- Why is the feminism paradigm, discussed in Chapter 1, important when discussing the concept of gender acquisition?
- Choose either the first or second wave of feminism, and then discuss its origins, influential people, and any critical events.
- Summarize the findings contained in Chapter 2 that relate to the sex differences in infants with regard to dependence and aggression.
- Explain brain lateralization (also referred to as hemispheric asymmetry), and describe what it has to do with gender.
- Discuss the term premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and explain how the popular acceptance of this particular condition can both help and hinder the status of women in society.
1.The feminist paradigm is a:
school of thought that explains gender in terms of the political and
socioeconomic structure in which it is constructed and emphasizes the
importance of taking collective action to eradicate sexism in sociology as well
as society and to reconstruct gender so that it is neither a harmful nor an
oppressive social category.
(Renzetti, Curran, and Maier, 2012)
Gender acquisition is the acquirement of “socially generated attitudes and behaviors, usually organized dichotomously as masculinity and femininity.” (Renzetti, Curran, and Maier, 2012)
The feminist paradigm is important when discussing gender acquisition because gender roles are influenced by societal structures. A child raised in a permissive environment is more likely to assume a gender role that breaks with their sex than one raised in a conservative environment with all other things being equal.
2.The second wave of feminism originated in the sixties out of the ennui that post-war suburban homemakers experienced. In 1961, the President created “a Presidential Commission on the Status of Women” at the urging of a woman who later became an assistant secretary of labor. She was motivated to do this due to pressure from the National Women’s Party (an organization that was founded during the first wave of feminism in 1916) and the Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs. Both of these organizations were lobbying for the Equal Rights Amendment, which was initially introduced during the first wave of feminism and became a focus of the second wave of feminism. (Renzetti, Curran, and Maier, 2012)
Betty Frieden published the book The Feminine Mystique in 1963 and it characterized the suburban home as a “comfortable concentration camp” which stifled a woman’s personal growth because she put her husband’s and childrens’ needs before her own. This book resonated with women and became a best-seller and served as a launching-off point for the development of analysis of sexual politics (the examination of gender inequality). (Renzetti, Curran, and Maier, 2012)
Other key entities involved in the second wave of feminism were the Women’s Equity Action League, the National Women’s Political Caucus, the National Organization for Women, the Women’s Equity Action League, the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues, and the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League. (Renzetti, Curran, and Maier, 2012)
As the sixties progressed, women that were active in other social movements began to form organizations that were more decentralized and radical than the aforementioned ones. This prefaced the rise of third wave feminisms. (Renzetti, Curran, and Maier, 2012)
3.There is some evidence that indicates that testosterone increases aggression, but other research that indicates that females can be just as aggressive as males in certain contexts. XY babies born with androgen insensitivity syndrome typically express as much or more interest in stereotypically “girly” things as XX females within similar circumstances. (Renzetti, Curran, and Maier, 2012) There is a difference in aggression style between males and females. Males tend to display more direct aggression than females, but females display more indirect aggression than males. (Archer, 2012)
Both male and female infants are dependent on their mothers and families, Chromosomal and hormonal differences do not appear to affect this significantly.
4.Brain lateralization refers to localization of certain centers with the hemispheres of the brain. It affects men more than women because women tend to use both hemispheres of their brains to perform tasks that a man would use a single hemisphere to perform. (Renzetti, Curran, and Maier, 2012)
However, men tend to demonstrate more “systemizing” intelligence while women tend to demonstrate more “empathizing-systemizing” intelligence. However, this is more likely related to socialization differences and differences in gray matter to white matter ratio than brain lateralization. This may explain if/why there are differences in “spatial intelligence” and “emotional intelligence” between genders. Although, some research indicates that these differences are not as pronounced as society often makes them out to be. (Renzetti, Curran, and Maier, 2012)
- Only a small percentage (2%-10%) of menstruating women experience severe symptoms associated with PMS, but more than 85% experience minor symptoms. These include acne flare-ups, cramping, forgetfulness, irritability, changes in appetite, and fluid retention. This indicates that it is inappropriate to assume that all women get severe PMS on a monthly basis. However, some of the experienced minor symptoms may be due to beliefs that women acquired during their childhood due to the widespread acceptance that PMS is a “curse”. (Renzetti, Curran, and Maier, 2012)
However, PMS’s widespread acceptance has resulted in some things that could be seen as positives for women. Women have received lighter sentences for crimes that courts viewed as being related to PMS symptoms. Also, it is possible to obtain treatment for PMDD (remarkably severe PMS experienced by only three to eight percent of menstruating women) (Rapkin and Lewis, 2013) due to the perception that PMS is a significant issue for many women. (Renzetti, Curran, and Maier, 2012)
References:
Renzetti, C., Curran, D., & Maier, S. (2012). Women, men, and society (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Archer, J. (2012, January). Aggression | Sex Differences in the Development of Aggression From Early Childhood to Adulthood. Retrieved June 16, 2018, from http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/aggression/according-experts/sex-differences-development-aggression-early-childhood-adulthood
Rapkin, A. J., & Lewis, E. I. (2013, November 1). Treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Retrieved June 16, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24161307
