Question 1

Which of the following is true regarding gendered occupations?

Accepted Answer

Studies have consistently shown that men outnumber women in occupations with more prestige and higher salaries. Women are often overrepresented in jobs such as teaching and nursing, which are traditionally referred to as "pink collar jobs." Men are more likely to be in leadership positions and other high-paying fields such as STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

Question 2

Babies become aware of their own gender

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that babies can begin to differentiate between male and female faces and voices as early as six weeks of age. However, they do not consistently label themselves or others as male or female until around two years of age when their language and social cognitive skills have developed enough to understand gender labels.

Question 3

From an interactionist perspective, the MOST important way that schools socialize children into their gender identities is

Accepted Answer

The interactionist perspective emphasizes the role of social interactions and communications in constructing gender identities. As such, interactions between teachers and students, such as the ways in which teachers address and treat students differently based on their gender, can be very influential in how children develop their gender identities. Schools may also reinforce gender norms through curriculum, textbooks, and classroom activities, which can support or challenge traditional gender roles. Therefore, interactions with teachers and the overall school environment play a significant role in socializing children into their gender identities. The other choices, such as uniforms or mass media, may have an impact on children's gender socialization, but they are not as significant as the interactions between teachers and students.

Question 4

Some newspapers, magazines, and other media tend to use gender-inappropriate names or pronouns as well as other language that trans people find insensitive or offensive when describing transgender people. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

The use of inappropriate names, pronouns, and language is a microaggression, which is defined as a subtle or indirect form of discrimination or prejudice.

Question 5

Sociologists who study gender in rural areas have noticed that only one person is called the "farmer," even though everyone in a family has to work on the farm. The "farmer" is usually male and has more prestige than the other family members working on the farm. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

This is an example of patriarchy, which refers to a social system in which men hold primary power and authority. In this case, the male farmer is given more prestige and authority than the other family members working on the farm, despite the fact that everyone contributes to the work. This highlights how gender roles and expectations can be reinforced even in rural areas and agricultural contexts.

Question 6

Alice came to the realization that she is attracted to other girls her age. Now that she's started her sophomore year in high school, she wants to ask out girls without being afraid of the consequences. She tests her friends' acceptance of these feelings first by mentioning a hypothetical friend at another high school who just came out as a lesbian. Alice's friends say they overwhelmingly believe that homosexuality is wrong and that anyone who is not heterosexual is a deviant. What concept do the opinions of Alice's friends exemplify?

Accepted Answer

The opinions of Alice's friends exemplify the concept of heteronormativity, which is the assumption that heterosexuality is the norm and anything outside of that is abnormal or deviant. This societal norm can lead to discrimination and prejudice against those who identify as LGBTQ+.

Question 7

Alfred Kinsey conducted research to determine what percentage of the population was heterosexual and what percentage was homosexual. Why would he have avoided asking the question, "Do you identify as gay or straight?"

Accepted Answer

Kinsey believed that people were not exclusively either gay or straight and that those two binary classifications were too limiting. Instead, he developed a scale (now known as the Kinsey Scale) that ranged from exclusively heterosexual to exclusively homosexual, with varying degrees in between. By asking about specific behaviors and experiences, he was able to gather more nuanced data on sexuality than a simple gay/straight binary would have allowed.

Question 8

The point in children's school careers by which gender norms become firmly established is

Accepted Answer

Research shows that by the age of 10, children have established rigid beliefs about gender roles and stereotypes. Fifth grade is typically the age when children are around 10 years old, so it is the point in their school careers by which gender norms become firmly established.

Question 9

An example of a microaggression is

Accepted Answer

Whistling and catcalling a woman on the street is a form of microaggression because it perpetuates the objectification of women and sends the message that their worth is based solely on their appearance. Microaggressions are subtle insults or discriminatory behaviors that can be unintentional but still have a harmful impact on marginalized groups. Options A, C, and D are examples of larger scale discrimination and not necessarily microaggressions.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of how teachers treat boys and girls differently in a classroom setting?

Accepted Answer

Boys are more likely than girls to be punished for misbehaving is a documented phenomenon in educational settings, reflecting a difference in how teachers may respond to the behavior of boys versus girls.

Question 11

Why don't girls, who tend to get better grades than boys, translate their advantage into material success after graduation?

Accepted Answer

Girls may receive better grades due to their hard work, but they are often not recognized for their intellectual ability. This may lead to a lack of confidence and assertiveness in the workplace, resulting in less material success compared to their male counterparts. It is important to address the societal and cultural factors that contribute to this disparity. The other options (A, C, and D) are not supported by research and are based on gender stereotypes.

Question 12

The changing representation of LGBTQ people in the media, such as their greater inclusion and more positive treatment on television shows, can lead us to conclude that

Accepted Answer

While there may be greater inclusion and more positive treatment of LGBTQ people in the media, it does not necessarily mean that they have achieved equal status with heterosexual people. It simply suggests that more people are becoming tolerant towards LGBTQ individuals and that media outlets are trying to cater to their changing audience. However, this does not necessarily mean that the representation is perfect or that LGBTQ people now control major media channels.

Question 13

A three-year-old boy scrapes his knee while playing in his backyard and immediately begins to cry. In response, his father walks over to him and says, "Don't be a sissy; boys don't cry." This is an example of

Accepted Answer

This is an example of gender role socialization, where the father is teaching the boy societal expectations for how males should behave, specifically that they should not show emotion or cry.

Question 14

Sociologist C. J. Pascoe found that boys often use homophobic slurs toward each other in an effort to define masculinity for themselves and other boys in her ethnography of high school boys titled Dude, You're a Fag. This is an example of the

Accepted Answer

Pascoe's findings illustrate how peers can influence and shape an individual's understanding and performance of gender roles through socialization processes. The use of homophobic slurs to assert dominance and establish masculinity reinforces how societal expectations of gender roles and sexuality are learned and perpetuated through peer interactions.

Question 15

Textbooks often still contain sexist language and gender stereotypes. In the social structure of the school itself, women tend to be concentrated at the lower levels, as teachers and aides, while men tend to occupy upper-management and administrative positions. Which concept do these patterns MOST reinforce?

Accepted Answer

The patterns described reinforce gender role socialization, as they perpetuate preconceived notions about gender and the roles traditionally assigned to men and women in society. Textbooks with sexist language and gender stereotypes perpetuate gender norms, while the concentration of women in lower-level positions reinforces the idea that women are better suited to caretaking and support roles, rather than leadership or authority positions.

Question 16

Patriarchy can be defined as a society

Accepted Answer

Patriarchy is defined as a society in which men hold the majority of the power and dominate women. This includes access to positions of prestige, power, and control over the means of production. The other options do not accurately describe patriarchy.

Question 17

A woman is married to another woman. She is attracted to her wife, but she is also attracted to men. In the past, she has dated both women and men. How would this woman MOST likely identify?

Accepted Answer

The woman in question is attracted to both men and women and has dated both in the past, indicating a sexual attraction to both genders. This would most likely lead to her identifying as bisexual.

Question 18

A same-sex couple holding hands or kissing in public may receive disapproving looks or even abusive comments from other people. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

Homophobia refers to prejudice, discrimination, or hatred directed towards individuals who are attracted to people of the same sex. In this scenario, the disapproving looks and abusive comments are likely stemming from homophobia.

Question 19

Gender role socialization begins

Accepted Answer

Gender role socialization begins before birth, as societal expectations and norms about gender roles are often projected onto the child based on their anticipated gender, influencing how they are treated, what toys they are given, and how they are expected to behave.

Question 20

Sociologists have criticized scientists searching for a "gay gene" for their narrow understanding of sexual orientation. Scientists' approach does not take into account the way biology and the social environment interact to produce sexual behaviors. Which of the following theorists makes this point?

Accepted Answer

Social historian Jeffrey Weeks has argued that the concept of homosexual identity as it exists today did not exist before the twentieth century, indicating that sexual orientation is not solely determined by biology but influenced by cultural and historical factors.

Quiz 9: Constructing Gender and Sexuality