Family Power

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Gender Roles and Power

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 Sex

 Biological differences and role in reproduction

 Gender

 Culturally and socially constructed differences found in meanings,

beliefs, and practices associated with femininity and masculinity

 Intersexed

 Anatomical categories are not easily identifiable

 Parents sue SC for surgically making child female

 Androgyny

 Having both masculine and feminine traits

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Transgender

 Persons who feel comfortable expressing gendered traits

associated with the other sex

Transsexual

 Persons who undergo sex reassignment surgery and hormone

treatments, either male to female, or female to male

 Parents of transgender first-grader file discrimination

complaint

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Gender socialization

 Teaching cultural norms about being male or female

Agents of socialization

 People, social institutions, and organizations that teach gendered expectations

Sources of gender socialization

 Family members

 Toys

 Schools and the hidden curriculum

 Peers

 Mass media

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Androgynous Socialization

Bringing up children to have both male and female

traits and behaviors.

No biological reason, expect for anatomical and

reproductive purposes to differentiate between males

and females.

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 Gender identity: Sense of being male or female and what that means in one’s society

 Gender roles: Expectations about people’s attitudes and behaviors in life based on

whether they are male or female

 Gender role stereotype: Based on whether

a person is male or female:

 Prescribing certain qualities, behaviors, and

opportunities and prohibiting or discouraging

others

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 Masculinity: Traits traditionally associated with men

 Aggressiveness, independence, dominance and competence

 Predisposition for math and science

 Femininity: Traits traditionally associated with women

 Passivity, dependency, sensitivity and emotionality

 Predisposition for art and literature

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Male gender expectations

 May be more harmful for boys

 More pressure to conform for boys

 Cultural stereotypes about masculinity

 Occupational choices

 Suppressing emotions

Consequences

 Alcohol and drug use

 Aggression and violence

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 Language can reinforce stereotypes and

segregate people by sex

 Misguided notion that men are more competent and rational than women

 Terms used for men are more positive and affirming

 Terms used for women are more negative and degrading

 Impacts perception and feelings towards each gender

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 Women do two-thirds of housework

 Having children results greater imbalance

 Mothers spend twice as more time for child

care

 Men are seen as helpers

 Perceptions of fairness are more likely to

cause marital discord than the actual

behavior

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 Emotion work

 Listening closely to a spouse’s thoughts

 Recognizing feelings and offering encouragement

 Showing appreciation

 Women held more accountable for performing it

Mental work - Divided unequally with women performing more

 Worrying about children, household tasks

 Invisible and is difficult to measure

 Affects women's marital satisfaction

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 Behaviors that affect how women and men

collaborate in the work of the family

 Child benefits when both parents are

invested in providing care

 Equality in child care can happen when:

 Fathers take the initiative and do not give up,

even if there are signs of disapproval

 Mothers think before action is taken or a response

is given

 Mothers give compliments

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What are traditional gender roles?

Name a few.

What are contemporary gender roles?

Name a few.

What are the differences in traditional

vs. contemporary gender roles?

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 Traditional view - Reflection of male-

oriented culture

 Parsons theory - Highly contrasting gender

roles essential for family and society

 Men should be:

 Breadwinner, manager, and the leader of the family

 Women should be expressive

 Take care of the emotional well-being of the family

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 Contemporary view - Both sexes are capable

of:

 Being successful in variety of roles at home and at

work

 Learning to work together and becoming

interdependent

 Egalitarian roles: Social equality between

the sexes

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Social Learning Theory

Cognitive Development Theory

Family Systems Theory

Feminist Framework

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 Concerned with how individuals learn the

behavior patterns considered appropriate

for their sex

 Involves:

 Observation

 Imitation

 Reinforcement

 Understanding standards and rules

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 Links gender-role development to the more

general maturation of the child’s thinking

processes

 To understand the word children actively

create:

 Gender identity

 Gender role stereotypes

 Gender values

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 Assumed that children of the same sex

developed similar gender-role identities

 Favored traditional gender-role and

identities as desirable

 Focused on childhood processes and

Overlooked adult processes

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 Gender role development and change occurs

within family context

 Change is a difficult process

 Balanced families are more open to change

 Unbalanced families resist change and

independence

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 View that women have been exploited,

devalued, and oppressed

 Focuses on:

 Institutional restrictions on women’s development

 Changing conditions for women

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Gender and Families

Resources and Dependence

 Each person brings a variety of resources into a relationship.

 Exchange not equal – power entitlement.

 Power and dependence.

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Gender and Families

Research shows that in family relationships men

typically posses the power.

 Power differences

 Couples decision making

 Friendship networks

 Job relocation

 Women exert cover power

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 Power: Ability of an individual to change the

behavior of other members in a social

system

 System property

 Dynamic, not a static process

 Multiple perspectives

 Family power: Ability of one family member

to change the behavior of the other family

members

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• Man is the boss Husband-dominant

power pattern

• Woman is the boss Wife-dominant power pattern

• Authority is shared and decisions are made jointly

Syncratic power pattern

• Each spouse has equal authority but in different areas of life

Autonomic power pattern

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 Balance decision making by value of areas

each partner controls

 Men need to realize that there is a lot to be

gained by giving up some of their power