Chapter Ten: Gender and Age PDF

Chapter TenGender and Age Gender and Sex●Sex is biological while gender is (mostly) cultural.●Gender norms differ both across and within societies.●What are some gender norm differences within Mississippi? Gender and Age are “master statuses”They are also ascribed statuses from birth. Te r m s●Ge...

Chapter TenGender and Age Gender and Sex●Sex is biological while gender is (mostly) cultural.●Gender norms differ both across and within societies.●What are some gender norm differences within Mississippi? Gender and Age are “master statuses”They are also ascribed statuses from birth. Te r m s●Gender Stratification: “The unequal access of men and women to property, power, and prestige (p. 305)●Sex: “Biological characteristics that distinguish females and males, consisting of primary and secondary sex characteristics” (p. 305)●Gender: “The behaviors and attitudes that a society considers proper for its males and females; masculinity or femininity” (p. 305) Sociological Debate:High levels of testosterone in males is associated with higher aggression, risk-taking/seeking behavior, and getting into trouble.However, the biological correlation is not fully certain and social factors (such as social class) contribute to such outcomes.Also, more testosterone leads to higher dominance behaviors, but dominance behaviors also lead to more testosterone. Gender Imbalances●There are now more female than male college graduates●However, males still tend to make more in income over the course of a lifetime●Glass Ceiling: “The most invisible barrier that keeps women from advancing to the top levels at work” (p. 326)●Sexual Harassment: “The abuse of one's position of authority to force unwanted sexual demands on someone” (p. 326) The Social Construction of Age●What does it mean for age to be socially constructed? The Life Course●How socially constructed are our main reference points in the life course?Childhood, Adolescence, Adulthood, Old Age●Life Span: “The maximum length of life of a species; for humans, the longest that a human has lived” (p. 332)The human life span reaches to at least 122 ●Life Expectancy: “The number of years that an average person at any age, including newborns, can expect to live” (p. 333)●Graying of America: “The growing percentage of older people in the U.S. population” (p. 333)●When the population grays, who takes care of the elderly? Ageism:“Prejudice and discrimination directed against people because of their age; can be directed against any age group, including youth” (p. 336) The Three Theoretical Perspectives●Symbolic Interactionism: The meaning of age is mostly (or wholly) a matter of culture and social construction●Functionalism: Age cohorts (generations) are parts within the broader society. Movement through the life course provides openings for younger cohorts and different generations have changing roles to play.●Conflict Theory: Generations compete against one another over scarce resources.●Example: Should the government prioritize spending on the elderly, e.g., Medicare/Medicaid, or spending on the young, e.g. public education? Te r m sAge Cohort: “People born at roughly the same time who pass through the life course together” (p. 337) ●Disengagement Theory: “The view that society is stabilized by having the elderly retire (disengage from) their positions of responsibility so the younger generation can step into their shoes” (p. 337) (Functionalism)●Activity Theory: “The view that satisfaction during old age is related to a person's amount and quality of activity” (p. 337) (Functionalism)●Continuity Theory: “A theory focusing on how people adjust to retirement by continuing aspects of their earlier lives” (p. 338)