SOCIOL 3AC Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Margaret Mead, Arapesh Languages, Gender Role
Document Summary
Assume a natural biological basis for differences in the roles, social status, behaviors and attitudes associated with gender. Many reasons to question "nature" as a cause of gender differences. Gender is a social construction a. b. c. Efforts to identify the physiological origins of gender differences have been inconclusive. Difficult to link complex social behaviors to specific biological forces. Differences within genders are as great as differences between genders. Women more likely to look at landmarks than north/south/east/west. Anthropological evidence shows wide variety of gender roles across societies a. Margaret mead - famous study i. ii. iii. Arapesh - they acted like western females, passive gentle, emotionally responsive. Mundugamor - they acted like western males, aggressive, suspicious, cruel to their children. Tchambuli - gender role reversal; women were brisk and hearty, men were vain and dramatic. Berdache or "two spirit" people a. b. c. You can take on a gender that differs from your birth sex.
