Text Review Questions 1. What is gender and what are gender roles?Give at least 3 examples of gender roles. 2. How do Individuals learn the gender roles that society deemed appropriate?What evidence is there that gender is socially constructed? 3. How does gender stratification affect the daily lives of individuals? 4. What is the "Beauty Myth?" How does the Beauty Myth harm women? 5. What is "double jeopardy"as it relates to gender?

1. **Gender** refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, expressions, and identities of girls, women, boys, men, and gender-diverse people. It influences how people perceive themselves and each other, how they act and interact, and the distribution of power and resources in society. **Gender roles** are societal expectations about how individuals should behave, think, and feel based on their assigned sex. These roles vary across cultures and time periods.<br /><br /> * **Examples of Gender Roles:**<br /> * **Caregiver:** Women are often expected to be the primary caregivers for children and other family members.<br /> * **Breadwinner:** Men are traditionally seen as the primary financial providers for their families.<br /> * **Emotional vs. Logical:** Women are sometimes stereotyped as being more emotional, while men are stereotyped as being more logical.<br /><br />2. Individuals learn gender roles through a process called **gender socialization**, which begins at birth. This learning occurs through various agents of socialization, including family, peers, education, media, and religion. These agents communicate and reinforce societal expectations about gendered behavior.<br /><br /> * **Evidence of Social Construction:**<br /> * **Cultural Variability:** Gender roles differ significantly across cultures, demonstrating that they are not biologically determined but rather learned. For example, some cultures recognize multiple genders beyond male and female.<br /> * **Historical Change:** Gender roles change over time within a given society, further illustrating their social construction. For example, women's participation in the workforce has dramatically increased in many countries over the past century.<br /> * **Cross-Cultural Comparisons:** Observing different gender roles in different cultures highlights the learned nature of gender.<br /><br />3. **Gender stratification** refers to the unequal distribution of power, resources, and opportunities based on gender. This inequality affects individuals' daily lives in numerous ways:<br /><br /> * **Occupational Segregation:** Certain occupations are dominated by one gender, often leading to wage gaps and limited career advancement opportunities for the underrepresented gender.<br /> * **Unequal Pay:** Women, on average, earn less than men for comparable work.<br /> * **Limited Political Representation:** Women are often underrepresented in political positions of power.<br /> * **Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault:** Gender stratification contributes to a culture where violence against women is more prevalent.<br /><br />4. The **Beauty Myth** is a concept introduced by Naomi Wolf, arguing that as women gained more social power, the pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards intensified. This "myth" dictates that women's worth is primarily determined by their physical appearance.<br /><br /> * **Harm to Women:** The Beauty Myth harms women by:<br /> * **Lowering Self-Esteem:** Constant comparison to idealized images can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-worth.<br /> * **Eating Disorders and Body Dysmorphia:** The pursuit of unrealistic beauty standards can contribute to unhealthy eating habits and body image issues.<br /> * **Distraction from Other Goals:** Focusing on appearance can distract women from pursuing educational, professional, and personal goals.<br /> * **Objectification:** It reduces women to their physical appearance, diminishing their value as individuals.<br /><br />5. **Double jeopardy**, in the context of gender, refers to the compounded disadvantage experienced by individuals who face multiple forms of discrimination simultaneously. For example, women of color experience both sexism and racism, creating a unique set of challenges and barriers. This intersectional discrimination can lead to increased marginalization and limited opportunities in various aspects of life, including employment, education, and healthcare.<br />