Question 1

The indie rock musician Antony Hegarty has always identified as transgender but has never taken medical steps to change her sex.During one tour,she performed a live cover of "Crazy in Love," originally recorded by the pop superstar Beyoncé.At the end of one performance of the song,she laughed and said,"Who says I'm not a teenage girl?" Although she might have been joking,her words suggest that:

Accepted Answer

Antony Hegarty's statement suggests that her sense of self and gender identity do not align with her physical sex. This aligns with the concept of gender dysphoria, where an individual's gender identity does not match their assigned sex at birth. This highlights the idea that gender is not solely determined by biological sex but is also influenced by social and cultural factors.

Question 2

In The feminine Mystique,Betty friedan wrote: Each suburban wife struggled with it alone.As she made the beds,shopped for groceries,matched slipcover material,ate peanut butter sandwiches with her children,chauffeured Cub Scouts and Brownies,lay beside her husband at night-she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question-"Is this all?"
What larger social issue does this passage suggest friedan was worried about?

Accepted Answer

The passage describes the daily life of a suburban wife and suggests that she may feel unfulfilled and dissatisfied with her role as a homemaker. This reflects the broader issue of limited access to education and employment opportunities for women, which Friedan addresses in The Feminine Mystique.

Question 3

"Welfare queen" is an insulting term for a woman who is believed to be cheating the government by collecting excessive welfare payments.Although empirical research indicates that very little welfare fraud actually takes place,what nugget of sociological truth is contained in the phrase "welfare queen"?

Accepted Answer

Women are statistically more likely than men to live in poverty, which is a sociological truth reflected in the term "welfare queen."

Question 4

In 1848 Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized the Seneca falls Convention to address the issue of equal rights for women.The convention produced a Declaration of Sentiments,which laid out a list of injustices done to women by men.Given your knowledge of the first wave of the women's movement,which of the following do you think was first on their list?

Accepted Answer

The right to vote, or "the elective franchise," was the primary demand of the first wave women's movement, as they sought to gain political power and influence to push for broader social and economic reforms. While the other issues listed in the Declaration of Sentiments were also important, the demand for suffrage was given the most attention and priority at the Seneca Falls Convention.

Question 5

Homer Simpson,a character on the TV show The Simpsons,has a wife who stays home to take care of the children while he works,but he is often responsible for disciplining the children when they are particularly bad.Even if this is all that you know about the show,you know that Homer:

Accepted Answer

Homer has taken the instrumental role as the breadwinner while his wife stays at home to take care of the children. This is evident from the given information in the question. None of the other options can be inferred from the given information.

Question 6

You are observing children on an elementary school playground and find some girls playing sports with boys but almost no boys playing jump rope with girls.Why?

Accepted Answer

The reason why almost no boys are playing jump rope with girls could be attributed to the social stigma associated with crossing gender lines. Boys may be more likely to face ridicule from their peers for participating in activities that are considered "girly", such as jump rope. On the other hand, girls may face less social consequences for participating in "boyish" activities like sports. This gender stereotyping can have a strong impact on children's behavior and interests.

Question 7

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,replacing a housewife with paid laborers would cost at least $100,000 per year.How could this be interpreted according to conflict theory?

Accepted Answer

Conflict theory suggests that social structures and relationships are shaped by power struggles and inequalities. In this context, the high cost of replacing a housewife with paid laborers highlights the economic value of domestic work, which is often undervalued and unpaid when performed within the family. According to conflict theory, men, who traditionally benefit from the gender segregation that assigns women the role of unpaid domestic laborers, would have a lot to lose if this segregation were to disappear. This is because the current arrangement allows them to benefit from the economic value of this labor without having to pay for it, maintaining a form of gender inequality.

Question 8

In her introduction to a paper about gender,the sociologist Rae Blumberg said that the central principle behind gender in our society is "remember the golden rule: he who has the gold makes the rules." What kind of theorist is Blumberg?

Accepted Answer

Blumberg's statement about the central principle behind gender in society reflects a conflict theory perspective, which emphasizes the role of power struggles and social inequality in shaping social relations and institutions.

Question 9

for many years,Saturday Night Live ran a series of skits about a character named Pat.The premise of each skit was that no one could tell if Pat was male or female,and ingenious plots to determine his or her gender all failed.The humor in these skits is based on the fact that:

Accepted Answer

The humor in the skits is based on the importance of gender identity in social interactions, highlighting how people are often uncomfortable or confused when they cannot easily categorize someone's gender.

Question 10

A boy receives a B+ on his English paper,with the teacher's comment,"Brilliant insight,but you're lacking focus and have some typos." How is this typical of the way schools treat boys?

Accepted Answer

The teacher's comment on the boy's paper shows that he is being judged on the intellectual quality of his work rather than just his effort or behavior. This aligns with research showing that schools often value and reward boys' academic abilities and intellectual skills more than they do girls'. Additionally, the teacher's comment does not suggest that the assignment was necessarily more challenging for the boy or that he was being punished for any behavior.

Question 11

Which of the following folk sayings expresses the idea of the "second shift" as sociologist Arlie Hochschild described it?

Accepted Answer

"Man works from sun to sun, but woman's work is never done" expresses the idea that women often have a "second shift" of domestic work and caretaking responsibilities in addition to their paid employment.

Question 12

Whenever a certain math teacher writes story problems,the male characters are always given an occupation-like Bob the janitor or James the lawyer-but the female characters have no occupation.This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

This is an example of how schools socialize children into gender roles by reinforcing the idea that men have occupations and careers, while women do not. This teaches children to view men as the primary breadwinners and women as secondary earners or homemakers. It also reinforces gender stereotypes about men's and women's intelligence and abilities.

Question 13

Authors often use the word "man" to refer to large groups that include both male and female members-for example,"all mankind." Sociologists and feminists argue that this is an example of the use of sexist language.What does this tell us about the relationship between language and culture?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Authors often use the word "man" to...

Question 14

A woman feels that she always needs to act cheerful and look her best when her husband gets home from work,because he has a stressful job and he needs her help to unwind.We would say this woman is:

Accepted Answer

The woman in this scenario is taking on the expressive role, which is typically associated with providing emotional support and maintaining a positive atmosphere in the home. This often includes the expectation to be cheerful and present oneself well, as is the case with this woman.

Question 15

Many expectant parents get a sonogram to find out the sex of their baby,and they only start decorating the nursery after learning the sex.This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Gender role socialization is the process by which individuals learn the behaviors and attitudes that are considered appropriate for their gender. In this case, the expectant parents are learning the gender of their baby and then decorating the nursery accordingly. This is an example of gender role socialization because it is teaching the baby what is expected of them based on their gender.

Question 16

The term "deadbeat dad" describes a man who isn't married to his children's mother and isn't helping to support his children financially.Why do we almost never talk about "deadbeat moms"?

Accepted Answer

In many cases, even when fathers do not provide financial support, mothers remain the primary caregiver and take on the instrumental role in raising their children. As a result, society has not placed the same expectations on mothers to financially support their children as they have on fathers. This is not to say that there aren't deadbeat moms, but the lack of attention to the issue may be because of gender role expectations and the historical assumption that women are the primary caregivers.

Question 17

In the past,bank tellers were overwhelmingly male,but today they are mostly female.What could explain this shift?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the past,bank tellers were overwhelmingly male,but...

Question 18

Older women who seek out sexual relationships with younger men are sometimes called "cougars," but we don't even have a word for men who seek out sexual relationships with younger women.Some people might joke that we call them "men." What does this show us about gender and language?

Accepted Answer

The fact that we have a slang term for older women who seek younger men but not for older men who seek younger women shows how language can reinforce sexist ideas and double standards in our culture. The term "cougar" often carries a negative connotation, suggesting that this behavior is inappropriate or predatory, whereas there is no similar stigma attached to older men dating younger women. This reflects deeper cultural beliefs about gender and sexuality, and highlights the ways in which language can perpetuate discrimination and inequality.

Question 19

A little girl notices that whenever both of her parents are in the car,her father is always driving.from this she deduces that women should be passive and men should be active.This process is called:

Accepted Answer

The process described is social learning, where the girl observes and internalizes behaviors and roles based on her observations of her parents.

Question 20

In the vast majority of commercials that advertise cleaning supplies,a woman is shown using the product.This shows that:

Accepted Answer

The fact that commercials for cleaning supplies primarily feature women using the product suggests that the media tends to rely on stereotypical gender roles. This reinforces the perception that cleaning and household chores are largely the responsibility of women, which can have negative social implications.

Quiz 9: Constructing Gender and Sexuality