Social Psychology: Gender Discrimination and Sexism

I.        Gender Discrimination/Sexism/Gender Stereotypes

-           conclusions: strong genders stereotypes exist and members of the stereotyped and group accept these.

Gender Stereotypes:

                                Men                                                                                      Women

                                Leaders                                                                               more emotional

                                Assertive                                                                             tender

                                Dominant                                                                            compassionate

                                                                                                                          Understanding

                                                                                                                           kind

                                                                                                                           helpful

II.      Women’s History in America

Women’s Right:

·         Women have fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men

·         Wifehood and motherhood were regarded as women’s most significant profession

·         But in the 20^th century women in most nations gain the right to vote and increased their educational and job opportunities

Early Attitudes toward Women

·         Women in ancient times were considered intellectually inferior to men and also as a major source of temptation and evil.  e.g. Pandora in Greek Mythology

·         In ancient rome, women were described as children, forever inferior to men

·         Early Christian Theologies:

St Jerome: “ woman is the gate of the devil, the path of wickedness, the sting of the serpent, in a word a perilous object.

Thomas Aquinas: “woman is created to be a man’s helpmeet, but her unique role is in conception… since for other purposes men would be better assisted by other men”

·         India: women were not deprived of property rights

·         Hinduism: required women obedience toward men; walk behind their husbands, they could not own a property, and widow’s could not remarry.

·         Male children are preferred over female children

The Weaker Sex

·         Women were long considered naturally weaker than men, unable to perform muscular and intellectual tasks

·         In preindustrial societies: domestic chores are delegated to women; heavier labor to men (e.g women – milking cows, washing clothes, taking care of the children; men – hunting and plowing)

·         Physiological Tests suggests that women have greater tolerance to pain and statistics reveal that women live longer and are more resistant to many diseases.

·         Social role of women:

                Common stereotype  - “woman place is in the home” ; maternity

                Cultural pressure to women of becoming wives and mothers prevents many talented   women from finishing college or pursuing careers.

                The society is expecting women to prepare only for marriage and motherhood that’s

                why young girls scholastic achievement declined during HS (1960’s test results to

                middle-class girl in Western culture)

Legal Status of Women

·         The myth of the natural inferiority of women greatly influenced the status of women in law. Under the common law of England, an unmarried woman could own property, make contract, or sue and be sued. But a married woman, defined as being one with her husband, gave up her name and virtually all her property came under her husband’s control.

·         Early history in US, a man virtually owned his wife and children as he did his material possessions.

Women at Work

·         In colonial America, women’s living are like seamstress or kept boarding houses, factory worker or domestic work. Women are excluded from the professions except for writing and teaching.

·         Working women often faced discrimination on the mistaken belief that, because they were married or would most likely get married, they mould not b permanent workers.

·         A crucial issue for many women is maternity leave or time off from their jobs after giving birth.

III.    Case Study

Darelle’s Case

The Stigma of Homosexuality in the Philippines – Prejudice Against Homosexuals

IV.    Cognitive Sources of Prejudices: