Chapter 13 study guide

1. What is the difference between gender differences and sex differences?

Gender differences are cultural expectations while sex differences related
to purely biological differences.
2. In Western societies how is your gender thought of?
As either male or female.
3. What is a third gender? Examples.
The third gender likely relates to a transgendered person or a
hermaphrodite.
4. What are the physical differences noted between the sexes in humans?
Females have wider pelvises. Men are taller and have heavier skeletons.
Women have a higher percentage in fat. Males have a higher percentage
of muscle.
5. Why is taller and more muscled favored in our society?
They are favored in our society because we have a tendancy to see them
as better or more desirable traits.
6. Define gender roles.
Role assignments having to do with division of labor having to do with men
and women.
7. Define the gender role for a man and woman in Western society.
The man is typically viewed as the breadwinner and the woman is
normally viewed as the homemaker.
8. What is the strength theory?
The greater strength of males causes things which require large bursts of
energy to generally be done by men.
9. What is the compatibility with child care theory?
This theory explains why women do not hunt or do extensive trading or
specializing because it will interfere with child rearing.

10. Describe the economy of effort theory.

The economy of effort theory states that men are more likely to carve
wood or bone because they are the laborors who get the stone or bone. It
also states that it is more common for tasks to be done near one another.
11. What is the expendability theory?
This theory states that men do more dangerous work because men are
more expendable to a society than a women is.
12. Which of these four division of labor theories do you find most compelling?
The economy of effort theory.
13. What activities are included in the primary subsistence activity patterns?
Gathering, hunting, herding, fishing, farming..
14. What are secondary subsistence activities?
These involve the processing and preparation of food.
15. Look at the chart on page 309. What are the universal activities for men and
women listed? Do you see any evidence of shared labor activities? How does
this translate to the Western division of labor among genders?
For men, universal activities include hunting and trapping, lumbering,
mining and combat. For women is is almost always child care. This
translate to Western culture because men are usually the ones out there
working to support his family and women are often times the homemake
who handles the home and raises the children.
16. In regards to the political leadership globally, what is the percentage of societies
where ONLY men are leaders?
85%
17. In what percentage of societies are women not found in active combat?
87%

18. Why do some scholars think that men have dominated politics?
Men are the dominant force when it comes to warfare and since politics
and warfare go hand and hand, men generally dominate politics also
.
19. What are the three explanations to explain why females typically do not engage
in fighting?
The strength theory, compatibility theory and the expendability theory.
20. What is gender stratification?
The different status that men and women are capale of gaining in a
society.
21. What are the sexual restrictions of the women in Daghara?
This is because they are considered to be under the authority of their
fathers or husbands.
22. In contrast, what is different with the women of the Mbuti?
Women are allowed to have their voices heard during public disputes.
23. What is the most COMMON theory about why women have high or low status?
A womans status will be high if she contributes a great deal to primary
subsistence activities.
24. What are the other theories suggested that influence status of women?
Women have a higher status when their kin groups and place of residence
after marriage are organized around women.
25. Does society leave sexuality up to nature in its expression?

26. How do you feel about the dichotomy between the expression of premarital sex
in the Trobiander Islanders vs. the young girls of the Tepoztlan?
27. List any surprising practices you read under the Sex in Marriage section of this
chapter?
28. What percentage of men in world societies have engaged in extramarital sex?
Women?

29. What is your reaction to these statistics?

30. Why do you think it is not uncommon for people to stray?
31. Is homosexuality defined universally?
32. According to the Lepcha how does a man become a homosexual?
33. What are the nights of saturnalia?
34. What childhood tradition is practiced by the Siwans of North Africa?
35. How many days of the year is heterosexuality forbidden among the Etoro?