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Chapter 11

Gender Stratification and Inequality

Book Version 4
By Boundless
Boundless Sociology
Sociology
by Boundless
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Section 1
Gender and Biology
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The Role of Biology

Biology determines sex, while social norms determine gender.

Section 2
Gender and Socialization
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Gender Socialization

Gender socialization is the process by which males and females are informed about the norms and behaviors associated with their sex.

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The Social Construction of Gender

Social constructivists propose that there is no inherent truth to gender; it is constructed by social expectations and gender performance.

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Gender Identity in Everyday Life

Gender identity is one's sense of one's own gender. It is the result of socialization, but it also has a biological basis.

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Gender Roles in the U.S.

Gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be appropriate for people of a specific sex.

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The Cross-Cultural Perspective

Gender roles vary widely across different cultural contexts.

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Childhood Socialization

Gender roles are taught from infancy through primary socialization, or the type of socialization that occurs in childhood and adolescence.

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Adolescent Socialization

Adolescence is a transitional stage of biological, cognitive and social development that prepares individuals for taking on adult roles.

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Gender Differences in Social Interaction

Masculine and feminine individuals generally differ in how they communicate with others.

Section 3
Sociological Perspectives on Gender Stratification
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The Functionalist Perspective

The functionalist perspective of gender roles suggests that gender roles exist to maximize social efficiency.

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The Conflict Perspective

Conflict theory suggests that men, as the dominant gender, subordinate women in order to maintain power and privilege in society.

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The Interactionist Perspective

From a symbolic interactionist perspective, gender is produced and reinforced through daily interactions and the use of symbols.

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The Feminist Perspective

Feminist theory analyzes gender stratification through the intersection of gender, race, and class.

Section 4
Women as a Minority
Women as a Minority

Women are considered a minority group, because they do not share the same power, privileges, rights, and opportunities as men.

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The Origins of Patriarchy

Patriarchy is a social structure in which men are considered to have a monopoly on power and women are expected to submit.

Section 5
Women in the Workplace
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Women in the Workplace

While women are succeeding in a number of professions, they continue to face significant barriers to entry and participation.

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Inequalities of Work

Women are frequently treated unequally at work, often through sexual harassment and/or wage discrimination.

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Family and Gender Issues

Social expectations that women manage childcare contribute to the gender pay gap and other limitations in professional life for women.

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Education and Unequal Treatment in the Classroom

Women have historically been disadvantaged in education, and learning has often been segregated along gender lines.

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Gender Inequality in Politics

Women have had to fight for equal treatment in politics in the United States by winning the right to vote and a seat at the political table.

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Job Discrimination

Despite legal protections, job discrimination against women still exists in the workplace.

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Gender Inequality in Health Care

Gender discrimination in health care manifests itself primarily as the difference that men and women pay for their insurance premium.

Section 6
Gender-Based Violence
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Rape

The definition of rape and its effects on victims have evolved historically alongside ideas about gender and sexuality.

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Sexual Violence

Sexual violence is any sexual act or sexual advance directed at one individual without their consent.

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Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is intimidation, bullying, teasing, or coercion of a sexual nature.

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Gender Stratification and Inequality
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