Fall 2007                                 Psychology of Gender & Social Class                        Psych 81591-002

 

Instructor:                   Kristin D. Mickelson, Ph.D.

Office:                         Kent Hall Addition 332

Office Phone:                672-2253

Office Hours:                Mondays & Wednesdays 1:30-4:00pm and by appointment

Email:                           kmickels@kent.edu

 

 

Purpose:                     The primary goal of this course is to review theories and research examining the roles of gender, socioeconomic status, and race on various psychological outcomes, with a special focus on mental and physical health.  As this is a graduate level course, an equally important goal will

be to develop critical and integrative ways of thinking about theory and research.  Finally, as these constructs have importance in history, sociology, and anthropology, an interdisciplinary approach will be taken to provide context for the psychological research.

 

Texts:                         No More Kin, by Anne Roschelle (required)

                                    Society & Health by B. Amick, S. Levine, A.R. Tarlov, & D. Chapman Walsh (required)

 

Various articles, a packet of these articles is available at the UPS Store on East Main Street.

 

Participation:              Since this is a graduate seminar, students are expected to actively participate in, and take a major role in class discussions. I expect you to do all the required reading, and to be prepared to discuss the major issues raised by the readings. Each week you are required to bring to class a 1-2 page "reaction paper" on one reading, to be turned in on the day the reading is discussed.  The readings will be divided amongst the students each week.  The "reaction paper" should include a paragraph presenting 2 to 3 key points of the reading, a paragraph describing your personal reaction to the reading, and one or two questions to be discussed in class. The purpose of the reaction papers is to encourage your participation in class discussions by organizing your thinking about the reading, and by formulating specific questions.  These reaction papers and your participation in discussion constitute 30% of the final grade.

Article Presentation:  You will also be required to present a recent empirical article of your choice for one of the weekly topics (starting in Week 5).  Make a copy of the article for me as well as the students in the class one week prior to your presentation (or provide the PDF link or file).  The presentation should be no more than 15 minutes and should cover the main goal(s) of the study, methodology, main findings (no numbers/stats), and conclusions.  You will then be expected to lead a 15-minute discussion of the article with the class.  This presentation will constitute 20% of the final grade.    

Paper:                         The remaining 50% of the final grade will based on a 15 to 20-page paper on a topic of your choice pertaining to gender, race, and/or social

class.  The paper must be written in APA style.  An optional rough draft can be turned in to me for comments one month prior to the final draft due date.  The page requirement does NOT include references.  The paper may be a literature review or research proposal.

 

PART I: An Interdisciplinary Context

 

 

MON   (8/27)   What is Social Class?

                        Cirino, P. T., et al.  (2002).  Measuring socioeconomic status: Reliability and preliminary validity for different approaches.  Assessment, 9,

145-155.

 

Ehrenreich, B. (1990).  Fear of falling: The inner life of the middle class (pp. 3-56, 97-143).

                       

Gans, H. (2004).  Deconstructing the underclass.  In P. S. Rothenberg (Ed.), Race, Class, and Gender in the United States (pp. 103-109).

 New York: Worth Publishers.

 

Heath, R. P.  (1998).  The new working class.  American Demographics, (pp. 51-55).

 

Mantsios, G.  (2004). Class in America – 2003. In P. S. Rothenberg (Ed.), Race, Class, and Gender in the United States (pp. 193-207).

 New York: Worth Publishers.

 

Rose, S. J.  (2000).  Social Stratification in the United States, (pp. 7-26), New York: The New Press.

 

MON  (9/3)      ***** NO CLASS – Monday, September 3rd LABOR DAY*****

 

MON  (9/10)    What is Gender?

Ashmore, R. D.  (1990).  Sex, gender, and the individual.  In L. A. Pervin (Ed.), Handbook of Personality: Theory and Research (pp.486-526).  New York: Guilford Press.

 

Excerpt from Egalia’s Daughters by Gerd Brantenberg (1977), pp. 9-16, 168-179.

 

Lorber, J. (2004).  “Night to his day”: The social construction of gender.   In P. S. Rothenberg (Ed.), Race, Class, and Gender in the United States (pp. 54-65). New York: Worth Publishers.

 

White, J. W.  (2007). Taking sides: Clashing views in gender (3rd edition, pp 2-32).  Dubuque, IA: McGraw Hill

 

Gender Stereotypes

Brannon, L.  (2002).  Gender: Psychological perspectives  (3rd edition, pp. 152-176). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

 

Cahn, S. K.  (1995).  “Mannishness,” lesbianism, and homophobia in U.S. women’s sports.  In L. K. Kerber & J. S. De Hart (Eds.), Women’s America: Refocusing the past (4th edition, pp. 468-477).  New York: Oxford University Press.

 

Sex/Gender Roles

Brannon, L.  (2002).  Gender: Psychological perspectives  (3rd edition, pp. 425-441). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

 

Filene, P.  (1986).  Him/Her/Self: Sex Roles in Modern America, 2nd Edition, (pp. 3-5, 222-236), Baltimore, MD:  Johns Hopkins University.        

                                   

Film Discussion - to be led by small groups; Quiz - take one or both of the following online: http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=196574 or http://www.gagirl.com/quiz/fem-mas.html

 

MON  (9/17)    What is Race?

Brodkin, K.  (2004).  How Jews became white folks and what that says about race in America.  In P. S. Rothenberg (Ed.), Race, Class, and Gender in the United States (pp. 38-53). New York: Worth Publishers.

 

Buck, P.D.  (2004).  Constructing race, creating privilege.  In P. S. Rothenberg (Ed.), Race, Class, and Gender in the United States

(pp. 31-37). New York: Worth Publishers.

 

Lusane, C. (2001).  Black no more: Race construction and the 2000 Census.  National Political Science Review, 8, 151-170.

 

Omi, M. & Winant, H. (2004).  Racial formations. In P. S. Rothenberg (Ed.), Race, Class, and Gender in the United States (pp. 12-21). New York: Worth Publishers.

 

Phinney, J. S.  (1996).  When we talk about American ethnic groups, what do we mean?  American Psychologist, 51, 918-927.

 

Yee, A. H., Fairchild, H. H., Weizmann, F., & Wyatt, G. E.  (1993).  Addressing psychology's problems with race.  American Psychologist,

48, 1132-1140.

 

Various replies to Yee et al. (1995).  American Psychologist, 50, 40-47.

 

PART II: Behavior and Relationships

 

MON  (9/24)    Sex Differences in Behavior

Bem, S.  (1993).  The Lenses of Gender, Ch. 2 (pp. 6-38), New Haven, CT: Yale University.

 

Eagly, A. H., & Wood, W.  (1999).  The origins of sex differences in human behavior: Evolved dispositions versus social roles.  American Psychologist, 54, 408-423.

 

Mifflin, M.  (1999). Singing the pink blues.  www.salon.com (Mothers Who Think, December 13, 1999).

 

Nosek, B. A., Banaji, M. R., & Greenwald, A. G.  (2002).  Math = male, me = female, therefore math not = me.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 44-59.

 

White, J. W.  (2007). Taking sides: Clashing views in gender (3rd edition, pp 182-205).  Dubuque, IA: McGraw Hill

           

MON  (10/1)    Race Differences in Behavior

Harris, M. B.  (1992).  Sex, race, and experiences of aggression.  Aggressive Behavior, 18, 201-217.

 

Kim, H., Baydar, N., & Greek, A.  (2003).  Testing conditions influence the race gap in cognition and achievement estimated by household survey data.  Applied Developmental Psychology, 23, 567-582.

 

Steele, C., & Aronson, J.  (1995).  Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 797-811.

 

Social Class Differences in Behavior

Adler, P. T.  (1971).  Ethnic and socioeconomic status differences in human figure drawings.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 36, 344-354.

 

Berkowits, L., & Friedman, P.  (1967).  Some social class differences in helping behavior.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 217-225.

 

MON  (10/8)    Cultural Theories on Relationships

Roschelle, A.  (1997).  No More Kin, Ch. 1 (pp. 1-41), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

                       

Bassuk, E. L., Perloff, J. N., & Coll, C. G.  (1998).  The plight of extremely poor Puerto Rican and non-Hispanic White single mothers.  Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 33, 326-336.

 

Dressler, W. W.  (1985).  Extended family relationships, social support, and mental health in a Southern Black community.   Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 26, 39-48.

 

                        Structural Theories on Relationships

Roschelle, A.  (1997).  No More Kin, Ch. 2 (pp. 42-68), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 

Mickelson, K. D. & Kubzansky, L. D. (2003).  Social distribution of social support: The mediating role of life events.  American Journal of Community Psychology, 32, 265-281.

 

Shinn, M., Knickman, J. R., & Weitzman, B. C.  (1991).  Social relationships and vulnerability to becoming homeless among poor families.  American Psychologist, 46, 1180-1187.

 

MON  (10/15)  Integrating Culture and Structure

Roschelle, A.  (1997).  No More Kin, Chapters. 3-8 (pp. 69-202), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 

Dillaway, H., & Broman, C.  (2001).  Race, class, and gender differences in marital satisfaction and divisions of household labor among

dual-earner couples:  A case for intersectional analysis.  Journal of Family Issues, 22, 309-327.

 

Orbuch, T. L., Veroff, J., Hassan, H., & Horrocks, J.  (2002). Who will divorce: A 14-year longitudinal study of black couples and white couples.  Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 19, 179-202.

 

Perloff, J. N., & Buckner, J. C.  (1996).   Fathers of children on welfare: Their impact on child well-being.  American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 66, 557-571.

 

PART III: Health Outcome

 

MON  (10/22)  Gender & Marriage

Gove, W. R.  (1973).  Sex, marital status, and mortality.  American Journal of Sociology, 79, 45-67.

 

Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., & Newton, T. L.  (2001). Marriage and health: His and hers.  Psychological Bulletin, 127, 472-503.

Kurdek, L. A.  (2001).  Differences between heterosexual-nonparent couples and gay, lesbian, and heterosexual-parent couples.  Journal of Family Issues, 22, 728-755.

 

Stroebe, M. S., & Stroebe, W.  (1983).  Who suffers more?  Sex differences in health risks of the widowed.   Psychological  Bulletin, 93, 279-301.

 

                        Gender & Work

Bird, C. E.  (1999).  Gender, household labor, and psychological distress: The impact of the amount and division of housework.  Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 40, 32-45.

 

Perrewe, P. L., & Carlson, D. S.  (2002). Do men and women benefit from social support equally? Results from a field examination within the work and family context.  In D. L. Nelson & R. J. Burke (Eds.), Gender, work stress, and health (pp.101-114).  Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

 

Rosenfield, S.  (1989).  The effects of women’s employment: Personal control and sex differences in mental health.  Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 30, 77-91.

 

MON  (10/29)  Gender & Mental Health

Dambrun, M.  (2007).  Gender differences in mental health: The mediating role of perceived personal discrimination.  Journal of Applied

Social Psychology, 37, 1118-1129.

 

Kessler, R. C., & McLeod, J. D.  (1984).  Sex differences in vulnerability to undesirable life events.  American Sociological Review, 49, 620-631.

 

Umberson, D., Chen, M. D., House, J. S., Hopkins, K., & Slaten, E.  (1996).  The effect of social relationships on psychological well-being:

Are men and women really so different?  American Sociological Review, 61, 837-857.

 

Gender & Physical Health

Amick, B., Levine, S., Tarlov, A. R., & Walsh, D. C.  (1995).  Society and Health, Ch. 5 (pp.131-171). New York: Oxford University Press.

 

Davis, M. C., Matthews, K. A., & Twamley, E. W.  (1999).  Is life more difficult on Mars or Venus?  A meta-analytic review of sex differences

 in major and minor life events.  Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 21, 83-97.

 

Matthews, K. A., Davis, M. C., Stoney, C. M., Owens, J. F., & Caggiula, A. R.  (1991).  Does the gender relevance of the stressor influence

sex differences in psychophysiological responses?  Health Psychology, 10, 112-120.

 

Shumaker, S. A., & Hill, D. R. (1991). Gender differences in social support and physical health.  Health Psychology, 10, 102-111.

 

MON  (11/5)    Race & Health

Amick, B., Levine, S., Tarlov, A. R., & Walsh, D. C.  (1995).  Society and Health, Ch. 4 (pp.93-130). New York: Oxford University Press.

 

Cermele, J. A., Daniels, S., & Anderson, K. L.  (2001).  Defining normal: Constructions of race and gender in the DSM-IV Casebook.

Feminism and Psychology, 11, 229-247.

 

Kilmer, R. P., Cowen, E. L., Wyman, P. A., Work, W. C., & Magnus, K. B.  (1998).  Differences in stressors experienced by urban African American, White, and Hispanic children.  Journal of Community Psychology, 26, 415-428.

 

Williams, D. R., Yu, Y., & Jackson, J. S.  (1997).  Racial differences in physical and mental health.  Journal of Health Psychology, 2, 335-351.

 

                        Race & Work

Gil, K. M.,Carson, J. W., Porter, L. S., Scipio, C., Bediako, S. M., & Orringer, E.  (2004).  Daily mood and stress predict pain, health care use, and work activity in African American adults with sickle-cell disease.  Health Psychology, 23, 267-274.

 

Rushing, B., & Schwabe, A.  (1995).  The health effects of work and family role characteristics: Gender and race comparisons.  Sex Roles, 33, 59-74.

 

                        Race & Marriage

Barrett, A. E.  (2003).  Race differences in the mental health effects of divorce: A reexamination incorporating temporal dimensions of the dissolution process.  Journal of Family Issues, 24, 995-1019.

 

MON  (11/12)  ***** NO CLASS – Monday, November 12th  VETERAN’S DAY*****

 

                        ***Rough draft of paper due Monday, Nov. 12th, by 5:00pm***

 

MON  (11/19)  SES & Work

Amick, B., Levine, S., Tarlov, A. R., & Walsh, D. C.  (1995).  Society and Health, Ch. 8 (pp.247-271). New York: Oxford University Press.

 

Borg, V., & Kristensen, T. S.  (2000).  Social class and self-rated health: Can the gradient be explained by differences in life style or work environment?  Social Science and Medicine, 51, 1019-1030.

 

Borrell, C., Muntaner, C., Benach, J., & Artazcoz, L.  (2004).  Social class and self-reported health status among men and women: What is the role of work organization, household material standards, and household labour?  Social Science and Medicine, 58, 1869-1887.

 

Ostrove, J. M., & Adler, N. E.  (1998).  The relationship between socio-economic status, labor force participation, and health among men and women.  Journal of Health Psychology, 3, 451-463.

 

SES & Marriage

Taylor, S. E., & Gonzaga, G. C.  (2006).  Evolution, relationships, and health: The social shaping hypothesis.  In M. Schaller, J. A.

Simpson, & D. T. Kenrick (Eds.), Evolution and social psychology (pp. 211-236).

 

MON  (11/26)  SES & Mental Health

McLeod, J. D., & Kessler, R. C.  (1990).  Socioeconomic status differences in vulnerability to undesirable life events.  Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 31, 162-172.

 

Sapolsky, R. M.  (1998).  Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Ch. 15 (pp. 287-308), New York: W. H. Freeman & Co.

 

Yu, Y., & Williams, D. R.  (1999).  Socioeconomic status and mental health. In C. S. Aneshensel, & J. C. Phelan, (Eds.), Handbook of

 sociology of mental health. (pp. 151-166).

 

                        SES & Physical Health

Amick, B., Levine, S., Tarlov, A. R., & Walsh, D. C.  (1995).  Society and Health, Chapters 3 & 6 (pp.46-92, 172-210). New York: Oxford University Press.

 

Adler, N. E., Boyce, T., Chesney, M. A., Cohen, S., Folkman, S., Kahn, R. L., & Syme, S. L.  (1994).  Socioeconomic status and health.

 American Psychologist, 49, 15-24.

 

Gallo, L. C., Smith, T. W., & Cox, C. M.  (2006).  Socioeconomic status, psychosocial processes, and perceived health: An interpersonal perspective. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 31, 109-119.

 

Pincus, T., & Callahan, L. F.  (1995).  What explains the association between socioeconomic status and health: Primarily access to medical

care or mind-body variables? Advances, 11, 4-36.

 

MON  (12/3)    Semester Wrap-Up:  What Does It All Mean?

Amick, B., Levine, S., Tarlov, A. R., & Walsh, D. C.  (1995).  Society and Health, Chapters 9-11 (pp.272-358). New York: Oxford University Press.

 

Rothenberg, P.S. (2004).  Race, class, and gender in the United States (6th edition), Chapters 12-14 (pp. 124-154). New York: Worth

Publishers.

 

White, J. W.  (2007). Taking sides: Clashing views in gender (3rd edition, pp 116-133).  Dubuque, IA: McGraw Hill

 

                        ***Final draft of paper due Monday, Dec. 10th, by 5:00pm***