Abstract
Cecilia L. Ridgeway’s Framed by Gender approaches the issue of persistence of gender inequality in the contemporary United States, and this book serves as a resource for sociologist, social science scholars, or psychologists who are interested in the evidence-based demonstration of how gender inequality exists, develops, and persists in the modern world culturally, socially, and economically. It also calls for a challenge to the present thinking about gender frame and gender beliefs system in order to build a more equal share and a more family-friendly society.
Ridgeway’s writing reflects the accuracy of scientific research and the persistent attitude of seeking the truth as a scholar. He writes in a very structured, well-organized format, providing a scientific data and research background in every aspect within the book. The author’s primary objective is to provide a meta-analytical empirical foundation on persistence of gender inequality, while he also addresses the related gender differences and social gender behaviors accordingly. Ridgeway seeks to accomplish his objective by researching previous studies and finding support, connections through abundant research.
A major theme throughout the book is how gender has become a system of social practices that are closely related to our cultural beliefs, social behaviors, and self-identities, and how the use of gender as a primary cultural frame facilitates the persistent of gender inequality in the contemporary United States. Ridgeway argues that since gender already acts as a primary frame for organizing social relations, it is only likely to overcome gender inequality if we take its social processes into account, including its status beliefs about both genders.
Framed by Gender is divided into seven chapters. The first chapter “The Puzzle of Persistence” describes the purpose of the book and sets a basic tone for the author’s major argument. In this section, Ridgeway provides readers with important background information, core beliefs of his argument, and brief introduction of the following chapters, giving readers a handy guideline of the rest of the book.
In Chapter 2, “A Primary Frame for Organizing Social Relations,” Ridgeway started to concentrate on discussing the meaning of having sex/gender as a primary frame for social relations with solid scientific research evidence. Based on researches, Ridgeway points out that we unconsciously, automatically, and almost instantly sex categorize others with cultural stereotypes of gender; maintenance of beliefs about gender difference in our current cultural framework causes gender inequality status beliefs.
After talking about gender social relations, in the chapter “Cultural Beliefs and the Gendering of Social Relations,” Ridgeway then further investigates the “common knowledge” cultural beliefs about gender stereotypes and social behaviors. Moreover, he also gives out conceptual understanding and empirical evidence to illustrate that as a combination fact of identities, gender is effectively salient to our behavior in mixed-sex settings and also those traditionally culturally linked to gender stereotypes. In the end, the author develops a model about how cultural gender beliefs shape behaviors and judgments.
In the next chapter “Gendering at Work,” Ridgeway applied his model into practice of workplace gender inequality. He discusses employer’s preferences, discrimination, job opportunities, gendered workplace culture, and the dual role of being a worker and a mother as a woman. The author provides a practical picture of gender inequality in our lives with evidence support.
“Gender at Home” comes after the practice in workplace as another essential battlefield of gender inequality. Gender frame in family relations, household division of labor, influencing factors of employment and earnings, and marital status are put into open discussion with empirical research and scientific evidence. Ridgeway claims that all those gender beliefs become the lenses through material circumstances and have an impact on the household division of labor in the contemporary world.
Now coming to the chapter “The Persistence of Inequality,” Ridgeway examines the argument of all the chapters mentioned earlier and points out that gender inequality has been transmitted into a new form with technology innovation, which may reduce gender inequality in workplace compared to personal relations.
Finally, in the last chapter “Implications for Change,” Ridgeway invites readers to revisit his arguments and take up deeper questions about our daily use of gender as a primary frame socially. The author challenges readers to examine their gender status beliefs, gender frame, and gives hope to a future world with less gender inequality and more family-friendly society in all aspects.
Overall, Framed by Gender gives us a solid ground of developmental understanding with previous empirical research evidence on how persistence of gender inequality is shown in the contemporary United States from scientific, sociological, psychological, and economic standpoints. The book serves as a precious updated resource and guide about gender inequality for many professionals and regular readers who want to make a difference in gender inequality.