Sociology Ch.12
The Architecture of Inequality: Sex and Gender
Sexism at the Personal Level
Sexism: system of beliefs that assert the inferiority of one sex and that justify discrimination based on
gender – on feminine or masculine roles and behaviors
oAt the personal level, sexism = attitudes and behaviors communicated in everyday interaction
oSome are motivated by hostility; others by benevolence
Sexism and Social Interaction
Objectification: being treated like objects rather than people
For women, who must often fight to be taken seriously in their social, private, and professional lives,
whistles and lewd comments serve as a reminder that their social value continues to be based primarily on
their looks
Communication patterns also show the effects of unconscious personal sexism
oWomen are more likely to use a tag question at the end of a statement ( don’t you think) and
modifiers (sort of, kind of) to be more polite and deferential in speech
From conflict perspective, cases of sexual harassment are expressions of and attempts to reinforce positions
of dominance and power
Sexual Orientation
Demonstrating one’s heterosexuality and one’s conformity to traditional gender roles seems to be of greater
concern to men than women, which may explain the heightened male hostility toward gay men
Violence Against Women
Rape is the most frequently committed but least reported violent crime
Also the most personal of violent crimes
oIn 78% of known rapes and sexual assaults, the victim knows the attacker
Rape as a Means of Social Control
oAccording to conflict perspective, stratification along sex and gender lines has long distorted our
understanding of rape
oIn past, rape was a crime against men (men’s property)
oMere existence of rape limits women’s freedom of social interaction, denies them the right of self-
determination, and makes them dependent on and ultimately subordinate to men
Victim Blaming
oGlobally, cultural beliefs about gender, sexuality, and intimacy influence societal and legal rezones
to rape and rape victims
oVictims must prove their innocence rather than the state having to prove the guilt of the defendant
oThe process for testing is very invasive = rape kit
Laura Miller: Gender, Power, and Harassment in the US Military
How do lower-level male soldiers – whose gender grants them power but whose military rank makes them
inferior – respond?
Field research at 8 US Army posts and two national training centers
oDistinction between sexual harassment (unwanted sexual comments or advances) and the more
common gender harassment (harassment used to enforce traditional gender roles in response to the
violation of those roles)
“Weapons of the weak” – strategies that subordinates employ to resist oppression from above
oEx. foot dragging, feigned ignorance, gossip, rumors, sabotage
The Ideology of Sexism: Biology as Destiny
Racism is often justified by the belief in innate racial inferiority
With sexism, it is the belief that men and women are biologically and naturally different that ahs been used
historically to rationalize unequal treatment
The problem with depicting masculinity and femininity as natural, biological phenomena is that it confuses
sex with gender
oReliance on biology also ignores the wide cultural and historical variation in conceptions of
masculinity and femininity
1
The Architecture of Inequality: Sex and Gender
Sexism at the Personal Level
Sexism: system of beliefs that assert the inferiority of one sex and that justify discrimination based on
gender – on feminine or masculine roles and behaviors
oAt the personal level, sexism = attitudes and behaviors communicated in everyday interaction
oSome are motivated by hostility; others by benevolence
Sexism and Social Interaction
Objectification: being treated like objects rather than people
For women, who must often fight to be taken seriously in their social, private, and professional lives,
whistles and lewd comments serve as a reminder that their social value continues to be based primarily on
their looks
Communication patterns also show the effects of unconscious personal sexism
oWomen are more likely to use a tag question at the end of a statement ( don’t you think) and
modifiers (sort of, kind of) to be more polite and deferential in speech
From conflict perspective, cases of sexual harassment are expressions of and attempts to reinforce positions
of dominance and power
Sexual Orientation
Demonstrating one’s heterosexuality and one’s conformity to traditional gender roles seems to be of greater
concern to men than women, which may explain the heightened male hostility toward gay men
Violence Against Women
Rape is the most frequently committed but least reported violent crime
Also the most personal of violent crimes
oIn 78% of known rapes and sexual assaults, the victim knows the attacker
Rape as a Means of Social Control
oAccording to conflict perspective, stratification along sex and gender lines has long distorted our
understanding of rape
oIn past, rape was a crime against men (men’s property)
oMere existence of rape limits women’s freedom of social interaction, denies them the right of self-
determination, and makes them dependent on and ultimately subordinate to men
Victim Blaming
oGlobally, cultural beliefs about gender, sexuality, and intimacy influence societal and legal rezones
to rape and rape victims
oVictims must prove their innocence rather than the state having to prove the guilt of the defendant
oThe process for testing is very invasive = rape kit
Laura Miller: Gender, Power, and Harassment in the US Military
How do lower-level male soldiers – whose gender grants them power but whose military rank makes them
inferior – respond?
Field research at 8 US Army posts and two national training centers
oDistinction between sexual harassment (unwanted sexual comments or advances) and the more
common gender harassment (harassment used to enforce traditional gender roles in response to the
violation of those roles)
“Weapons of the weak” – strategies that subordinates employ to resist oppression from above
oEx. foot dragging, feigned ignorance, gossip, rumors, sabotage
The Ideology of Sexism: Biology as Destiny
Racism is often justified by the belief in innate racial inferiority
With sexism, it is the belief that men and women are biologically and naturally different that ahs been used
historically to rationalize unequal treatment
The problem with depicting masculinity and femininity as natural, biological phenomena is that it confuses
sex with gender
oReliance on biology also ignores the wide cultural and historical variation in conceptions of
masculinity and femininity
1
