Gender Stratification Males and females unequal access to

Gender Stratification � Males’ and females’ unequal access to power, prestige, and prosperity. � Gender is a MASTER STATUS ◦ Labels carry images and expectations about how we should act. ◦ Guide our behavior and serve a basis of power and privilege. ◦ Sociological significance of gender is that it is a device by which society controls its members �Sorts us into different life experiences – opens and closes doors to power, property, and prestige

Sex and Gender � Sex: biological characteristics that distinguish males and females. ◦ Primary Sex Characteristics: vagina or penis and other organs related to reproduction. ◦ Secondary Sex Characteristics: physical distinctions between males and females not directly connected with reproduction. �Become evident during puberty �Males = muscles, lower voice, body hair, and height �Females = fatty tissue and broader hips, and breasts � Gender: behaviors and attitudes a group considers proper for its males and females ◦ Social, not biological ◦ Inherit your sex, but learn your gender (socialized)

Differences in Behavior � Does biological difference control our behavior? ◦ Does it make females more nurturing and submissive and males more aggressive and domineering? � Our visible differences of sex do not come with meanings built into them ◦ Each human group makes its own interpretations of these physical differences and on this basis assigns males and females to separate groups – people learn what is expected. � If biology were the principal factor, all around the world we would find women to be one sort of person and men another. ◦ Ideas of gender, however, vary greatly from one culture to another and so do male-female behaviors

Biology has some say… � Biological factors are involved in some human behavior other than reproduction and childbearing. ◦ Women are better prepared biologically for “mothering” than are men. �More sensitive to the infant’s soft skin and to their nonverbal communications. ◦ Nature provides biological predispositions, which are then overlaid with culture. �Issue is not biology or society.

Biology versus Culture - Culture � Differences are the result of social factors ◦ Hunting and gathering societies - the roles of both women and men are less rigid than those created by stereotypes – separate but equal status of women at this level of development. ◦ Types of work are created by social arrangements – informal customs and formal laws enforce it (barriers removed = women’s work habits are similar to men’s) ◦ Rising female crime rates – aggression is related to social factors and not biology. � Social factors – socialization, gender discrimination, and other forms of social control – create gender differences in behavior.

Biology versus Culture - Biology � Inborn differences that “give masculine and feminine direction to the emotions and behaviors” ◦ Men dominate because they have a lower threshold for elicitation of dominance behavior… greater tendency to exhibit whatever behavior is necessary to attain dominance in hierarchies and male-female encounters. ◦ Men are more willing “to sacrifice the rewards of other motivations –the desire for affection, health, family life, safety, relaxation, etc. – to attain dominance. � Medical Accident

Different Cultures � Tunisia Prostitution � China – bride selling � Japan – Beauty/Pain in Advertising � Africa – Female Circumcision

Gender Gap � Boys’ reading achievement consistently lags behind girls’ as students get older. � Fewer boys than girls now study advanced algebra, geometry, and chemistry. � 42% of college students are male. � Boys earn 70% of report card D’s and F’s and are 50% more likely to be retained; 71% of school suspensions; 83% of students labeled ADD or ADHD � 3 -5 times more likely to be labeled learning disabled. � Boys outnumber girls in high school sports, but girls greatly outnumber boys in every other extracurricular activity.

Gender Gap continued… � Boys are more likely to express strong dislike for school. � Boys seldom find their work to be “meaningful or important” � Only 66% of male high school seniors say they will “definitely graduate from a 2 -4 year college. ” � Girls take 54% of AP exams (continuing to grow) � 82% of females say they will “definitely graduate from college”

Differences in the Male/Female Brain � Processing: ◦ Language Processing Areas ◦ Spatial Processing Areas ◦ Sensory System � Chemical: ◦ ◦ ◦ Testosterone Estrogen Serotonin Dopamine Oxytocin

Male and Female Hemisphere Dominance � Left Hemisphere dominance is more common in females (logical, analytical, objective). � Right Hemisphere dominance is more common in males (intuitive, thoughtful, subjective). � Although our brains function at times using both hemispheres, schools are traditionally designed to be more left hemisphere friendly. ◦ Structured with time periods and ringing bells, organized around facts and rules, rely primarily on verbal processing, limit access to space and movement, require a lot of multitasking.

Classroom Strategies to Benefit Boys and Girls � Movement ◦ Physically, mentally, and emotionally “clumsy” in gender-specific ways. ◦ When learning is paired with movement, learning is anchored in the body through procedural memory. ◦ Increases motivation ◦ Boys generally need more movement than girls – keeping the brain stimulated and controlling impulsive behavior. ◦ Increases blood flow/neurotransmitters helping boys learn new concepts better, retain them longer, and cause less distraction.

Strategies continued… � Learning Teams of Boys and Girls ◦ Girls tend to do more overall processing during group work than boys – more concerned about seeing that everyone is included/picking a leader. Also taking in more opinions during a task (naturally break into groups of 3 or 4) ◦ Boys find this style boring. �Become more highly engaged in learning when there is an edge of competition to a project (stimulates reward centers of the brain). ◦ Gender-specific groups allow more clear instruction than co-ed groups – avoid the adolescent hormone -charged “mating behaviors.

Strategies continued… � Relevance matters ◦ Students care more about learning when it can be connected to real life and real purposes. ◦ Generally girls are more willing to do things simply to please their teacher. ◦ Central partners in learning = learning improves �Find student interests, motivations, passions, and talents (intrinsic motivations) ◦ Social capital or “getting cool with your friends” is a powerful motivation for adolescents

Do Split-Gender Classes Really Work? � Do you prefer single-gender or mixed-gender classes? ◦ Single-Gender: � Boys – 72% � Girls – 62% ◦ Mixed-Gender: � Boys -28% � Girls – 38% � In which do you find it easier to concentrate? ◦ Single-Gender: � Boys – 76% � Girls – 75% ◦ Mixed-Gender: � Boys -24% � Girls – 25% � In which do you feel more successful? ◦ Single-Gender: � Boys – 83% � Girls – 74% ◦ Mixed-Gender: � Boys -17% � Girls – 26%

Do Split-Gender Classes Really Work? � I feel that I have improved my behavior at school in a single-gender class: ◦ Boys: 83% ◦ Girls: 78% � I have improved my self-confidence in a single-gender class: ◦ Boys: 76% ◦ Girls: 69% � I have increased my desire to succeed in school in a single -gender class: ◦ Boys: 89% ◦ Girls: 70% � I am earning grades that I am proud of in a single-gender class: ◦ Boys: 85% ◦ Girls: 74%

Journal Question – DUE WEDNESDAY � In a page Journal: ◦ Based on what you know about the differences between boys and girls (both in “doing gender” – including the pressures in doing so – and in the education setting), what do you think is the best learning environment – single-sex or co-ed – and why? �Use details from your own experiences, the notes, and our class discussions to help answer this question.