The Sociology of Gender An Introduction to Theory and Research

by Wharton, Amy S.

• ISBN13: 9780470655689
• ISBN10: 0470655682
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-05-02
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Featuring extensive revisions and updates, the Second Edition of The Sociology of Gender: An Introduction to Theory and Research presents an introductory overview of gender theory and research, and continues to offer a unique and compelling approach to one of the most important topics in the field of sociology. Features extensive revisions and updates, and incorporates recent cross-national research on gender Expands and develops frameworks introduced in first edition Treats gender as a multilevel system operating at the individual, interactional, and institutional levels Stresses conceptual and theoretical issues in the sociology of gender Offers an accessible yet intellectually sophisticated approach to current gender theory and research Includes pedagogical features designed to encourage critical thinking and debate

Author Biography

Amy S. Wharton is Professor of Sociology and Director of the College of Liberal Arts at Washington State University, Vancouver. Dr Wharton's research on gender inequality, the sociology of work, and work-family policies has been published in the American Sociological Review, Social Forces, and Work Occupations, as well as many other peer-reviewed journals and edited books. She is the editor of Working in America: Continuity, Conflict, and Change (2002, 2nd ed.) and co-author of The Sociology of Work: Structures and Inequalities (2009).

Table of Contents

Introduction to the Sociology of Gender	p. 1
Chapter Objectives	p. 1
Introduction	p. 2
Sociological Vantage Points	p. 3
A Brief History of the Sociological Study of Gender	p. 5
Defining Gender	p. 8
Three Frameworks for Understanding Gender	p. 16
Gender Matters	p. 18
Who is to Blame? Understanding Gender Inequality	p. 19
Chapter Summary	p. 20
Further Reading	p. 21
Key Terms	p. 21
Critical Thinking Questions	p. 21
Conceptual Approaches	p. 23
The Gendered Person	p. 25
Chapter Objectives	p. 25
Sex Differences in Traits, Abilities, or Behavioral Dispositions	p. 27
The Origins of Sex Differences	p. 31
Environmental Explanations of Sex Differences: Becoming Gendered	p. 36
Sex Differences and Social Policy: The Case of Mathematics Aptitude	p. 50
Sex Differences and Gender Inequality	p. 54
Chapter Summary	p. 56
Further Reading	p. 57
Key Terms	p. 57
Critical Thinking Questions	p. 58
Gender in Interaction and Institutions	p. 59
Chapter Objectives	p. 59
Interactionist Views of Gender	p. 60
Gendered Organizations/Gendered Institutions	p. 86
Toward a Multilayered Conception of Gender	p. 92
Chapter Summary	p. 92
Further Reading	p. 93
Key Terms	p. 93
Critical Thinking Questions	p. 94
Gender in Context	p. 95
Work and Family as Gendered Institutions	p. 97
Chapter Objectives	p. 97
The Division of Labor	p. 98
Work, Family, and Gender in the Industrial Age	p. 100
A Half-Century of Gender Change: Work, Education, and Gender Egalitarian Beliefs	p. 105
Changes in Gender, Family, and Caregiving	p. 112
Gender, Work, and Family: The Roles of Social Policy and the State	p. 122
Gender, Work, and Family in the Twenty-First Century: Looking Ahead	p. 126
Chapter Summary	p. 130
Further Reading	p. 132
Key Terms	p. 132
Critical Thinking Questions	p. 132
Gender, Childhood, and Family Life	p. 135
Chapter Objectives	p. 135
Parents' Preferences for Children's Sex	p. 136
ôIs it a Boy or a Girl?ö: Gender Construction in Families	p. 137
Childhood and the Importance of Same-Gender Peers	p. 154
Gender Socialization in Childhood Reconsidered	p. 158
The Household Division of Labor and the Family	p. 159
Explaining Women's and Men's Involvement in Household Work and Childcare	p. 165
Lesbian and Gay Families Rewriting Family Life	p. 174
Marriage, Families, and Their Consequences for Women and Men	p. 175
Chapter Summary	p. 185
Further Reading	p. 187
Key Terms	p. 187
Critical Thinking Questions	p. 188
Gendered Jobs and Gendered Workers	p. 189
Chapter Objectives	p. 189
Sex Segregation and the Division of Labor in Paid Work	p. 190
Explaining Sex Segregation	p. 198
Gender Typing of Jobs, Hierarchies, and Workplace Expectations	p. 203
The Gender Pay Gap	p. 213
Explaining the Gender Pay Gap	p. 217
Chapter Summary	p. 220
Further Reading	p. 221
Key Terms	p. 222
Critical Thinking Questions	p. 222
Epilogue	p. 223
Deconstructing Gender Differences and Inequalities	p. 225
Chapter Objectives	p. 225
Gender Distinctions and Gender Inequalities	p. 227
The Reproduction of Gender Inequality	p. 229
Challenging Gender Inequality	p. 236
Making Gender Matter Less	p. 240
Chapter Summary	p. 241
Further Reading	p. 242
Key Terms	p. 242
Critical Thinking Questions	p. 243
References	p. 245
Index	p. 265
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