EDP 362T Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Ascribed Status, Heterosexism, Achieved Status
Lecture 2:
What is Gender?
• Early conceptions:
o Sex: biological differences in genetic composition and reproductive anatomy and
function.
o Gender: Characteristics and traits considered socioculturally appropriate for males
and females (masculinity and feminitiy).
o Sets up sex/gender as nature/nurture.
o Viewing gender as set of stable, socialized trait doesn’t show how people act out
their own gender roles and respond to others.
o Failed to recognize gender is a culturally shared system.
• Current Conception:
o Gender: classification system that influences access to power and resources and
shapes relations among men and women.
▪ Influences societal, interpersonal, and individual levels.
Gender Shapes Societies and Cultures:
• Most societies are hierarchical – have 1+ dominant groups and other subordinate groups.
o Power: dominant gp has more; ability to control outcomes of others by
withholding or providing resources.
o Status: social standing that elicits respect.
▪ Ascribed status: based on inherent characteristics and cultural norms.
▪ Achieved status: based on role one plays and how well they play it.
• Most societies are patriarchal – social system in which more power and status are
allocated to men (more access to education, health, leisure time, political/military
powers).
Justifying Gender Inequality:
• Legitimizing myths – attitudes, values, and beliefs that serve to justify hierarchical social
practices (religion, women’s emotions, and maternity leave).
• Prejudice – negative attitude or feeling toward a person because of his/her membership
in a particular group. Can also be positive attitude toward a group. Belief that it’s
acceptable to treat people unequally.
o Sexism – prejudice on the basis of sex or gender.
o Heterosexism – negative attitudes/beliefs about LGBTQ people.
• Discrimination – treating others unfairly because of their membership in a particular
group.
o Sex discrimination – unfair treatment based on sex/gender.
• Oppression – widespread and systematic pattern of prejudice and discrimination.
• Cognitive impact of gender: people always mention gender 1st when describing/thinking
about someone. It’s very important, so when gender cues are ambiguous, people try to
figure out the correct gender.
• Intergroup bias effect – tendency to perceive one’s own social group more positively
than other groups; occurs with minimal info about someone like initial encounters.
o Ingroup favoritism than outgroup hateism.
• Outgroup homogeneity effect – tendency to characterize members of other groups as all
being alike/having similar qualities.
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Document Summary
Can also be positive attitude toward a group. It"s very important, so when gender cues are ambiguous, people try to figure out the correct gender. Gender as a presentation of self: self-presentation acting out a self in response to expectations of others. Doing gender: gender system requires each sex does the right gender, men tend to display heterosexuality and distance themselves from less masculine men. Their nonconscious behavior reflect their sense of greater status: talking down, ordering, silencing men use these tactics more often when talking with women than with men and more than women do with each other. Intrusive interruptions active attempts to end the other speaker"s turn and take over the convo. If women interrupt = violating social order that gives more dominance to men. Even though men are known to be more quiet, they"re shown to talk more/dominate than women, especially when asserting status + getting his way is at stake.
