Deck 3: Gender and Families

Question 1

"Two-spirited" females were most likely to be found in societies

A)where sex roles overlapped.
B)where there was a female-dominated lineage.
C)where homosexuality was tolerated and expected.
D)where men had less control over women.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

________ focuses on how gender is constructed in children's minds through learning stereotypical gender roles from adults, the media, peers, and teachers.

A)The socialization approach
B)The biosocial approach
C)The interactionist approach
D)The structural approach

Answer 2

A

Question 3

A consistent finding across all studies of the play behavior of young girls and boys is that

A)boys, on average, show more competitive behavior than girls.
B)prenatal hormones affect how boys and girls behave.
C)only socialization affects their behavior.
D)only biology affects their behavior.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

A study in 2001 on notable picture books for young readers found that female main characters in these books were

A)less common than male main characters.
B)far less assertive than male main characters.
C)as common as male main characters.
D)more balanced than male main characters.

Question 5

Sex chromosomes, reproductive organs, and physical characteristics are all __________ characteristics that distinguish us humans by __________.

A)social; sex
B)social; gender
C)biological; gender
D)biological; sex

Question 6

The central mechanism of the socialization approach to explaining male/female differences is __________ while that of the interactionist approach is __________.

A)internalization; learning
B)learning; behavior
C)activity; memorization
D)unconscious; conscious

Question 7

The play of boys and girls, even those who are older (fifth grade and above), differs in that boys are more likely to play __________, while girls are more likely to play __________.

A)baseball; volleyball
B)in small groups; in large groups
C)in large groups; in small groups
D)alone; together

Question 8

Psychologist Eleanor Maccoby suggests that same-sex peer groups reinforce a(n) __________ interaction style in boys and a(n) __________ interaction style in girls.

A)reserved; straightforward
B)dominance-oriented; cooperative
C)cooperative; competitive
D)expressive; emotional

Question 9

In sociological terms, gender is considered a __________ creation, while sex is considered a _________ creation.

A)social/biological
B)biological/social
C)social/psychological
D)psychological/biological

Question 10

The feminist-influenced branch of men's studies believes that male aggressiveness is

A)a social construct.
B)a biological factor.
C)an evolutionary factor.
D)hormonally influenced.

Question 11

Which of the following statements best describes the principle of intersectionality?

A)Inequalities related to gender are often overlaid with inequalities in other domains.
B)Inequalities related to gender are quickly being eliminated by a combination of ongoing societal changes.
C)Inequalities related to gender have been compounded by a reluctance to acknowledge their underlying causes.
D)Inequalities related to gender have become more pervasive because of an increase in male domination of society.

Question 12

Of the following which is "gendered"?

A)housework
B)childcare
C)work for wages
D)all of these

Question 13

Social science research provides evidence that most children develop a gender identity during

A)middle childhood.
B)preschool years.
C)early adolescence.
D)their teens.

Question 14

Socialization research is focused on the effect of ________ on children's beliefs of proper behavior for boys and girls.

A)the media
B)parents
C)peer groups
D)all of these factors

Question 15

Most transgender people follow the idea that there are/is

A)only two genders.
B)more than two genders.
C)only one gender.
D)no such thing as gender.

Question 16

An increase in the use of the word transgender is a major cause behind the transgender moment that is now happening in the United States.

Question 17

Which of the following is not a factor in gender socialization of children?

A)books
B)parents
C)ancestors
D)schools

Question 18

According to the interactionist approach, gender differences between men and women exist primarily because of

A)inherent differences present from birth.
B)everyday behavior that reinforces gender distinctions.
C)parental socialization.
D)rigid social structures that reinforce gender appropriate behavior.

Question 19

The overwhelming predominance of ________ suggests that it is the typical manner in which people have made sense out of sex.

A)the two spirit model
B)the two-gender model
C)the gender transformation model
D)the hermaphrodite model

Question 20

How do unconscious influences play a role in gender socialization?

Question 21

When do most children develop a gender identity?

Question 22

What cross-cultural evidence supports the thesis that male domination of females and the economic system of a country are independent of each other?

Question 23

How does gender stratify society into more and less powerful groups?

Question 24

Men's and women's perceptions of what are "male" and "female" occupations influence the choice of majors more often in less wealthy countries than in the United States.

Question 25

What have the popular writings on masculinity tried to accomplish, and how have they done so?

Question 26

Hormone influences of the mother on her fetus in the second trimester of pregnancy can fully determine children's behaviors.

Question 27

What brought about the growing movement centering around masculinity in the 1990s?

Question 28

Two-spirit-like gender categories have been documented in many Native American cultures.

Question 29

Why, according to those who would use the interactionist approach in explaining male and female differences, would gender distinctions need to be reinforced and reproduced each day in families?

Question 30

What does the concept of two-spirited people tell us about the two sexes?

Question 31

Why should one look at gender, race, and class in studying social stratification instead of just race and class?

Question 32

Why would feminists be loath to attribute male and female differences in contemporary U.S. society mostly to biology?

Question 33

According to interactionist theory proponents, the innate predispositions that affect gender differences are stronger for boys than for girls.

Question 34

The asymmetry of gender change is due to a greater change in men's than in women's lives over the past few decades.

Question 35

Societal gender differences can be influenced by the degree of power men have over women in a society.

Question 36

Discuss the difference between sex and gender. Why is it important to examine gender roles in the context of a certain society and period of time?

Question 37

Why might it be difficult in the United States to implement a policy of comparable responsibility within job classifications? That is, why don't we have a system in this country that more evenly distributes monetary rewards for jobs such as liquor store clerk (a relatively well-paid, mostly male position in many states) and elementary school teacher (a relatively underpaid, mostly female position in many states)?

Question 38

The interactionist approach system is the theory that gender identification and behavior are based on the day-to-day behavior that reinforces gender distinctions.

Question 39

What criticisms have sociologists of gender received and why?

Question 40

Your textbook's author, Cherlin, presents a number of theoretical approaches to the study of gender differences: socialization, biosocial, and interactionist. Choose one of these and explain how, within this approach, gender is constructed. Give an example along with your answer.