Lecture 8 Gender Stratification Difference Stratification n In

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Lecture 8 Gender Stratification

Lecture 8 Gender Stratification

Difference & Stratification n In a mixed-class system we can see how both ascribed

Difference & Stratification n In a mixed-class system we can see how both ascribed (race, gender) and achieved (talent, hard work) determine one’s position in the opportunity structure n Therefore, social categories of difference become institutionalized in our social structure and create a society in which race and gender inequality are part of our daily lives

Race and Gender Inequality: It’s Not Personal n Institutional “ism’s”: systematic inequalities pervade all

Race and Gender Inequality: It’s Not Personal n Institutional “ism’s”: systematic inequalities pervade all of societies structures q n Institutions such as the police, education, employment, mass media etc. Racism and sexism are part of the fabric of social life q Not about the prejudice of a small minority, but about the policies and ideologies that create a legacy of inequality

Culture & Ideology Actions/Behavior Social Structure

Culture & Ideology Actions/Behavior Social Structure

Gender/Race Wage Gap: For Every White Man’s $. . . Year Black men Hispanic

Gender/Race Wage Gap: For Every White Man’s $. . . Year Black men Hispanic Men White Women Black Women Hispanic Women 1970 $. 69 na $. 58 $. 48 na 1980 $. 70 $. 58 $. 55 $. 50 1990 $. 73 $. 66 $. 69 $. 62 $. 54 2003 $. 78 $. 63 $. 75 $. 65 $. 54

What accounts for the decline in Latino Men’s Wages? n The labor-market that is

What accounts for the decline in Latino Men’s Wages? n The labor-market that is open to Latino immigrants is generally a low-wage market q q n Native Latinos earn more than immigrants, but after the second generation increasing wages stall Differential price employers pay for Latino workers Improvements in quantity and quality of education will narrow the wage gap between Latinos and Whites q Nationally 21% of Latino students drop out of high school – 2 x the rate for all students

Sexual Division of Labor n Almost all societies have a sexual division of labor

Sexual Division of Labor n Almost all societies have a sexual division of labor q n Gender is one of the primary ways that the work that is needed to take care of the needs of individuals, families, and society as a whole is accomplished As the structure of society changes, gender ideology, gender roles and gender equality also change

Industrialization and the Family n With industrialization, we became dependent on wages ($) earned

Industrialization and the Family n With industrialization, we became dependent on wages ($) earned in paid work to help support family life n This created a distinct separation of work q q Inside (private) & outside (public) the home Paid work and the unpaid work of family life

The Family-Wage n A family-wage economy is an economic system in which families have

The Family-Wage n A family-wage economy is an economic system in which families have one member earning wages to support the family. This wage therefore has to be a family-wage with: n n n High pay to support dependents Benefits that are extended to all family members But, also requires high skilled labor (investment in education) & time investment in return

Gender Ideology, Family, and Work n n The family-wage economic brought about changes in

Gender Ideology, Family, and Work n n The family-wage economic brought about changes in the social structure that were supported by, and supported, a specific gender ideology Separate Spheres Ideology naturalizes the idea that men and women are responsible and ‘naturally’ inclined to separate spheres of social life Men as Providers Work & Public Life Women as Caretakers Family Life

His and Her Family n Dichotomization of morality for men and women in family

His and Her Family n Dichotomization of morality for men and women in family life 1. Men are encouraged to focus on selfinterest for the family 2. Women are encouraged to focus on selfsacrifice for the good of the family

Social & Economic Invisibility of Household Labor n Mom’s “market value” is about 30

Social & Economic Invisibility of Household Labor n Mom’s “market value” is about 30 K greater than the average man’s wage…but n n n Labeled “unoccupied” in our national accounting system No retirement, unemployment, health benefits, nor individual social security “Second Shift”: in dual-income households women often do most of the unpaid labor q Working women have 9 hours more housework per week than men in the same household

Your household DOL?

Your household DOL?

Occupational Segregation n “Female” and “Male” professions: In 2003 women were q 96% of

Occupational Segregation n “Female” and “Male” professions: In 2003 women were q 96% of secretaries 91% of nurses 95% of child care workers 99% of dental hygienists and 97% of kindergarten and preschool teachers q But also, 30% physicians, 14% architects, 27% lawyers q q n Why do we see women entering men’s professions, but not the other way around?

March 25 th n n Sign in Finish Lecture 8 Activity: The Daughter Deficit

March 25 th n n Sign in Finish Lecture 8 Activity: The Daughter Deficit Homework: q q Introduction to Sociology: pages 147 -167 & Chapter 20 Homework #4

Gender Wage Gap

Gender Wage Gap

Is education the great equalizer? n High School Diploma: q n BA/BS Degree: q

Is education the great equalizer? n High School Diploma: q n BA/BS Degree: q n men = $32 K women = $22 K men = $51 K women = $36 K Ph. D: q men = $77 K women $56 K

President of Harvard Fewer Tenured Women in the Sciences… “And the relatively few women

President of Harvard Fewer Tenured Women in the Sciences… “And the relatively few women who are in the highest ranking places are disproportionately either unmarried or without children…[T]here are many professions and many activities, and the most prestigious activities in our society expect of people who are going to rise to leadership positions in their forties near total commitments to their work. They expect a large number of hours in the office, they expect a flexibility of schedules to respond to contingency, they expect a continuity of effort through the life cycle, and they expect-and this is harder to measure-but they expect that the mind is always working on the problems that are in the job, even when the job is not taking place. And it is a fact about our society that is a level of commitment that a much higher fraction of married men have been historically prepared to make than of married women. ”

Male Pattern of Work n The most rewarded careers in our society (prestige and

Male Pattern of Work n The most rewarded careers in our society (prestige and $) are generally based on the assumption that: q q n Time commitment while young long hours flexibility in your schedule and limited household responsibility Imagine what is takes to become a: q q Medical doctor Lawyer

Institutionalized Inequalities n Gender, racial, and sexual inequalities are embedded in the institutions that

Institutionalized Inequalities n Gender, racial, and sexual inequalities are embedded in the institutions that structure our lives. n How can we address and change institutional inequalities? q q Gender? Race?