Handbook of the Sociology of Gender

625 Pages·2006·10.438 MB·English

by  Janet Saltzman Chafetz (auth.)

Handbook of the
Sociology of Gender
Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research
Series Editor:
Howard B. Kaplan, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
HANDBOOK OF COMMUNITY MOVEMENTS AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
Edited by Ram A. Cnaan and Carl Milofsky
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Edited by Havidan Rodriguez, Enrico L. Quarantelli, and Russell Dynes
HANDBOOK OF DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION
Theory, Science and Prevention
Edited by Zili Sloboda and William J. Bukoski
HANDBOOK OF THE LIFE COURSE
Edited by Jeylan T. Mortimer and Michael J. Shanahan
HANDBOOK OF POPULATION
Edited by Dudley L. Poston and Michael Micklin
HANDBOOK OF RELIGION AND SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Edited by Helen Rose Ebaugh
HANDBOOK OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Edited by John Delamater
HANDBOOK OF SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
Edited by Jonathan H. Turner
HANDBOOK OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION
Edited by Maureen T. Hallinan
HANDBOOK OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF EMOTIONS
Edited by Jan E. Stets and Jonathan H. Turner
HANDBOOK OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER
Edited by Janet Saltzman Chafetz
HANDBOOK OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF MENTAL HEALTH
Edited by Carol S. Aneshensel and Jo C. Phelan
HANDBOOK OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF THE MILITARY
Edited by Giuseppe Caforio
Handbook of the
Sociology of Gender
Janet Saltzman Chafetz
University of IHouston
IHouston, Texas
^ Springer
Janet Saltzman Chafetz
University of Houston
Department of Sociology
495 Philip G. Hoffman Hall
Houston, TX 77204-3012
USA
[email protected]
Library of Congress Control Number: 2006923822
ISBN-10: 0-387-32460-7
ISBN-13: 978-0387-32460-9
© 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
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Contributors
Joan Acker, Department of Sociology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403-
1291
Denise D. Bielby, Department of Sociology, University of California at Santa Barbara,
Santa Barbara, California, 93106
Janet Saltzman Chafetz, Department of Sociology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas,
77204-3474
Becca Cragin, Institute for Women's Studies, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322
Cynthia Cranford, Department of Sociology, University of Southern California, Los
Angeles, California, 90089
Mikaela J. Dufur, Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio,
43210
Dana Dunn, Office of the Provost, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas,
76019
Cynthia Fuchs Epstein, Department of Sociology, Graduate Center, City University of
New York, New York, 10025
Elizabeth M. Esterchild, Department of Sociology, University of North Texas, Denton,
Texas, 76203
Mary Frank Fox, School of History, Technology, and Society, Georgia Institute of Tech
nology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332-0345
Denise C. Herz, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska at Omaha,
Omaha, Nebraska, 68182
Shirley A. Hill, Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045
Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo, Department of Sociology, University of Southern Califor
nia, Los Angeles, California, 90089
Joan Ruber, Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210
Mary R. Jackman, Department of Sociology, University of California at Davis, Davis,
California, 95616
Carrie James, Department of Sociology, New York University, New York, New York,
10003
Trivina Kang, Department of Sociology, New York University, New York, New York,
10003
vi Contributors
Erin L. Kelly, Department of Sociology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey,
08544
Diane Kobrynowicz, Department of Psychology, The College of New Jersey, Ewing,
New Jersey, 08628
Jennie Jacobs Kronenfeld, School of Health Administration and Policy, Arizona State
University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287-4506
Helena Znaniecka Lopata, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Loyola Univer
sity Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60626
Adair T. Lummis, Center for Social and Religious Research, Hartford Seminary, Hart
ford, Connecticut, 06105
Sara S. McLanahan, Office of Population Research, Princeton University, Princeton,
New Jersey, 08544
Irene Padavic, Department of Sociology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida,
32306-2011
Cynthia Fabrizio Pelak, Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, Columbus,
Ohio, 43210
Caroline Hodges Persell, Department of Sociology, New York University, New York,
New York, 10003
Jean L. Pyle, Department of Regional Economic and Social Development, University of
Massachusetts at Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, 01854
Barbara F. Reskin, Department of Sociology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massa
chusetts, 02138
Cecilia L. Ridgeway, Department of Sociology, Stanford University, Stanford, Califor
nia, 94305
Mady Wechsler Segal, Department of Sociology, University of Maryland, College Park,
Maryland, 20742
Beth Anne Shelton, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Texas at
ArHngton, Arlington, Texas, 76019
Wendy Simonds, Department of Sociology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia,
30303
Sally S. Simpson, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Mary
land, College Park, Maryland, 20742
Sheryl Skaggs, Department of Sociology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North
Carolina 27695
Lynn Smith-Lovin, Department of Sociology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
85721
Karrie Snyder, Department of Sociology, New York University, New York, New York,
10003
Joey Sprague, Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 66049
Jean Stockard, Department of Sociology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403-
1291
Verta Taylor, Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210
Nancy Whittier, Department of Sociology, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts,
01063
Mary K. Zimmerman, Department of Health Policy and Management, University of
Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045
Preface
During the past three decades, feminist scholars have successfully demonstrated the ubiq
uity and omnirelevance of gender as a sociocultural construction in virtually all human
collectivities, past and present. Intrapsychic, interactional, and collective social processes
are gendered, as are micro, meso, and macro social structures. Gender shapes, and is
shaped, in all arenas of social life, from the most mundane practices of everyday life to
those of the most powerful corporate actors. Contemporary understandings of gender
emanate from a large community of primarily feminist scholars that spans the gamut of
learned disciplines and also includes non-academic activist thinkers. However, while in
corporating some cross-disciplinary material, this volume focuses specifically on socio
logical theories and research concerning gender, which are discussed across the full array
of social processes, structures, and institutions.
As editor, I have explicitly tried to shape the contributions to this volume along
several lines that reflect my long-standing views about sociology in general, and gender
sociology in particular. First, I asked authors to include cross-national and historical
material as much as possible. This request reflects my belief that understanding and
evaluating the here-and-now and working realistically for a better future can only be
accomplished from a comparative perspective. Too often, American sociology has been
both tempero- and ethnocentric. Second, I have asked authors to be sensitive to
within-gender differences along class, racial/ethnic, sexual preference, and age cohort
lines. This request reflects the growing sensitivity of feminist scholars to the white, middle-
class, and heterosexist biases implicit in much of our past work, which has effectively
glossed over differences among women (especially) and consigned many categories of
women to invisibility. Third, I have intentionally omitted a chapter on men and mascu
linity and asked authors to take seriously the fact that there are two genders that require
examination and comparison. Too often, works in gender sociology are about women
only or, less frequently, men only. Just as one cannot understand the experiences, con
straints, and consciousness of an ethnic or racial minority without understanding its rela
tionship to the dominant group, one cannot understand those of women apart from their
relationship to men, culturally defined masculinity and male-dominated institutions. In
deed, one cannot adequately understand dominant groups without simultaneously exam
ining their relationships to subordinate groups. Happily, the chapter authors have taken
viii Preface
my various suggestions seriously, to the extent that available research and space in this
volume permit.
Because gender permeates all aspects of sociocultural life, the breadth of our field is
enormous. This is reflected in the large number of chapters (27) in this book, including
discussions of virtually every social institution (the economy, the family, the polity, the
legal, military and criminal justice systems, health care, education, science, sport, reli
gion) as well as numerous social structures and processes at both the macro- and micro-
levels. The purpose of this handbook is to cover the breadth of the field of gender sociol
ogy. The purpose of each chapter is to provide reasonably in-depth discussions of the
various facets of the field, including an up-to-date bibliography of the major sources. The
intended audiences comprise professional sociologists and graduate students who seek
information about the current state of knowledge in gender sociology generally or in one
or more of its specialized subdivisions, as well as feminist scholars in other disciplines
who seek to incorporate into their work the knowledge developed by their sociological
counterparts.
The book is divided into four sections. Part I, Basic Issues, consists of three chapters
that address gender theory, feminist epistemology, and the sociology of gender differ
ences and similarities. The seven chapters in Part II focus on macrolevel structures and
processes, and deal with the topics of societal evolution, national development, migra
tion, poverty, social movements, organizations, and culture as they relate to gender. Con
sisting of four chapters. Part III is devoted to microlevel structures and processes, includ
ing discussions of socialization, social roles, interaction, and violence and harassment, as
they shape and are shaped by gender. The last section of the book. Part IV, concerns the
relationship between gender and the social institutions listed above, and totals 13 chap
ters. The authors of each chapter were carefully selected for their expertise in the relevant
topic, and collectively they constitute some of the best talent in gender sociology today. I
am very proud to have my name as editor associated with those of these authors.
When I was first invited to edit this volume, I was reluctant to accept because I had
never edited a book, but had heard often what a time-consuming and frustrating job it
could be. To get a feel for what it might entail, I developed a draft table of contents and
sent it to about a dozen gender sociologists whose work I respect and who are personal
friends and acquaintances. I also asked each to volunteer to write a chapter and to suggest
other possible chapter authors. I received excellent suggestions for additions and alter
ations to the table of contents, as well as for potential authors. Equally important, nearly
everyone I initially contacted was enthusiastic about the importance of the project. Given
these responses, I accepted the editorship.
What followed was even more exciting, for as I began to call people to ask if they
would write specific chapters, their responses were overwhelmingly positive and enthusi
astic. The result was that I was able to line up outstanding authors for each chapter within
about a two week period. As is the case with most edited books, many chapters came in
later than anticipated, and a few never materialized at all. The reasons for many of the
delays and absences reflect the status of the authors, most of whom had a variety of other
professional commitments and some of whom accepted new jobs and moved during the
process of writing their chapters. Also reflected were the realities of life for professional
women: an adopted baby and a couple of births; care for aged and infirm parents; and,
unfortunately, a few cases of ill health and a house that burned down, taking with it a
draft of the chapter manuscript. Nevertheless, in the end, because of the quality and
Preface ix
dedication of the authors, the job of editing this book proved to be a most gratifying
experience.
In addition to thanking all the contributors to this volume, who have worked hard to
produce excellent chapters, I would like to thank Howard Kaplan of Texas A & M Uni
versity, the editor of the Plenum series of sociology handbooks, who invited me to edit
this one. Eliot Werner, my Plenum editor, has been a pleasure to work with and has
expedited every step of the process with efficiency and good cheer. Finally, thanks to all
those who provided me potential author names and suggestions for revising my original
table of contents: Elizabeth Almquist (now Esterchild), Margaret Andersen, Dana Dunn,
Paula England, Joan Huber, Helena Lopata, Judith Lorber, Barbara Reskin, Beth Schneider,
and Ruth Wallace.
JANET SALTZMAN CHAFETZ
University of Houston,
Houston, Texas
Contents
I. BASIC ISSUES
1. The Varieties of Gender Theory in Sociology 3
Janet Saltzman Chafetz
2. A Feminist Epistemology 25
Joey Sprague and Diane Kobrynowicz
3. Similarity and Difference: The Sociology of Gender Distinctions 45
Cynthia Fuchs Epstein
II. MACROSTRUCTURES AND PROCESSES
4. Comparative Gender Stratification 65
Joan Huber
5. Third World Women and Global Restructuring 81
Jean L. Pyle
6. Gender and Migration 105
Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo and Cynthia Cranford
1. The Feminization of Poverty: Past and Future 127
Sara S. McLanahan and Erin L. Kelly
8. Gender Movements 147
Cynthia Fabrizio Pelak, Verta Taylor and Nancy Whittier
9. Gender and Organizations 177
Joan Acker