ASSIGNMENT+4+GENDER

Assignment 4: Learning Gender and Gender and Paid Work: See due date on syllabus

In your blogs: after reading the lecture slides on Gender and Families and the Reisman and Seale chapter # 30 in your textbook, answer the following questions. PLEASE number your answers to match the question below:

1) According to the lecture slides what is the difference between sex and gender? Use your own words.

2) Give an example from your own life of doing gender (i.e. acting in a gender stereotypical way). I was doing gender when I ...

3) According to the chapter by Reisman and Seale:

A) What method(s) did these researchers use to collect their data, who was their study population, and what was the sample size of the population?

B) Describe one limitation of the method used as described by the researchers.

C) What was the difference between what the "tweens" said about the "ideal" of gender equality and how they actually acted?

D) Describe one example of how the middle-schoolers defined "girly-girls" and one example of how they described "tomboys."

E) After reading the lecture slides and this chapter, briefly describe your own beliefs regarding whether children "naturally" act like girls or boys or how this behavior might be learned or fostered by the larger society and/or social institutions like education, the economy, government etc. For example, think about toys that children play with or the clothes/colors they like and wear. Pick a side "nature/biology" or "nurture/learned," and defend it!

F) Do you think children want to play with these toys or do we create gender roles by rewarding children for gender appropriate behavior or punishing them when they display gender inappropriate behaviors? Many of you work in day care centers or schools - how do teachers react when boys want to play dress up versus when girls act aggressively? Why do girls like pink and boys blue? Are we born that way or do we learn to like these colors?