Practice Questions

Question 1

What is the male gaze, and how does it impact body image for girls and women?

Answer 1

• The way women are viewed, which objectifies them and asses their sexual desirability and positions as sexual objects
• Keeps women always searching for the perfect look
• It is the dominant cultural way or seeing women is not always achievable
• Women internalize the male gaze and it destroys self esteem

Question 2

What are the main gender differences reflected in sexuality?

Answer 2

Male: Competition, need for control, masculinity, status for sexual experience, phallicentric, more visual, sexuality

Women: Femininity, sexually selective, love, nurturance, connection and emotionality, intimacy, friendship, love

Question 3

How does gender affect face-to-face communications?

Answer 3

• disclose more to same gender than opposite
• different language
• Men make more direct declarative statements, women negotiate in private, ask more questions, use more personal pronouns
• Men interrupt women more than women interrupt men

Question 4

How are media both like and unlike other primary socializing institutions?

Answer 4

Like:

• Reflecting existing gender differences
• Construct gender norms
• Reproduce inequalities making them seem natural

Unlike:

• Not one single entity
• more complex than other institutions
• Lawless
• exposed to media over entire lifetime where as family, school and church loose significance
• Constant exposure
• Continually changing

Question 5

Describe the gendering of print media for men and women

Answer 5

Women:

• polyvocal
• women are more likely to crossover into men’s print than vice versa
• 4/5 novels are bought by women

Men:

• Monotonal
• Wont read fiction or girly books

Question 6

Discuss the three challenges to workplace integration that use the term ‘glass’

Answer 6

Glass Ceiling: prevents women from moving up in the workforce with men.

Glass Escalator: effects of sexism outweight the effects of tokenism. When men enter a non-traditional occupation they are promoted faster than women

Glass Cellar: Men being stuck in hard and hazardous jobs

Question 7

Discuss sex segregation in employment and its gendered implications

Answer 7

Sex segregation: refers to women and men’s concentration in different occupations and industries. Different occupations are presented as better suited for certain genders

Vertical segregation: segregations associated with different levels of education, and experience in the same field of career
Horizontal segregation: segregations with occupations in different fields but have the same level of education and skill

Question 8

Explain the nature of prevalence of female criminality and violence

Answer 8

• Women are a small minority of offenders
• Women’s reasons for committing crimes are different from men
• Most common crimes are theft, common assault, administration of justice
• 6-10% of prison population is women
• Less likely to re-offend
• Less likely to commit violent crimes
• Kill differently
• Less likely to kill strangers
• Only area of crime where men and women are charged equally is prostitution
• Mad, Bad or Victim usually

Question 9

How is gendered violence an institutional as well as interpersonal problem?

Answer 9

Institutional:

• Violence is a simple aggression of insecure men desperate to prove their masculinity
• Males are taught in school and media
• Gyms, locker rooms

Interpersonal:

• Wife expectation of men
• Tough manly man
• Family violence (siblings)
• Sexual assault
• Stalking

Question 10

Eco-Feminist and Marxist views on Pink ribbon campaign

Answer 10

Eco-Feminist: plastics, and the environment are the cause.

Marxist: No progress will be made as long as it is about capitalism. True awareness will never be reached as long as it’s used as advertising.

Question 11

Define subsistence economy and money based economy

Answer 11

Subsistence economy: ability to work = survival
Money based economy: Women’s work is not valued, not every woman contributes to the wage economy, but every woman works. Women segregate in lower paying careers with devalued work

Question 12

Two theories on women in mass media:

Answer 12

Reflection: Mass media holds a mirror up to reality and reflects it

Symbolic annihilation: Color, plus-size, realistic women are symbolically annihilated in mass media

Question 13

Barriers that effect women’s health

Answer 13

• Income
• Location
• Hours of operation
• Language barrier
• Disability barrier
• Lack of childcare
• Lack of choice of doctor

Question 14

Women’s role in corporate crime

Answer 14

• Corporate crime = accessibility
• Women are the minority in high corporate jobs
• Women receive more media attention, and more severe sentences

Question 15

Idea of power Feminism

Answer 15

• Isn’t about oppressing someone else to gain power
• Women have to take credit for their successes and help themselves
• Work together with men to alleviate sexism
• Don’t bring men down to women’s level, but bring women up to men’s

Question 16

3 different bodies for men in conflict with the law:

Answer 16

Imprisoned body:
- Structured and regulated, no control
- Hegemonic masculinity 
Free body: 
- Stigma (tattooed)
- Sexuality
Ageing body:
- No age markers in prison
- Can no longer do heavy labour
- Society prioritises the youthful body

Question 17

Three laws of prostitution

Answer 17

1. Communication for the purpose
2. Living off the avails
3. Keeping a common body house

Question 18

Two Women’s health models

Answer 18

Medical Model: 
- Everything is fixed biologically 
- Everything is biological and scientific 
Holistic Model: 
- Other causes for problems than biology
- Psychiatric help
-Mental health and underlying symptoms