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SOC ? Wiley ? Gender Socialization Resources, D___ Name:47910751460500Tiger Girls on the Soccer Field (2013), by Dr. Hilary Levey Freidman (sociologist) Instructions: Actively read attachment article and complete the questions below. Background: Dr. Freidman, a renowned sociologist, “[s]tudied 95 families with elementary school-age children who were involved in competitive afterschool activities—chess, dance, and soccer” with the purpose of understanding why parents wanted their daughters to get involved in certain activities over others, and how that was tied to class (economics).Vocabulary: Title IX: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”Feminist / feminism: The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.Hegemonic: predominant; mainBinary: consisting of or involving twoLucrative: profitableCharlotte, a 9-year-old competitive soccer player, views “tomboy” as a negative label. How did Dr. Freidman come to this conclusion? (p. 102)What is “aggressive femininity”? (p. 102)Why did many parents in this study—notably those from a higher socioeconomic class—want their daughters to express “aggressive femininity”? (pp. 102-3)Fill in the blanks and respond to the question below: Recent studies show that ____ percent of ___________________ businesswomen played ________________________________ in middle and high school. Of female _____________________ executives, ____ percent said they were competitive __________________ during childhood. . . . [P]articipation in high school sports __________________ the likelihood that a girl will attend __________________ . . . and enter previously male-dominated occupations. (p. 103)If you were the parent of a young daughter, would these findings (along with the general argument of this article) impact your child-rearing methods in any way? Why or why not?Do you suspect that the father’s comment from page 104 is common in America today? (“You let a girl beat you!”)Do you think appearance should continue to matter in activities such as dance? Why or why not? (pp. 104-5)Dr. Freidman’s key findings about girls’ activities and familial socioeconomic status are on page 105. Summarize the findings in your own words. What are some of the costs associated with aggressive femininity? (pp. 105-6)Answer one of the following questions: What does socialization in these various afterschool activities—chess, dance, soccer—teach children about their self and place in the social world? OR How does Freidman’s article on children’s participation in afterschool activities contribute to the nature vs. nurture debate? (questiones borrowed from p. 106)Kindergarten Lesson Plan: Boys Like, Girls Like, Kids Like (2014), by Ashley Miller (educational administrator and former teacher) Instructions: Actively read attachment lesson plan and answer the questions below. Background: More and more elementary school teachers around the country are starting to talk to their students about gender in a way they never have before. As such, they are consciously altering the gender socialization process. Is this a good thing?Is this a good activity for children in Kindergarten? Why or why not? Do you remember ever learning (directly) about gender when you were in Kindergarten? Gender — Not Race — is Biggest Factor in Violent Behavior (2005), by Dr. Randy Flood (psychologist) Instructions: Actively read the article below and answer the questions that follow. Since The Grand Rapids Press featured an article on black men killing black men, people have weighed in with their analyses of the problem. They’ve presented a myriad of causes such as poor education, poverty, ineffective parenting, racism, etc., but the most common denominator, male socialization, isn’t discussed. Gender socialization is the process in which young people learn how they are supposed to think, feel, and behave as men and women. There are many causative variables discussed in the analysis of violent criminal behavior, but the one that remains invisible is the toxicity [harmfulness; poisonousness] of male socialization. The fact is that men, not women, across all socio-economic levels, races, families, and cultures are the primary perpetrators of violent crime. This illuminates the power of gender socialization. If poor education was the primary cause of black criminal behavior, then why are most of our homicides committed by men? If poverty is the primary cause of violent black criminal behavior then why don’t we have as many females in prison as men? If a dysfunctional family with ineffective parenting, abuse and neglect is the primary cause then why do men account for 90 percent of the domestic violence offender population? If racism is the primary impetus for black male criminal behavior, then why are white males committing violent crime at about the same male to female ratio as their black counterparts? If “kids are killing kids” in the school shootings then why have all of the shooters been male students? In addition, most of these boys were also white students in intact families attending good suburban schools. Male socialization is the missing link in the analyses of black male violent crime and violent crime in general. Boys aren’t born brutes or beasts genetically programmed to be violent. Rigid male socialization is a social toxin to men’s humanity and the most vulnerable in our society will manifest symptoms of the toxin. Think about air pollution. Air pollution is a physical toxin to asthmatic patients. These patients become symptomatic, manifesting complications in breathing when in polluted climates. Individuals raised in environments with racism, poverty, dysfunctional families, unemployment, and poor education end up psychologically asthmatic, vulnerable to social toxins such as male socialization. These boys feel vulnerable, powerless, and marginalized. However, the male code tells them to “tough it out,” “suck it up,” and “don’t talk about it.” Manliness is equated with being tough, strong, aggressive, powerful, and always in control. Boys get called names such as weak, wuss, or sissy when they behave outside the masculine box. They get disrespected and ostracized. The pressure to fit in is huge. The result is that boys squash their humanity. Men look for ways to prop themselves up to appear more powerful, more intimidating, more competitive, essentially, more manly. Affluent white boys may be able to do this with money, cars, houses, degrees, and social status, while those less fortunate may be left to prove their masculinity with violence, guns and even murder. In effect, the male socialization process teaches men to externalize painful emotions and avoid states of vulnerability. Consequently, some men act out their rage and pain onto others in acts of criminal violence. After all, to kill someone is the ultimate act of control and power. We also don’t talk about the broader impact of male training on our boys. It is frightening to see how poorly our boys are adapting and fitting into society. Not only are they more violent, but also they are less likely than girls to go to college, more likely to drop out of high school or be placed in special education, and twice as likely than girls to die in a car accident. We need to raise our boys to be more fit, more humane. If we give them permission to talk, feel, and emotionally connect to others they are less likely to lose their souls in oppressive conditions. The enemies of violence are empathy, compassion, sensitivity and humility; so let’s encourage this in boys too. We need to stop leaving the issue of male socialization out of our discussions on violent behavior. And, let’s work on socializing our boys to stay in touch with their humanity. Then, and only then, do boys have a chance to refrain from violent behavior in difficult circumstances and a challenging world. What do you see as the purpose of Dr. Flood’s article? How does Dr. Flood link male socialization to violence? What is your reaction to this article?What Does It Mean to 'Be a Man'? (2015), by Sutheshna Mani of Huffington Post Instructions: Actively read the article below and then create two of your own questions that relate to its content. Be prepared to share these questions with the class. paolomartinezphotography via Getty Images"The sex that oppresses another sex is not a free sex."I heard this quote in an Africana intellectual thought class that I dropped in on, and it's a quote I can't stop thinking about. There is no doubt that historically, oppressive patriarchal societies have caused mayhem to women in the past and today, but do we ever think to ourselves, were men truly "free" in these systems, despite being the privileged sex? In my opinion, no.Just as the masculine gender constructs puts down females, its first victims, are in fact males, starting with the way they are raised. In a famous TED talk, Tony Porter described the discrepancy in the way he handled his daughter crying versus his son. If his daughter cried, he consoled her with reassurance of comfort and protection. This is not however, how he dealt with his son's tears -- he paid no heed to the reasons for his son's sadness. Rather, he sternly told him to buck up, wipe his tears and act his gender. Many young boys are often socialized this way, into what Porter described as "The Man Box," which entails the following: little fear, little weakness and emotion, physically strong, heterosexual, confident, wealthy and dominant. This subsequently concludes that the antithesis of these qualities are "feminine." Women are therefore relegated to weaker status, and gay men are considered failures as men.When we require these unrealistic standards of men, we leave young men with fragile egos. It's to the point that having their authority questioned, having a female partner make more money, or mere association with feminine qualities is equal to emasculation. Suppressing the humanity of males leaves them emotionally illiterate. And, we wonder why males are generally viewed as more violent [and commit more acts of violence]; anger and rage are acceptable expressions of [masculine] emotion. . . . Remarks like "Stop acting like a female," "Don't be a pu**y", or "He runs/plays like a girl" are far too familiar to us. If it's the worst crime for a man to be called a woman, it begs the question, what are we then teaching young boys about women? When a man becomes more and more compelled to emulate the qualities of an ideal alpha male, it directly affects his perceptions of women and thus how he views and treats them. As a little girl I feel like I was socialized into this worldview that I should inherently fear men, a notion validated by many male figures in my life. I fear that being blasé [nonchalant, unconcerned] about painting this image of males is what perpetuates certain "boys will be boys" excuses when boys commit acts of violence. Many instances of women, particularly in the army, coming forward to commanding officers about sexual assault have often resulted in the "well what did you expect to happen?" justification. We shouldn't expect this of men. And men shouldn't accept this excuse, because when they do, they are acquiescing to a backward world view that they are savage by nature. In my opinion, there lacks in-depth conversation about masculinity and its effects on adolescent boys through their journey into manhood. . . . You create the question:You create the question: Men & Emotional Expression: Are men really less emotional than women? (2014), by Dr. Jerry Kennard (psychologist)(adapted from Lee, C & Glynn Owens, R (2002), The Psychology of Men's Health | Open University Press)Instructions: Actively read the article below and answer the question that follows. Over the past decade, the effects of emotional expression on health, and the differences between men and women in this regard, have become more widely understood. An increasing body of research shows the importance of emotional expression on emotional well-being and, while the exact mechanism between emotional expression and health is not entirely clear, the link appears to exist. Men are traditionally thought of as being less emotional than women but the evidence points more towards a situation where men tend to show emotions that are bad for them and the people around them.Here is a quick overview of some of the research findings about men, their emotional expressions and their pared to Women:there is substantial evidence to show that men have more difficulty in expressing their emotions and exert greater controls over the expression of emotions.men spend more time ruminating [deliberating, reflecting] over negative emotions.men share their emotions with far fewer.men express emotions with less intensity.men use less emotional language and fewer 'emotion' words.behavior seems less affected by expressions of emotion.men are more likely to under-report negative feelings.men are more willing to express emotions likely to be viewed as demonstrating power or control (for example: pride, anger and jealousy).The Differences Explained:Most theorists agree that biological differences between men and women cannot explain differences in emotional expression. In terms of the supposed lack of emotion in men, a more plausible explanation is the number and extent of social experiences men encounter from childhood that inhibit emotional expression (gender socialization). It has been pointed out that men and women live in different worlds when it comes to emotional expression. From early childhood most boys are exposed to fewer emotion-oriented conversations and are not encouraged to express emotions verbally. Yet, for example, the expression of rage if personal possessions or status is threatened, is seen not only as typically male, but in some situations encouraged and admired. The point is that men appear to experience exactly the same emotions as women but their expression is often very different.How does this article excerpt weigh in on the nature vs. nurture debate? center142970700 ................
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