Chapter 8 Gender and the Holidays

For this assignment, our class will examine gender roles during the holidays. Please take a look at the following articles from JSTOR Daily, here, and from Sociological Images, here. 

Assignment: Write a summary of your observations and analysis of gender roles during one particular Thanksgiving—or pick another holiday you have celebrated with your family that involves cooking and eating a lot of food. Include in your summary what the gender roles revealed during the event.

As you read the articles think of Thanksgiving or other holiday celebrations you've had with your family, paying special attention to the gender roles associated with this holiday.

1. What do the men do during      different parts of the day and evening?
2. How do the women spend their      time?
3. What about the children – do      the boys and girls help their family members? In what ways?
4. Take a look at the various      rituals throughout the day, and think about whether they differ by gender.      
   1. For instance, is the       turkey carved at the dinner table, and who carves it?
5. According to your      observations, did you find any kind of gender imbalance in the preparation      for this holiday?  

Grading

• at least 1,000 words in length.