Review Sheet for Sociology 327
Exam 2, Spring 2007
Chapter 7: The Gendered Classroom
n functions of the educational system
n content of education; interactions with teachers; content within children's literature (male/female representation)
n self-esteem of boys and girls from grade school to middle school
n Gender differences in math/science/English scores, aptitude and performance
n explanations for Gender differences in math/science/English across all grade levels (institutional, individual, interactional) -- including identity explanations
n harassment in middle/high school; percentage of students who report being harassed. Consequences of harassment
n sex-segregated schools: pros and cons
Chapter 8: The Gendered Family
n gender socialization; preferences for male/female children; emotional attributions of male/female children
n how to raise gender aschematic children
n changes in marital roles; division of household labor; explanations for division of household labor; current estimates of how much men and women are doing
n divorce as a “resource” for relationship equality
n work and family intersections; “separate spheres,” work-family spillover, the “time bind”; effects of work on family; effects of family on work
n the wage penalty for motherhood -- know what the "penalty" is and how much it is
Chapter 9: The Gendered Workplace
n composition of labor force; changes over time
n two primary dimensions of inequality in labor force: segregation and income inequality – know general patterns; also types of segregation
n explanations for wage gap; individual (gender socialization and human capital) and structural explanations (discrimination)
n “tokenism”; glass ceiling vs. glass escalator
n Status expectations -- relationship to inequality
Essays
1. In class, we discussed four different explanations for the household division of labor. List them and offer a brief explanation of how they explain the household division of labor.
2. There are several different explanations for what is known as “the wage gap.” Discuss what the wage gap is and discuss two of these explanations for why it exists.
3. Expectations states theory describes one theoretical mechanism for why gender inequality exists. Discuss the basic idea behind expectation states theory and discuss how it explains how these processes affect the evaluation of men and women for specific positions and how it helps to explain individuals’ responses to inequality (both men’s and women’s responses).
4. Some individuals have suggested that sex-segregated schools are the answer to ending inequality in the classroom. What inequality in the classroom are they seeking to address and how is it that sex-segregated classrooms would solve this problem? Last, discuss both the possible benefits and costs of sex-segregated schools.
5. Both in class and in your readings it has been suggested that educational institutions are “gendered.” What does this mean? And, how can it be seen in the educational system? (In your answer, I want you to focus on gender as an institution, not necessarily in terms of interaction.)
6. The process of gender socialization is one mechanism by which “gendered persons” are created. What is meant by the term “gender socialization” and how does it create “gendered persons.” In your answer, be sure and provide multiple examples of how individuals are socialized as “gendered” persons.
Articles
Reader: Sadker, Sadker, Fox, and Salata “Gender Equity in the Classroom: The Unfinished Agenda”
Reader: Kimmel “What About the Boys? What the Current Debates Tell Us – and Don’t Tell Us – About Boys in School”
Reader: “Rape-Prone Versus Rape-Free Campus Cultures”
Reader: Coltrane “Household Labor and the Routine Production of Gender”
Reader: Rubin “The Transformation of Family Life”
Reader: Reskin “Bringing the Men Back In: Sex Differentiation and the Devaluation of Women’s Work”
Reader: Williams “The Glass Elevator: Hidden Advantages for Men in the Female Professions”
RA: Lee “Which kids can "become" scientists? Effects of gender, self-concepts, and perceptions of scientists”
RA: Raag “Influences of Social Expectations of Gender, Gender Stereotypes, and Situational Constraints on Children’s Toy Choices.” Sex Roles 41:80-831.
RA: Bem “Gender Schema Theory and its Implications for Child development: Raising Gender-Aschematic Children in a Gender-Schematic Society.”
RA: Hackstaff “A Quest for Relational Equality in Marriage”
RA: Budig and England “The Wage Penalty for Motherhood”
RA: Ridgeway “The Persistence of Gender Inequality in Employment Settings”
RA: Ridgeway and Diekema “Are Gender Differences Status Differences?
Handed out in class:
Lerner, Sharon. 2007. "The Motherhood Experiment." NY Times article, March 4.