Chapter 9 Questions

• What is the main basis for sorting people in every society? Why would women be considered a minority group? How universal is male dominance?







• When did discrimination against women change from being an objective condition of society to a social problem?









• What is the sex typing of work? With regards to this sex typing, what is the source of a job's prestige?









• According to Helen Hacker, What are the four major areas of sex discrimination?





• What is the difference between sex and gender? What are sex roles?





• What are the biological and cultural arguments for the existence of male dominance?











• In what sense is sex a master trait?





• What are the sex/gender differences between young boys and girls?

• What is the functionalist argument for the existence of different gender roles? How have men been able to maintain their dominance even when the circumstances that gave rise to their dominance changed?









• What is the basic conflict argument for male dominance?

• What have been some observed differences in the abilities of boys and girls?









• What, in general, was found by in Vietnam veterans study on the relationship between testosterone levels and behaviors?









• What is the definitive explanation of why there are gender differences in behavior?







• How do high school teachers and counselors perpetuate gender inequality?









• What is the evidence for sex typing in college?







• How do men and women compare in completing bachelor degrees? In completing PhD's?





• How do children's literature and TV programming contribute to sexual bias?







• What are the reasons that so few women hold political office?

• What is the percentage of women in the labor force ; how has this percentage changed since 1900?





• What is the gender wage gap and how does the U.S. compare to other industrial countries with respect to this gap? What are some explanations for this gap?











• What is the difference between the proposed fast track and mommy track career in big corporations. What would be a danger of instituting a mommy track?









• What is the difference between sexual harassment viewed as an individual problem and as a structural issue?











• What are the differences in the policies advocated by the radical feminists and the conservative traditionalists with regards to gender. What is likely to happen?











• According to the author, what are some likely future trends in gender issues?

Questions on the video, The Global Assembly Line

• Why have companies relocated so many jobs overseas? Who benefits? Who loses?

Why are corporations allowed to move capital and facilities abroad? (This question cannot be answered from viewing the video; this issue will be discussed in class)

• What are Export Processing Zones? What controls are eliminated in these zones?

• What is the Miquiladora zone?

• Why is the Global Assembly Line a woman's issue? Why do these plants hire mostly young women?

• What is the attraction of these jobs to the workers?

• What are some of the work-related problems?

• For purposes of discussion, are these women workers exploited? What about the characterization made on the video that they are semi slaves?