Page 339 - Sociology and You

U S I N G
Your Sociological Imagination
True or false? Women in the United States lead the world in efforts to achieve job equality with men.
Did you answer “true” to this statement? If so, you may be interested in the follow- ing facts. Among industrialized nations, America is surprisingly near the bottom of the list in ranking male/female income equality. Only Luxembourg and Japan have wider gaps than the United States between what men and women earn for doing the same work. Swedish women in manufactur- ing jobs, for example, earn about 90 per- cent of the wages paid men, while females in the United States earn only 72 percent of the wages paid men for the same work (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000a).
Throughout history, men have dominated the social, political, and economic spheres outside the home. Traditionally, women have assumed responsibility for child care and household tasks. These domestic tasks are generally undervalued in industrial soci- eties, where a person’s contributions to so- ciety are pegged to monetary rewards. Women—thought to be dependent, passive, and deferring—have usually been consid- ered subordinate to independent, aggres- sive, and strong men. This division of labor based on sex has almost always led to gen- der inequality.
This chapter examines how various cul- tures view gender roles and also how America looks at its aged population.
Sections
1. Sex and Gender Identity
2. Theoretical Perspectives
on Gender
3. Gender Inequality
4. Ageism
5. Inequality in America’s Elderly Population
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you will be able to
❖ distinguish the concepts of sex, gender, and gender identity.
❖ summarize the perspectives on gender taken by functionalists, conflict theorists, and symbolic interactionists.
❖ describe the status of women in the United States.
❖ compare and contrast the ways in which functionalism, conflict theory, and sym- bolic interactionism approach ageism.
❖ discuss the inequality experienced by America’s elderly.
Chapter Overview
Visit the Sociology and You Web site at soc.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 10— Chapter Overviews to preview chapter information.
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