“Sex and Gender Through the Prism of Difference,” Maxine Baca Zinn, Pierrette
Hondagneu-Sotelo, and Michael Messner
Maxine Baca Zinn, Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo, and Michael Messner present a new
framework of the study of gender. The “prism of difference” they describe broadens the
traditional view of gender by recognizing the influences of social locations other than
gender, and hierarchical systems other than patriarchy. This new perspective
encompasses the experiences of all women, not just those defined as middle class white
women, new views on men and masculinity, and the consideration of gender within a
global perspective. The authors argue that by looking at gender through a “prism,”
instead of a patchwork of other factors, such as class, race, national identity, age, etc.,
the differences and inequalities recognized among both women and men will serve to
expand our understanding of gender.
Maxine Baca Zinn, Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo, and Michael Messner argue in
“Gender Through the Prism of Difference,” that an emphasis on differences and
inequalities will result in:
a. separation of groups.
b. unity of groups.
c. empty pluralism.
d. greater gender disparities.
“The First Americans: Americans Indians,” Matthew Snipp
Matthew Snipp presents a historical summary of the United States’ treatment of
American Indians: removal, assimilation, the Indian New Deal, termination and
relocation, and self determination. In the early 1800s removal of American Indians was
the goal of the United States. Increased population and newly acquired land encouraged
the push of American Indians westward, first through negotiated treaties and ultimately
through forced removal. These actions resulted in severe hardship for American Indians
physically and culturally. At the end of the 1800s the government policy regarding
American Indians shifted to assimilation, or rather “humane extinction.” The goal of the
government, Snipp points out was to “civilize” American Indians through religion,
education, ownership of property, and agricultural careers. The effect of assimilation on