Skip to content
Quick Guides

Sociology - Sex and Gender

Preview 6 of 19 pages

See the first 6 pages exactly as they appear in the document.

  1. Page 1
    Read page 1 as text

    Study Guide Sociology – Sex and Gender 1. Sexism in Higher Education 1.1 A Brief Look at the Past For a long time, women did not have the same chances as men to attend college or university. Until the 1960s, most women were excluded from higher education, especially from professional schools and graduate programs like law or medicine. The more well - known or prestigious the program, the harder it was for women to gain access. Change began when the women’s movement pushed for equal rights in education. Their efforts led to important laws that made gender discrimination illegal in schools and universities. 1.2 Title IX and Equal Opportunity One of the most important laws passed was Title IX . This law requires educational institutions to treat students fairly, regardless of gender. Under Title IX, schools must remove discrimination from: • Admissions and financial aid • Gender - segregated classes and sports programs • Hiring practices for administrators, faculty, and staff Because of Title IX, women gained much greater access to colleges and universities across the country. 1.3 Women in College Today Today, women are actually more likely than men to attend college and earn undergraduate or master’s degrees. Many women choose majors in the liberal arts, which often do not lead directly to high - paying jobs. However, despite higher enrollment at lower deg ree levels, women are still less likely than men to earn advanced degrees, such as doctorates or professional degrees.

  2. Page 2
    Read page 2 as text

    Study Guide 1.4 Ongoing Sexism in Academia Sexism has not completely disappeared from higher education. It still exists in university administration and among faculty. Research shows that women are: • Less likely to be hired • Less likely to be promoted • Less likely to receive tenure In addition, women professors typically earn less money than men. This pay gap exists even though women teach just as effectively, conduct research, and bring in research grants at the same level as their male colleagues. 2. Sexism in the Workplace 2.1 How Education and Work Are Connected Sexism in the workplace is closely linked to sexism in education. When women are expected to stay at home instead of pursuing careers, they often miss out on important educational opportunities. Without equal access to education, women may find it harder t o compete with men for jobs. Even when women do get hired, they may be seen as less prepared, which can lead to lower wages. 2.2 More Women at Work — But Not Equal Treatment Over the past several decades, many more women have joined the workforce in the United States. After World War II, around 1947, only about 30 percent of women worked outside the home. By the beginning of the 21st century, that number had grown to well over 50 percent. Some estimates even reach 75 percent when part - time jobs are included. Despite this progress, women still do not receive equal treatment at work. Most women are concentrated in lower - paying and lower - status jobs. For example, women make up only about 25 percent of upper - level managers in large corporations. Even in major comp anies where women may represent half of all employees, only about 5 percent or fewer hold top leadership positions.

  3. Page 3
    Read page 3 as text

    Study Guide 2.3 Job Segregation by Gender Women are less likely to work in high - status, high - paying professions such as university teaching, law, engineering, and medicine. Instead, they are more often found in lower - paying fields like public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. Many of these traditionally female jobs are sometimes called “women’s ghettos.” In these roles, women often work under men. For instance, secretaries — who are usually women — are supervised by executives, who are more likely to be men. Similarly, paralegals, who are often women, typically work under male lawyers. 2.4 The Gender Pay Gap Even when women do the same jobs as men, they usually earn less money. This happens despite women often having equal or even better education, training, and skills. On average, women earn about 60 percent or less of what men make in similar positions. Sociologists offer several explanations for this pay gap. One reason is that many women take time off from work to have and raise children, which can interrupt their careers. In the United States, women still carry most of the responsibility for child - rear ing. Because of this, married women with children are more likely to leave their jobs than single women or women without children. Another common belief is that men are the main “breadwinners” for their families, so they should be paid more. However, regardless of the reasons, paying women less than men for equally demanding work is a clear form of discrimination. 3. Sexism in Politics 3.1 Women as Voters vs. Women in Office Today, women make up more than half of all voters. With such strong numbers, it might seem like women would easily dominate political leadership. However, this has not happened. Sociologists explain that many women have been hesitant to enter politics. Som e view politics as too corrupt or as a “good old boy” system that favors men and shuts women out.

  4. Page 4
    Read page 4 as text

    Study Guide 3.2 Double Standards for Women Politicians Women who do choose to run for office often face unfair and conflicting expectations. This is sometimes described as a “damned - if - you - do - or - don’t” situation. If a woman focuses on her political career, she may be criticized for not being attentive enough as a wife or mother. On the other hand, if she emphasizes her family life, she may be seen as not serious enough about public service. Male politic ians rarely face this kind of scrutiny. 3.3 Progress, but Limited Representation Men still control most political parties, but more women are slowly reaching high political offices. Even so, women hold only about 5 percent of all political positions, which shows how unbalanced political representation remains. Since the 1990s, more women have run for positions in the Senate, the House of Representatives, and state governor offices. Women are now more encouraged to run, especially as many long - serving male politicians leave office. In some cases, women candidates are seen as more trustworthy, particularly when they run against opponents with poor reputations. Women candidates also tend to attract voters who care deeply about issues such as: • Child welfare • National health care • Environmental protection • Abortion rights 3.4 Women’s Growing Influence as Voters While women may still be underrepresented in office, their influence as voters has grown significantly. Since the 1980s, women have voted at higher rates than men. Women are also more likely to support liberal candidates who favor social programs. Because of this, women have the power to strongly shape election results and public policy.

  5. Page 5
    Read page 5 as text

    Study Guide 4. Gender and Homosexuality 4.1 Understanding Sexual Orientation Sexual orientation is closely connected to the topic of gender. It refers to a person’s sexual, romantic, emotional, and affectionate attraction to others. People may be attracted to those of the opposite sex, the same sex, or both. • Heterosexual (or “straight”) individuals are attracted to people of the opposite sex. • Homosexual individuals are attracted to people of the same sex. Men are often called gay , and women are often called lesbian . • Bisexual (or “bi”) individuals are attracted to people of both sexes. These terms help describe patterns of attraction, not behavior. 4.2 Why Sociologists Use the Term “Sexual Orientation” Today, most sociologists prefer the term sexual orientation instead of sexual preference . The word “preference” suggests that people choose who they are attracted to. However, many researchers believe that sexual attraction is not a conscious choice. Using the term “sexual orientation” reflects this understanding more accurately. 4.3 Kinsey’s Research and a New Way of Thinking In the 1940s and 1950s, researcher Alfred Kinsey and his team studied the sexual behavior of Americans. Their findings changed how experts understood sexual orientation. Before Kinsey’s work, most people believed individuals were either heterosexual or homosexual, with no middle ground. Kinsey discovered that sexual orientation exists along a continuum , rather than in strict categories. Many people reported having at least some attraction to members of the same sex, even if they never acted on those feelings. This showed that attraction is more complex than previously thought.

  6. Page 6
    Read page 6 as text

    Study Guide 4.4 A Broader Understanding of Sexuality Kinsey and his colleagues helped introduce the idea that heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality are different but connected forms of sexual orientation. Their research encouraged a more flexible and realistic understanding of human sexuality — one t hat recognizes variation and complexity rather than rigid labels. 5. Prevalence of Homosexuality and Bisexuality 5.1 Why Accurate Numbers Are Hard to Find Getting exact numbers on how many people are homosexual or bisexual is difficult. Many people feel uncomfortable answering questions about their sexual orientation. This makes surveys less precise. Another challenge is that only a small portion of gay and lesbian individuals openly share their sexual orientation with family and friends. Some estimates suggest that as few as 10 percent have officially “come out of the closet.” Those who do not come out may “stay in the closet” and present themselves as heterosexual, a practice known as passing . For people who want support during this process, there are support groups and events such as National Coming Out Day , which is celebrated every year on October 11. 5.2 Estimates of Homosexuality in the United States Current estimates suggest that about 4 percent of men and 1 to 2 percent of women in the United States identify as homosexual. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that approximately 2.5 million U.S. men are exclusively homosexual. This equals about 1 percent of the total U.S. population , which is estimated at 250 million. In addition, the CDC estimates that another 2.5 to 7.5 million men engage in occasional homosexual relationships, even if they do not identify as gay. 5.3 Research on Same - Sex Experiences Research by Alfred Kinsey found that same - sex experiences are more common than many people assume. His studies showed that:

13 more pages in the full document

Unlock it once and it stays in your library, ready to chat with or turn into flashcards.

Unlock the full document

More Sociology study materials

See all

Study this document with CramX

Once it is in your library, every tool can work from it.