The Sociology of Gender: An Introduction to Theory and Research

Featuring extensive revisions and updates, the new Second Edition of The Sociology of Gender presents an introductory overview of gender theory and research, and continues to offer a unique and compelling approach to one of the most important topics in the field of sociology. Drawing from recent and ongoing research in the field, gender scholar Amy Wharton develops and expands upon theoretical approaches to gender from her acclaimed first edition. These approaches emphasize how gender can be viewed through different "lenses," and how each one generates a particular way of thinking about gender and its role in social life.
Wharton shows how individualist approaches view gender as part of the person; interactional approaches focus on the ways that gender emerges through social interaction; and institutional views emphasize how gender is built into organizations, social structures, and institutional arrangements. The book deftly summarizes and examines these three frameworks to facilitate an understanding of gender′s contested meanings and vast areas of research. Also addressed is the importance of analyzing gender in relation to other kinds of distinctions, such as those based on race, social class, or sexual orientation. The newest research findings by key scholars are also discussed, and the inclusion of cross–national studies allow for comparative analysis of different areas of study. The Sociology of Gender: An Introduction to Theory and Research, Second Edition, offers the most up–to–date and accessible overview of this prominent subfield of sociological enquiry available today.

Spis treści:
1 Introduction to the Sociology of Gender.
Chapter Objectives.
Introduction.
Sociological Vantage Points.
A Brief History of the Sociological Study of Gender.
Defining Gender.
Three Frameworks for Understanding Gender.
Gender Matters.
Who is to Blame? Understanding Gender Ine quality.
Chapter Summary.
Further Reading.
Key Terms.
Critical Thinking Questions.
PART I: CONCEPTUAL APPROACHES.
2 The Gendered Person.
Chapter Objectives.
Sex Differences in Traits, Abilities, or Behavioral Dispositions.
The Origins of Sex Differences.
Environmental Explanations of Sex Differences: Becoming Gendered.
Sex Differences and Social Policy: The Case of Mathematics Aptitude.
Sex Differences and Gender Inequality.
Chapter Summary.
Further Reading.
Key Terms.
Critical Thinking Questions.
3 Gender in Interaction and Institutions.
Chapter Objectives.
Interactionist Views of Gender.
Gendered Organizations/Gendered Institutions.
Toward a Multilayered Conception of Gender.
Chapter Summary.
Further Reading.
Key Terms.
Critical Thinking Questions.
PART II: GENDER IN CONTEXT.
4 Work and Family as Gendered Institutions.
Chapter Objectives.
The Division of Labor.
Work, Family, and Gender in the Industrial Age.
A Half–Century of Gender Change: Work, Education, and Gender Egalitarian Beliefs.
Changes in Gender, Family, and Caregiving.
Gender, Work, and Family: The Roles of Social Policy and the State.
Gender, Work, and Family in the Twenty–First Century: Looking Ahead.
Chapter Summary.
Further Reading.
Key Terms.
Critical Thinking Questions.
5 Gender, Childhood, and Family Life.
Chapter Objectives.
Parents′ Preferences for Children′s Sex.
"Is it a Boy or a Girl?": Gender Construction in Families.
Childhood and the Importance of Same–Gender Peers.
Gender Socialization in Childhood Reconsidered.
The Household Division of Labor and the Family.
Explaining Women′s and Men′s Involvement in Household Work and Childcare.
Lesbian and Gay Families Rewriting Family Life.
Marriage, Families, and Their Consequences for Women and Men.
Chapter Summary.
Further Reading.
Key Terms.
Critical Thinking Questions.
6 Gendered Jobs and Gendered Workers.
Chapter Objectives.
Sex Segregation and the Division of Labor in Paid Work.
Explaining Sex Segregation.
Gender Typing of Jobs, Hierarchies, and Workplace Expectations.
The Gender Pay Gap.
Explaining the Gender Pay Gap.
Chapter Summary.
Further Reading.
Key Terms.
Critical Thinking Questions.
PART III: EPILOGUE.
7 Deconstructing Gender Differences and Inequalities.
Chapter Objectives.
Gender Distinctions and Gender Inequalities.
The Reproduction of Gender Inequality.
Challenging Gender Inequality.
Making Gender Matter Less.
Chapter Summary.
Further Reading.
Key Terms.
Critical Thinking Questions.
References.
Index.

Nota biograficzna:
Amy S. Wharton is Professor of Sociology and Director of the College of Liberal Arts at Washington State University, Vancouver. Dr Wharton′s research on gender inequality, the sociology of work, and work–family policies has been published in the American Sociological Review, Social Forces, and Work & Occupations, as well as many other peer–reviewed journals and edited books. She is the editor of Working in America: Continuity, Conflict, and Change (2002, 2nd ed.) and co–author of The Sociology of Work: Structures and Inequalities (2009).

Okładka tylna:
Featuring extensive revisions and updates, the new Second Edition of The Sociology of Gender presents an introductory overview of gender theory and research, and continues to offer a unique and compelling approach to one of the most important topics in the field of sociology. Drawing from recent and ongoing research in the field, gender scholar Amy Wharton develops and expands upon theoretical approaches to gender from her acclaimed first edition. These approaches emph asize how gender can be viewed through different "lenses," and how each one generates a particular way of thinking about gender and its role in social life.
Wharton shows how individualist approaches view gender as part of the person; interactional approaches focus on the ways that gender emerges through social interaction; and institutional views emphasize how gender is built into organizations, social structures, and institutional arrangements. The book deftly summarizes and examines these three frameworks to facilitate an understanding of gender′s contested meanings and vast areas of research. Also addressed is the importance of analyzing gender in relation to other kinds of distinctions, such as those based on race, social class, or sexual orientation. The newest research findings by key scholars are also discussed, and the inclusion of cross–national studies allow for comparative analysis of different areas of study. The Sociology of Gender: An Introduction to Theory and Research, Second Edition, offers the most up–to–date and accessible overview of this prominent subfield of sociological enquiry available today.