03 17 2014 HDFS Exam 2 3 17 2013 Gender continued So are we all the same Nature vs nurture Social Issues Men an women rate men s writing and speech as better Women and better at languages Men score higher on quantitative matters visual spatial Men are more aggressive as a whole Nature Side Biology and Gender are linked Developmental and health differences Effects of sex hormones which are chemical substances secreted into the blood stream Sex differences in the brain Unsuccessful sex reassignment Nurture Side Socialization and Gender are linked Arguments favoring the Nurture side of the debate suggesting that culture shapes human behavior come from o Symbolic interactionists Important of roles in shaping behavior Colonial America o Cross cultural variation in gender roles Margaret Meads Most common now to believe that behavior has both a biological and social component The Issue of Gender In the US o Men are thought to have instrumental character traits task oriented o Women are though to have expressive trains Warmth Sensitivity Concern about other needs Ability to express tenderness o White middle class interpretation studies of other groups How do we learn gender Socialization The process of acquiring the physical and social skills to become a member of society o We only talk about children o Life span concept o Socialization is dynamic and goes both ways Basic function of the families in all societies is nurturing socialization Parental Influences Children learn through identification with parents Modeling of behavior Earle dependency Where do we learn gender Research indicates that children s preferences for toys develops separately from parental influence Benefits and Costs Benefits o Traditional gender roles promote stability continuity predictability Costs o May not be able to live up to ideal o Loneliness Contemporary Gender Roles Expansion of man s family role 3 24 2013 How do people choose a mate All societies have norms rules and controls about whom one should choose as a partner and marry The two extremes are arranged vs free choice o US among most extreme Partners ten to share similar group identities race ethnicity education economics Early 20th Century Love now thought to occur before not after marriage Love and Sex Maslows Theory of Love as Need o Self actualization o Aesthetic o Intellectual o Self esteem o Love and belonging o Safety o Biological Love and Intimate Relationships Biological components of love o Attachment o Caregiving o Sexuality Psychological components of love o Trust o Altruism o Passion Theories about Love Reiss s Wheel Theory of Love o Rapport o Self revelation o Mutual dependency o Personality need fulfillment Sterngerg s Triangular Theory of Love o Passion o Intimacy o Decision commitment Feminization of Love Love increasingly defined only in female terms o Myth that women need love more than men o Myth that women more skilled at love than men o Since 19th century love defined in terms of characterstics that women tend to be more skilled at Emotional expression self disclosure affection o Consistent with gender roles men and women prefer different types of love Men provide instrumental help Share physical activities Gender differences Men more romantic Men fall in love sooner and harder Remain in love longer than women Factors that contribute to how we choose partners Proximity Norm segregation Mobility Social status Education Race Ethnicity Religion Social pressure The Evolution of Dating 1904 G Stanley Hall popularized new term adolescence Living together is not a practice that emerged over the 40 45 Cohabitation years Common law marriage When and among whom 1970 s became popular 1990 s 2000 s o Increase prevalence of cohabitation among older persons o Increase in non marital childbearing within cohabiting including retirees relationships Why is it that people who cohabit and marry are more likely to divorce Selection Effects o People drawn to cohabitation before marriage are fundamentally different than those who choose to marry first Why has it increased Birth Control Women s working What is marriage The Issue of Marriage Institutional social arrangement Only found among humans Assumes permanence Conforms to social norms 2 major components o Marital status o Number of spouses Marriage definition Classic definition o Marriage exists where economic and sexual functions are united in one relationship A socially legitimate sexual union o Public announcement o Performance o Contract o Spells out reciprocal obligations between spouses Social meaning of marriage Authority in community and kin groups Emergent norm Personal rather than kin decision The Meaning of Marriage Marriage as commitment Marriage as a sacrament o Fulfills human need for secure stable long term relationship o Sacred union or rite sanctioned by God Marriage as a legal contract o Defined and regulated by state o Scattered rules and laws o Variation between states Doctrine of Coverture Man and Woman become one 3 Periods of Marriage and Family Law 1 Colonial America 2 Married Women s Property Laws Women allowed to own property 2 different but equal individuals 3 1960 s onwards Shared partnership Heterogamy Marrying someone who is different Homogamy Marrying someone who shares similar characteristics 03 17 2014 03 17 2014