Social Roles Chapter 5 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What are social roles?

Expected behaviors and attitudes that come with one's position in society.

What are role transitions?

Changes in roles due to changes in the individual or in his or her life circumstances.

What does the biological clock refer to?

Patterns of change over adulthood in health and physical functioning.

What is meant by social clock?

Patterns of change over adulthood in social roles; time schedule of the normal sequence of adult life experiences. Signup and view all the answers

What are gender roles?

Actual behaviors and attitudes of men and women in a given culture during a given historical era. Signup and view all the answers

What are gender stereotypes?

Sets of shared beliefs or generalizations about how men and women in a society ought to behave. Signup and view all the answers

What are instrumental qualities?

Personal characteristics that have an active impact, such as being competitive, adventurous, and physically strong. Signup and view all the answers

What are communal qualities?

Personal characteristics that nurture and bring people together, such as being expressive and affectionate. Signup and view all the answers

What does learning-schema theory explain?

Children are taught to view the world and themselves through gender-polarized lenses. Signup and view all the answers

What is social role theory?

An explanation of gender roles based on children viewing the gender divisions around them and then modeling their behavior on those divisions. Signup and view all the answers

What are proximal causes?

Factors present in the immediate environment. Signup and view all the answers

What are distal causes?

Factors that were present in the distant past. Signup and view all the answers

What is evolutionary psychology?

A field of psychology that explains human behavior in terms of genetic patterns useful for survival and reproduction. Signup and view all the answers

What is the biosocial perspective?

The viewpoint that gender-role bias is based on both biological differences and current social and cultural influences. Signup and view all the answers

What is the transition to adulthood?

A period during which young people take on the social roles of early adulthood. Signup and view all the answers

What is emerging adulthood?

A period of transition from adolescence to young adulthood (approximately 18-25 years of age). Signup and view all the answers

What does cohabitation refer to?

Living together in an intimate partnership without marriage. Signup and view all the answers

What are egalitarian roles?

Roles based on equality between genders. Signup and view all the answers

What is the marital selection effect?

A statistical effect where healthier people are more apt to marry and stay married. Signup and view all the answers

What is the marital resources effect?

Explanation that married people have more financial and social resources, leading to better mental and physical health. Signup and view all the answers

What is the marital crisis effect?

Explanation that married people have not been through the crises involved in divorce or widowhood, resulting in better health. Signup and view all the answers

What is the parental imperative?

The genetically programmed tendency for new parents to become more traditional in their gender roles. Signup and view all the answers

What is parental investment theory?

Explanation that men and women evolved different behaviors and interests because women have more invested in each child than men. Signup and view all the answers

What is economic exchange theory?

An explanation of gender roles stating that men and women form intimate partnerships to exchange goods and services. Signup and view all the answers

What does crossover of gender roles refer to?

A hypothesized change in gender roles at midlife, but is not truly a crossover. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by the expansion of gender roles?

A change in gender roles at midlife causing men and women to broaden their roles to include more attributes of the opposite gender. Signup and view all the answers

What is surrogate parenting?

The role assumed by grandparents when the parents are not able to raise their children. Signup and view all the answers

What is caregiver burden?

Symptoms of decline in mental and physical health common among caregivers. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social roles: Expected behaviors and attitudes linked to an individual's position in society.
Role transitions: Changes in roles that occur due to personal development or life circumstances.
Transition to adulthood: The phase in which young individuals embrace the social roles associated with early adulthood.

Biological clock: Reflects changes in health and physical functioning throughout adulthood.
Social clock: A timeline that outlines the typical sequence of adult life experiences related to social roles.

Gender Roles and Stereotypes

Gender roles: Actual behaviors and attitudes that define how men and women act in specific cultures and times.
Gender stereotypes: Shared beliefs about expected behaviors for men and women in society.
Instrumental qualities: Attributes associated with competitiveness and strength, traditionally viewed as male traits.
Communal qualities: Nurturing and emotionally expressive characteristics typically associated with women.

Theories of Gender Roles

Learning-schema theory: Describes how children develop a gendered worldview that exaggerates distinctions between masculinity and femininity.
Social role theory: Suggests children model behaviors based on observed gender divisions in their environment.

Causes of Behavior and Perspective

Proximal causes: Factors influencing behavior that are immediate or current in the environment.
Distal causes: Historical factors that can impact behavior over a longer time frame.
Evolutionary psychology: A framework that connects human behavior to survival and reproductive advantages relevant to our ancestors.
Biosocial perspective: Integrates biological differences and societal influences to explain gender role biases.

Emerging Adulthood and Cohabitation

Emerging adulthood: A transitional phase from adolescence to adulthood, typically aged 18-25.
Cohabitation: Living together in a romantic partnership without the legal bond of marriage.

Effects of Marriage on Health

Marital selection effect: Observation that healthier individuals are more likely to marry, creating an illusion that marriage itself enhances health.
Marital resources effect: Married individuals often have access to better financial and social resources, contributing to improved well-being.
Marital crisis effect: Suggests married individuals may have not experienced the emotional toll of divorce or loss, leading to better health outcomes.

Parenting Dynamics

Parental imperative: The instinct that drives new parents to adopt more traditional gender roles.
Parental investment theory: Proposes that differing investment levels in offspring by mothers and fathers shape gender behaviors.

Understanding Gender and Relationships

Economic exchange theory: Men and women enter partnerships to mutually exchange goods and services, influencing their roles.
Crossover of gender roles: A proposed shift in roles during midlife where traditional gender traits might blend, though research challenges this idea.
Expansion of gender roles: Midlife changes allowing individuals to adopt traits typically associated with the opposite gender.

Surrogate parenting: A role assumed by grandparents when parents are unable to care for their children.
Caregiver burden: Declines in mental and physical health experienced by caregivers.
Social timing: The patterns governing when significant life events occur.

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Description

Test your understanding of social roles and related concepts with these flashcards from Chapter 5. Explore key definitions like social roles, role transitions, and the biological and social clocks. Perfect for anyone studying sociology or social psychology.