Lecture 4

Question 1

Three main characteristics of families as gendered institutions

Answer 1

1. reproduce gender differences and gender inequalities within the family ( parents model for their children)
2. Remind adults to perform appropriate gender roles and behaviors (child-rearing differently by gender of the child, how much they do and in what way)
3. Influence adults to raise children as gendered actors ( parents treat children intentionally or unintentionally based on their sex)

Question 2

What are the 4 historical events that shaped gender role in the family

Answer 2

1. the pre-industrial family
2. the industrial family
3. first and second world wars families
4. Canadian family today

Question 3

The pre-industrial family

Answer 3

• men and women were not equal
• men had authority over the family
• women did domestic work and childcare while girls assisted their mothers with those tasks
• men did the child disciplining and farming work, boys assisted fathers with the farming duties

Question 4

The Industrial Family

Answer 4

• men and women continued not be equal
• men still maintained authority over the family
• gap between home and work was growing to create the SEERATION OF SPHERES where work was ‘his’ and home was ‘hers’
• men’s work became synonymous with PAID labor, which made men exit their homes leaving women to house work, boys attended school
• women’s housework became synonymous with UNPAID labor, girls attended school as well but often stayed home to help mothers with domestic work (women’s ‘work’ was reconceptualized as ‘God-given mission’) * decline in women’s status

Question 5

First and Second Wars and the Family

Answer 5

• women began seeking equality, and achieved greater rights to property, education, employment and protection from abuse
• the ideal of the ISOLATED SUBURBAN NUCLEAR family was reinforced, where the man as the bread winner was the instrumental role and the female homemaker was the expressive role
• men continued doing paid work outside the home, boys went to school and also trained for new ‘men’s jobs’
• women continued the unpaid work inside the home, girls went to school and trained for ‘women’s work’

Question 6

The Canadian Family Today

Answer 6

• marriage rate is declining, men and women are marrying less
• the average age for first marriages is increasing (31 for men, 29 for women)
• common law marriages are increasing (approx 20%)
• same-sex marriage is small but growing
  -divorce is alot more common than it was historically (40% of marriages end in divorce)
• family sizes are smaller (around 3 children)
• lots of variations in family dynamics, where men work full time, women work part time vice versa, both men and women work full time, some women are stay at home moms, single mothers and fathers also work full time, same for divorced parents, and parents inds without children

Question 7

2 main motivations for marriage

Answer 7

1. marriage motivations for women- historically was to gain economic security or advancement, today less likely to see it as an economic necessity but still has some of the same motivations
2. marriage motivations for men- historically was for economic gain, freeing from domestic work, devote themselves to paid labor, today its more earning the power of women and the indirect benefits through housework and childcare

Question 8

Gendered inequalities of marriage and how men benefit more

Answer 8

• marriage has been theorized that people who are married are often healthier, happier, earn more, live longer , better intimacy than those who aren’t married
• but, these benefits are categorized as ‘his’ and hers’ where the man usually benefits more
  -why? because marriage INCREASES gender inequality for the two main reasons
  1. traditional division of labor, therefore men receive the emotional, social and intimate supports he needs from wife in order to be successful at work
  2. the traditional division of labour results in the ‘second shift’ where when both are working full time the wife still comes home to cook, clean etc.

Question 9

Overall Life course differences (6)

Answer 9

1. married men are happier than unmarried men, unmarried women are somewhat happier than married women
2. men are more satisfied than women in marriage
3. men live longer and enjoy better health benefits than unmarried men
4. fewer man than women initiate divorce, after men remarry much quicker
5. men widowers die sooner than women widows
6. working women have lower marital satisfaction compared to working men

Question 10

3 main roles that parents play in child-rearing

Answer 10

1. parents possess gender specific ideas of their children’s needs
2. parents are influenced by other institutions ( media, education, gov, religion) about how a girl/boy should be
3. parents observe what they perceive as typical behaviors in boys and girls of the same age

Question 11

4 main ways parents engage in gender socialization of their children… differential treatment based on…

Answer 11

1. The shaping of the environment- accessories, colors etc. placed in infants bedroom, pink vs blue, barbies vs trucks
2. How they are responded to- as infants ( tend to talk to girls more than boys, engage in touch, holding and kissing boy infants more) , at age 1 (girls are encouraged to touch and usually stay close to parents, boys encouraged to become more independent and to explore), during toddlerhood (girls are treated as delicate, gentle amd co-operative, while boys are treated as sturdy, active and more rough play)
3. The toys they are given- girls encourage dependency, kitchen sets, dolls, dresses. Boys encourage independency and problem solving, trucks, blocks
4. Definitions of accepted masc/fem of physical appearance- girls rewarded for looking physically attractive, boys rewarded for physical performance