is taking up (more) physical space a symbol?

Back 42

power

Front 43

What typically happens if a man assumes a posture that takes up a lot of space? What typically happens if a women does the same?

Back 43

(a) A man attracts little or no attention, whereas (b) a woman who does this may get a great deal of unwanted attention.

Front 44

Of what is spitting in public a symbol?

Back 44

marking territory

Front 45

What gender typically spits more in public: men or women?

Back 45

men

Front 46

Who typically controls the conversation when a man and a woman converse? Who typically verbalizes more in quantity?

Back 46

(a) The man typically controls the conversation, even though (b) the woman might actually speak more words. (Talking more does not usually lead to control.)

Front 47

In what 2 ways does a typical USA man control a conversation with a woman?

Back 47

By being less attentive and by interrupting the woman more

Front 48

How exactly does being less attentive in a conversation exert power?

Back 48

It forces others to repeat themselves.

Front 49

What does interrupting someone usually imply?

Back 49

The interruptor has something more important to say than the person who was interrupted.

Front 50

What 2 terms are used to describe the kinds of speech that (a) men and (b) women in the USA typically have?

Back 50

(a) Men use report-talk, while (b) women use rapport-talk. (The T in "rapport" is silent.)

Front 51

define report-talk

Back 51

Speech that is focused on facts

Front 52

What is the term for Speech that is focused on facts?

Back 52

report-talk

Front 53

define rapport-talk

Back 53

Speech that is focused on emotions and interpersonal relationships (e.g., family)

Front 54

What is the term for Speech that is focused on emotions and interpersonal relationships?

Back 54

rapport-talk

Front 55

define "the glass ceiling"

Back 55

the false ceiling (level) above which women and other minority groups are rarely promoted in the business world

Front 56

What is the term for the level above which women and other minority groups are rarely promoted in the business world?

Back 56

the glass ceiling

Front 57

(a) Explain why women still have lower prestige and power, despite having earned 57% of all bachelor's degrees in the USA and 60% of all master's degrees in the USA at a recent point in time. (b) What concept underlies this reason?

Back 57

(a) The choices in those degrees lead women away from paths of higher prestige and power. (Quantity is not "quality" (for some sufficiently twisted definition of quality).)

(b) gender tracking

Front 58

What do sociologists suspect is the primary reason that women in the USA still only receive 72% of the pay that men receive, on average, for the same job, same educational experience, and same work experience?

Back 58

They believe this is because women tend to avoid expressing dissatisfaction over pay for a job (both starting pay and raises).