Chapter 5

Lecture Notes

The traditional female gender role highlights characteristics such as passivity, physical attractiveness, and being a wife and a mother. However, there are striking ethnic and individual differences. American middle-class white women could serve as wives and mothers but were not expected to defer marriage for career goals. Their gender role now includes work outside the home, but subordinated to marital and family roles.   African American gender roles are more egalitarian for men and women. Latina women must be faithful and subordinate to their husbands while maintaining family traditions and culture. Asian Americans' gender roles include conservative attitudes about sexual behavior and norms, but these are changing with the increased exposure to American culture. Female sexual scripts focus on feelings over sex and on love over passion. For example, sex is good as well as bad, and it is not okay to touch yourself down there. Sex is seen for men and men should know what women want. Women shouldn't talk about sex and should look like models and are nurturers. They give, and men receive, and there is only one right way to have an orgasm___vaginal sex.