You will apply a social theory to discuss how sexism and heterosexism are embedded in social institutions. You will evaluate how inequality is created and maintained by social institutions. You will be asked to think carefully about current policies in place to prevent discrimination and bias against women and against members of marginalized sexual and gender orientations. You will be asked to make suggestions on how these policies could be improved.
For this activity, you will identify one area where sexism or heterosexism is evident in one of the key social institutions you have studied. You will find a current event article from a local, national or international news source that details an institutional act of sexism or heterosexism. This might include laws that allow women or the LGBTQA community to be treated unfairly, reports on differences in pay or hiring practices, publicized violations of Title IX, or any other act that appears biased that is committed by an institution. For example, several years ago, the Boy Scouts of America (an institutionalized group) came under fire for refusing to allow gay men to serve as troop leaders. This is an example of heterosexist bias. Recently, the Pope made a statement that women were allowed to nurse their infants in any Catholic church during Mass; this was due to some parishes banning public nursing. Banning public nursing is an act of gender bias. Be sure that you are discussing an institutional act and not an individual act of bias. You will describe the event that you have chosen. You will then apply key sociological concepts and theories to your discussion of this event. You will also apply a social theory to explain why this institutional practice exists. The theory you pick will be the one that best fits your world view (structural functionalism, Conflict, Symbolic Interaction, Feminist or Queer Theory). You will review the positive (social stability) and negative (social dysfunction) consequences of this practice. Your review and analysis will focus on the structure of society and not on the individual. You will support your arguments with appropriate outside sources as needed.
please write an approximately 750 words of text (approximately 3 pages of double-spaced, 12-point font of text) essay addressing the following question prompts. A references list should make up an additional page.
1. Briefly summarize the article that you have selected. Provide the specifics of the act and which social institution is engaged in the act.
2. Provide a theoretical explanation for why the act occurred. This must be a structural explanation that focuses on the institution. Use the theory that best fits your understanding of the act.
3. Discuss how this act was managed. For example, if it was illegal, what were the legal sanctions against the institution? If not illegal, what was the public response?
4. Finally, suggest policy changes that might prevent future occurrences of this act.
