University City High School Sociology Paper

Chapter 11 covers a wide range of topics that is basically the history of women in the U.S. The chapter covers the social side of the history, while looking at the economic and political side of women in society. The social aspect begins with the terms “sex” and “gender,” how is this define? What does it mean when you used both in terms of interaction. For example, how do children interact with each other, boys and girls at home or school. How does socialization shape those ideas about boys and girls? Economically, we read in the chapter on immigrants about human capital, if they enter the U.S. with high human capital, they are more likely to had a good job. “Human capital theory is the view that upward mobility is a direct result of effort, personal values and skills, and investment in education” (p.35). Historically for women, they find themselves in similar economic situations as many minorities do. The thinking in society suggested that effort and personal values for women is not a strong trait. Skills and education is another trait of women not being successful. For working class women and minority women, the upper class was out of reach even if they were successful. WWII changed women and how they thought about themselves, they could now go to work and do jobs that men did. One of my aunts has a picture of about 20 women, Some are standing, while others are kneeling behind a big WWII bomber. I asked my aunt, what’s this picture? She answered proudly, “We built that plane.” What did this do to their self-esteem? I remember when I first heard “pink collar workers”, I didn’t know what this meant. I learned it mean jobs like secretarial jobs, nurses, teachers, and flight attendants. Women knew that the politics had to change. The women’s movement was all about social-economic-political change for women. When you study the SES for women in society, they are still in lower levels of society. The biggest fight is yet to come, they will elect more women representative to office. Women will be part of change along with minority women, Native American Indians, African Americans, Mexican Americans and Latinx, Asian Americans, and White liberal males or working class males. This is what California’s state legislature looks like today.

The Evelyn and Hope story in ch. 12 elaborates on the experiences that a gay/lesbian married couple go through. The way their children could be treated because their parents are gay or lesbian. Medical issues and social security problems and getting through the bureaucratic policies. Come in contact with people who are not gay or lesbian and don’t understand the difference between sexual orientation, sexual identity, and sexual behavior then treating them with disdain.

Select one the following questions typed and double spaced, report # and question #.

1. Has the move away from higher paying industrial jobs to high computer tech jobs be helpful or hurt women as they strive to achieve equality?

2. The percentage of women is increasing in traditional male occupations and decreasing in traditional female occupations (fig.11.1). Comment on whether the ideal situation would be an absolute balance across all occupations and professions, why or why not?

3. Discuss the contradictions presented for the LGBTQ community, with the data revealed in figure 12.1 and related text material. How would you explain these results? Do you believe this influences how the overall society views LGBTQ individuals?

4. How should the military handle previous discharge under the “don’t ask, don’t tell policy?”