A SOC 180 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Stereotype
Document Summary
Sex refers to the biological differences between males and females. Gender refers to the social and cultural patterns attached to women and men. Difficult to find significant differences between baby boys and girls, especially right after birth. Not until early childhood the gap between genders widen. Gender division make women and men unequal. Society"s expectations of how males and females should think and act. Girls have a strong tendency to be more verbal, complaint, and empathetic. Gender roles: men assume to be tough and authoritarian. Policemen, politicians, businessmen: women assume to be nurturing and tolerant. Nurses, social workers, housewives: our society still imposes gender roles on children, process of learning gender roles continues throughout childhood, adolescence, and even into adulthood. Biological basis for gender roles: males and females are different from the moment of conception; difference in chromosomes, reproductive systems, and hormones.
