The Sociology of Gender: An Introduction to Theory and Research, 2nd Edition

Chapter Objectives.

Introduction.

Sociological Vantage Points.

A Brief History of the Sociological Study of Gender.

Defining Gender.

Three Frameworks for Understanding Gender.

Gender Matters.

Who is to Blame? Understanding Gender Inequality.

Chapter Summary.

Further Reading.

Key Terms.

Critical Thinking Questions.

PART I: CONCEPTUAL APPROACHES.

2 The Gendered Person.

Chapter Objectives.

Sex Differences in Traits, Abilities, or Behavioral Dispositions.

The Origins of Sex Differences.

Environmental Explanations of Sex Differences: Becoming Gendered.

Sex Differences and Social Policy: The Case of Mathematics Aptitude.

Sex Differences and Gender Inequality.

Chapter Summary.

Further Reading.

Key Terms.

Critical Thinking Questions.

3 Gender in Interaction and Institutions.

Chapter Objectives.

Interactionist Views of Gender.

Gendered Organizations/Gendered Institutions.

Toward a Multilayered Conception of Gender.

Chapter Summary.

Further Reading.

Key Terms.

Critical Thinking Questions.

PART II: GENDER IN CONTEXT.

4 Work and Family as Gendered Institutions.

Chapter Objectives.

The Division of Labor.

Work, Family, and Gender in the Industrial Age.

A Half-Century of Gender Change: Work, Education, and Gender Egalitarian Beliefs.

Changes in Gender, Family, and Caregiving.

Gender, Work, and Family: The Roles of Social Policy and the State.

Gender, Work, and Family in the Twenty-First Century: Looking Ahead.

Chapter Summary.

Further Reading.

Key Terms.

Critical Thinking Questions.

5 Gender, Childhood, and Family Life.

Chapter Objectives.

Parents' Preferences for Children's Sex.

"Is it a Boy or a Girl?": Gender Construction in Families.

Childhood and the Importance of Same-Gender Peers.

Gender Socialization in Childhood Reconsidered.

The Household Division of Labor and the Family.

Explaining Women's and Men's Involvement in Household Work and Childcare.

Lesbian and Gay Families Rewriting Family Life.

Marriage, Families, and Their Consequences for Women and Men.

Chapter Summary.

Further Reading.

Key Terms.

Critical Thinking Questions.

6 Gendered Jobs and Gendered Workers.

Chapter Objectives.

Sex Segregation and the Division of Labor in Paid Work.

Explaining Sex Segregation.

Gender Typing of Jobs, Hierarchies, and Workplace Expectations.

The Gender Pay Gap.

Explaining the Gender Pay Gap.

Chapter Summary.

Further Reading.

Key Terms.

Critical Thinking Questions.

PART III: EPILOGUE.

7 Deconstructing Gender Differences and Inequalities.

Chapter Objectives.

Gender Distinctions and Gender Inequalities.

The Reproduction of Gender Inequality.

Challenging Gender Inequality.

Making Gender Matter Less.

Chapter Summary.

Further Reading.

Key Terms.

Critical Thinking Questions.

References.

Index.