Assignment #4

1) In your blogs: write about whether you believe 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 are dressed in.
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?

Ans: I do feel that biologically speaking children naturally are born boy or girl but I strongly feel that its society who shapes the way boys and girls should act, dress, look, and even speak. From before we are even born most parents like to know the sex of their baby. Once they find out the sex of the baby, baby showers are centered either surrounding the theme of boys with blue surroundings or for girls with pink surroundings. Family members and friends buy gifts for baby’s on the basis of if the parents are having a girl then we get pink “female Alf its” (skirts, shorts, pink dresses), or maybe princess baby toys, and for boys buy blue boy toys, shirts with cars on them, and action heroes. In schools girls are taught to act like ladies, always sit with your legs closed and never open, some mothers even pierced their baby girls ears even as infants and dress bay girls ears up with feminine earrings. The idea that girls should act like girls and boys should act like boys is definitely fostered by the larger society and/or social institutions like education, the economy government. I do also believe that society creates gender roles by rewarding children for gender appropriate behavior or punishing them when they display gender inappropriate behaviors. An example of this is when boys are seen as normal if they fight or are physically aggressive towards other boys. But girls are seen as tom boys if they fight, show aggression or do anything that’s a gender role of a boy, Even the expression tom boy that is used for girls who tend to exhibit characterizes and behavior considered typical of a gender role of a boy. This is a term that has been socially constructed, why can’t a girl just be a seen as a girl no matter what she likes or prefers to do. In the pre-school I work at teachers when boys want to play dress up which is very rare its allowed even if they want to dress up in the princess al fits. Both girls and boys are pretty much treated equally when it comes to acting aggressive its not allowed and if we see it we automatically address the issue no matter the gender of the child. I think girls like pink and boys like blue because these are distinct colors a lot of parents and families introduce to their children at very young ages. Feminine colors are usually lighter colors (pink, yellow, white), while masculine colors are usually darker (blue, black, green, red). Society does have a tendency to socialize boys and girls, differently based on their gender. Boys and girls are each socialized by gender role “what a girl should do or act like, or what a boy should do or act like.

2-5.) Go to this website: True False Quiz

Women in the Workforce

Directions: Study the Mothers Participating in the Labor Force 1955-2004 table. (The table can be found online at http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0104670.html.) Then read each statement below. On the line before each statement, write T if the statement is true. Write F is the statement is false. Ans: ___F__ In the year 2000, 64.6 percent of mothers with children younger than age 6 were part of the labor force. ___F__ The number of working mothers with children ages 6 to 17 increased by 15 percent between 1975 and 1980. __ F___ During the period 1995 to 2001, the number of working mothers with children younger than age 6 increased by more than 5 percent. __T__ In the last five years on the chart, the percentage of working mothers with children younger than age 18 decreased. _ T____ The number of working mothers with children younger than age 6 went above the 50 percent mark for the first time between the years 1980 and 1985. F____ The number of working mothers with children ages 6 to 17 has not been below 70 percent since 1980. __T___ The number of working mothers with children younger than age 6 decreased between 1997 and 2001. __F __ In 1955, fewer than one-fourth of all mothers with children under age 18 were part of the U.S. workforce. __T___ Working mothers with children younger than age 6 have always made up a smaller percentage of the workforce than those who have children ages 6 to 17. __T__ In the year 2001, more than three-fourths of all mothers of children ages 6 to 17 were part of the labor force.

6.) Do you think women are doing as well as you as expected, less well, or better and why?

Ans: I feel women are doing an excellent job in the workforce. More women are working which is excellent. The increase of mothers in the work force shows that a lot of women are becoming more and more independent and have strong views when it comes to fending for themselves without having to be fully dependent on a man for full financial support. I do feel that although women are getting more and more opportunities in the workforce that they are not being treated still equally with men when it comes to how much they are getting paid in all jobs(ex: Wal-Mart). I feel this is something that needs to be changed soon.

Assignment #3

1. According to functionalist theory, what was the definition of the "instrumental leader" and what was the definition of an "expressive leader." What family roles were connected to each of these leader definitions?

Ans: The instrumental leader was defined by Robert Bale as one who leads the group discussion about how to accomplish the task they had been assigned. The expressive leader was the socioemotional leader who kept up the groups’ spirit with warm, supportive remarks and jokes. The family roles that were connected to each of these leader definitions were as follows: The husband, was the instrumental leader because his labor provided the financial support for the family, and the stay-at-home wife was the expressive leader because she provided emotional support to her husband and children.

2. What main demographic change during the 1960s and 1970s led theorists to be critical of the functionalist perspective?

Ans: The main demographic change was married women began to pour into the workforce and this meant that the viewpoint of the male being the “bread-winner” and the women being the “homemaker” lost its dominance.

3. In contrast to functionalist theorists, in your own words, what is the main theme of conflict theory?

Ans: The conflict theory is the study of individual’s conflicts rather than on individuals function within society, family, and/ or a group which is the functionalist theory. The conflict theory focuses more on the conflict between the capitalist and the working class and a focus on inequality social change and power is more focused on. Conflict theorists observe the dominance that groups with power have over groups with little to no power.

4. Social exchange theory is based on ideas from what discipline (not sociology). What do exchange theorists say about husbands bargaining power versus that of wives?

Ans: Social exchange theory is based on ideas of economics which deals with the production, distribution and use of goods and services of the material welfare of humankind. Exchange theorist say that husbands are in a stronger bargaining position when they are the sole earners in their families because their wives have fewer alternative sources of income. The exchange theory suggest that when wives earn money their own, dependence decreases meaning wives independence increases, therefore the power the husband has decreases.
5. Feminist theory is based on what main idea?

The feminist theory is based on the main idea of gender inequality. The domination of men over women is said to have a cultural origin and also is something that has been socially constructed.

6. After reading about the various methods or ways that we collect data to study the family, tell your group members :

A) A research question about family/relationship satisfaction:

If children are not in a stable household, how may this affect how well a child is able to focus in a school setting? (examples of unstable household would include: being raised in a neighborhood where crime is prevalent, low income family, being raised by a single parent)
B) Do you want to study the family at the micro or macro level?

Families will be studied at the macro level

C. What method will you use to collect data?

To collect data the method I would use is field research because it will enable me to directly observe families and the behaviors that are taking place within households. I will be able to research participants directly in the social life of the individuals within a family and/or group in my question.

D). How many people will be in your study?

20families will be in my study including: 10 families living in rich communities that provide more opportunity for the children and 10 families within poor communities that provide little to no opportunities for children.

E) Devise 3-4 questions you will ask them to answer your research question.

· Ask how well child is doing in school?

· What is the annual income your family earns?

· How does the child/or children get to and from school daily and what is the crime rate in their families community?

· Ask children on a scale from one to ten how well would they rate how well they feel they are doing in school and if they feel they are ever distracted from school to worry about?