Chapter 16

Due Tuesday 3/10

Chapter 16 Questions:

Section 1:

1. What gender roles are typical in the U.S. today, in your experience? How are these different form traditional gender roles?
2. How do gender stereotypes compare to the way men and women see themselves?
3. We often talk about having a masculine and feminine side to our personalities. Using the list on page 364, describe which of your personality traits are more “masculine” and which are more “feminine.”

Section 2:

4. What gender differences exist in cognitive ability? How significant are these?
5. Discuss gender differences in:
a. aggression
b. communication style
c. mate selection
6. Read the box on page 368. According Tannen, how do men and women differ in terms of intimacy and independence? How does the story of Nancy and Josh reflect this?

Section 3:

7. What is gender typing? How does it develop?
8. According to biologists, how do genetics and hormones shape gender roles?
9. What does psychoanalytic theory tell us about gender development?
10. How do reinforcement and modeling shape gender according to social-learning theorists?
11. What is a gender schema? According to the theory, how do we acquire them?
12. Read the box on page 375. How does television seem to influence our ideas of gender? Do you agree that TV has a significant impact? Why?

Section 4:

13. How are gender roles in the United States different today than they were in the past?
14. What did Margaret Mead find among the tribes of New Guinea? Why has she been ciricized?
15. What do you think these variations tell us about gender and the source of gender roles?