Chapter 39
1. After a child is born, how does society transform its sex into gender?
Gender construction starts at birth with the assignment of a baby to be either masculine or feminine. From the second they leave the womb, they are being shaped by society to act as the sex they were assigned to at birth. The way that babies are dresses is to signal to the rest of the population whether they are assigned female at birth or male. From the very second a child is born, the color of their blanket (either pink or blue) is already imposing gender rolls on them. Society transforms the child's sex into gender by making the child conform to fit the rolls considered socially acceptable to their gender even if, generally around the time of puberty, the child discovers their gender identity does not fit their biological sex.
2. How is gender both an important part of how we as individuals experience the world and also an institution of society as a whole?
Gender is an important part of how we experience the world and society as a whole because our ideas of gender are constantly being created and recreated out of human interaction. For example, imagine the most feminine color you can think of. Was it pink? Well, before WW2, pink was considered a masculine color, Hitler was the one who changed society's view on the color. Hitler marked all gay men with the color pink to signify their homosexuality, because of this, pink was seen as a feminine color.
3. What importance, if any, does the author give to biology in the development of gender?
The author states that gender cannot be equated with biological differences, and that gender is not something we are born with but rather something that is socially constructed for us. They basically state that gender is the way one is taught to act by society and sex is the key characteristics one is born with to determine whether they are female or male.
Chapter 40
1. Why are the various categories of subtle sex discrimination presented as oxymorons? How does subtle sexism differ from more blatant forms of discrimination?
Some of the various categories of subtle sex discrimination are presented as oxymorons because in some cases they appear to kind or chivalrous, but in actuality are demeaning and rude. For example, condescending chivalry or supportive discouragement. With both of these types of subtle discrimination, women are treated as less than or more sensitive than men. Women receive mixed messages about their abilities or are not made clear on their mistakes in the workplaces to spare their feelings. This is actually harmful in the long run because it doesn’t enable women to perform to the best of their abilities and make necessary changes to better themselves.
2. Can you identify situations in which you have experienced subtle sex discrimination? Have you ever discriminated in this way against others?
Considering I am a female, yes, I am sure I have experienced many different forms of subtle sex discrimination. Since I am too young to have a job, there is no way I could have experienced this in its common setting of the work place, but, chances are I have experienced it at school. I am not directly aware of this happening, but, I’m sure at some time in my life I have been given a better grade than I deserve on a project because I am a female and aren’t expected to work as hard as men. On the opposite side, I do not believe I have ever discriminated against another in this way.
3. What are the individual and organizational costs of subtle sex discrimination? What remedies might be effective in decreasing this form of inequality?
Individual costs to subtle sex discrimination could include, handicapped performance due to not being told of one's mistakes, being accused of lacking a sense of humor, being treated in a childish manner, having greater burdens than a man, or collegial excluding in school or the workplace. Organizational costs may include worse performances from women due to lack of reprimand or workers knowledgeable of their week points. Remedies that might be effective are simply hiring more women and allowing them to achieve higher positions. There is no way for men to unlearn institutional and internal sexism, but, by allowing women to prove that they can achieve greater thing that their male counterparts believe the can, they can prove their own worth in the workplace.
Chapter 41
1. How is domestic violence similar in India, Japan, Vietnam, and Africa? How does it differ? Also, Leeder notes that rising industrialization and modernization increase the likelihood of family violence. Why, then, is wife battering also common in industrialized countries such as Japan and the United States?
Domestic violence is similar in India, Japan, Vietnam, and Africa in many ways. First of all being that they are mostly consistent of male husbands beating their wives. A lot of the time alcohol is involved, and in all cases, it is tolerated in most part by the community. It differs in the way that some countries, particularly ones with heavy Chinese influence, abort fetuses and kill children below the age of one if they are born female. With some countries, such as Japan, it is more about violence, whereas in some countries, such as Vietnam, it is about intimidation and fear. Leader notes that rising industrialization and modernization increases the likelihood of family violence, but wife battering can be seen in fully industrialized countries. This is true because the violence of men is universal. No matter what country one goes to, there will always be some kind of male violence against women.
2. Why do most of the women in these countries never complain about domestic violence? What individual, legal, historical, and cultural factors help explain their silence?
Most women in these countries never complain because either they are afraid or because it is socially accepted as a norm. In Uganda, for example, violence against one’s wife is accepted as legitimate and considered part of their culture. Individual factors that help explain their silence include the fear of being killed by their spouse or being considered a social outcast for breaking out of the common societal norm. Legal reasons include that in some countries, it is not considered a crime for a husband to beat his wife, were on the other hand, if a wife was to beat her husband, it would be considered a crime. Cultural factors that help explain their silence are the fact that it is universally (and incorrectly) accepted that women are inferior to men, so it is okay to keep them inline or punish them by beating them .
3. Leeder urges the reader to suspend “any ethnocentric value judgments” about family violence. What does she mean? And, if we do so, does this mean that the global community shouldn’t interfere with a country's violent practices against women and children?
By suspending “any ethnocentric value judgements” about family violence Leeder means read objectively and without the bias that women should be treated as equal to men. As American readers, we are taught that it is wrong for a husband to beat his wife, and domestic abuse is not considered socially acceptable in most places. Leeder wants us to read without judging other countries for their practices because we do not understand what is socially acceptable in these cultures. In my opinion, it is the global community's duty to interfere with a country's violent practices against women and children. I am all for countries keeping their culture and preserving the ways of their communities in the past as long as these ways do not result in violence against a certain people or any loss of life. It comes down to these communities not knowing any better for their wrongdoings because it is so socially accepted, so, the global community needs to interfere and protect the lives of those that are negatively affected by their own culture.
1. After a child is born, how does society transform its sex into gender?
Gender construction starts at birth with the assignment of a baby to be either masculine or feminine. From the second they leave the womb, they are being shaped by society to act as the sex they were assigned to at birth. The way that babies are dresses is to signal to the rest of the population whether they are assigned female at birth or male. From the very second a child is born, the color of their blanket (either pink or blue) is already imposing gender rolls on them. Society transforms the child's sex into gender by making the child conform to fit the rolls considered socially acceptable to their gender even if, generally around the time of puberty, the child discovers their gender identity does not fit their biological sex.
2. How is gender both an important part of how we as individuals experience the world and also an institution of society as a whole?
Gender is an important part of how we experience the world and society as a whole because our ideas of gender are constantly being created and recreated out of human interaction. For example, imagine the most feminine color you can think of. Was it pink? Well, before WW2, pink was considered a masculine color, Hitler was the one who changed society's view on the color. Hitler marked all gay men with the color pink to signify their homosexuality, because of this, pink was seen as a feminine color.
3. What importance, if any, does the author give to biology in the development of gender?
The author states that gender cannot be equated with biological differences, and that gender is not something we are born with but rather something that is socially constructed for us. They basically state that gender is the way one is taught to act by society and sex is the key characteristics one is born with to determine whether they are female or male.
Chapter 40
1. Why are the various categories of subtle sex discrimination presented as oxymorons? How does subtle sexism differ from more blatant forms of discrimination?
Some of the various categories of subtle sex discrimination are presented as oxymorons because in some cases they appear to kind or chivalrous, but in actuality are demeaning and rude. For example, condescending chivalry or supportive discouragement. With both of these types of subtle discrimination, women are treated as less than or more sensitive than men. Women receive mixed messages about their abilities or are not made clear on their mistakes in the workplaces to spare their feelings. This is actually harmful in the long run because it doesn’t enable women to perform to the best of their abilities and make necessary changes to better themselves.
2. Can you identify situations in which you have experienced subtle sex discrimination? Have you ever discriminated in this way against others?
Considering I am a female, yes, I am sure I have experienced many different forms of subtle sex discrimination. Since I am too young to have a job, there is no way I could have experienced this in its common setting of the work place, but, chances are I have experienced it at school. I am not directly aware of this happening, but, I’m sure at some time in my life I have been given a better grade than I deserve on a project because I am a female and aren’t expected to work as hard as men. On the opposite side, I do not believe I have ever discriminated against another in this way.
3. What are the individual and organizational costs of subtle sex discrimination? What remedies might be effective in decreasing this form of inequality?
Individual costs to subtle sex discrimination could include, handicapped performance due to not being told of one's mistakes, being accused of lacking a sense of humor, being treated in a childish manner, having greater burdens than a man, or collegial excluding in school or the workplace. Organizational costs may include worse performances from women due to lack of reprimand or workers knowledgeable of their week points. Remedies that might be effective are simply hiring more women and allowing them to achieve higher positions. There is no way for men to unlearn institutional and internal sexism, but, by allowing women to prove that they can achieve greater thing that their male counterparts believe the can, they can prove their own worth in the workplace.
Chapter 41
1. How is domestic violence similar in India, Japan, Vietnam, and Africa? How does it differ? Also, Leeder notes that rising industrialization and modernization increase the likelihood of family violence. Why, then, is wife battering also common in industrialized countries such as Japan and the United States?
Domestic violence is similar in India, Japan, Vietnam, and Africa in many ways. First of all being that they are mostly consistent of male husbands beating their wives. A lot of the time alcohol is involved, and in all cases, it is tolerated in most part by the community. It differs in the way that some countries, particularly ones with heavy Chinese influence, abort fetuses and kill children below the age of one if they are born female. With some countries, such as Japan, it is more about violence, whereas in some countries, such as Vietnam, it is about intimidation and fear. Leader notes that rising industrialization and modernization increases the likelihood of family violence, but wife battering can be seen in fully industrialized countries. This is true because the violence of men is universal. No matter what country one goes to, there will always be some kind of male violence against women.
2. Why do most of the women in these countries never complain about domestic violence? What individual, legal, historical, and cultural factors help explain their silence?
Most women in these countries never complain because either they are afraid or because it is socially accepted as a norm. In Uganda, for example, violence against one’s wife is accepted as legitimate and considered part of their culture. Individual factors that help explain their silence include the fear of being killed by their spouse or being considered a social outcast for breaking out of the common societal norm. Legal reasons include that in some countries, it is not considered a crime for a husband to beat his wife, were on the other hand, if a wife was to beat her husband, it would be considered a crime. Cultural factors that help explain their silence are the fact that it is universally (and incorrectly) accepted that women are inferior to men, so it is okay to keep them inline or punish them by beating them .
3. Leeder urges the reader to suspend “any ethnocentric value judgments” about family violence. What does she mean? And, if we do so, does this mean that the global community shouldn’t interfere with a country's violent practices against women and children?
By suspending “any ethnocentric value judgements” about family violence Leeder means read objectively and without the bias that women should be treated as equal to men. As American readers, we are taught that it is wrong for a husband to beat his wife, and domestic abuse is not considered socially acceptable in most places. Leeder wants us to read without judging other countries for their practices because we do not understand what is socially acceptable in these cultures. In my opinion, it is the global community's duty to interfere with a country's violent practices against women and children. I am all for countries keeping their culture and preserving the ways of their communities in the past as long as these ways do not result in violence against a certain people or any loss of life. It comes down to these communities not knowing any better for their wrongdoings because it is so socially accepted, so, the global community needs to interfere and protect the lives of those that are negatively affected by their own culture.