University of North Carolina Lean In to Theory Essay Essay #4 Lean In to Theory Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and author of Lean In: Women, Work, and

University of North Carolina Lean In to Theory Essay Essay #4

Lean In to Theory

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and author of Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead encourages women to reject negative stereotypes and aspire to leadership positions. In her book, she asks women to consider what they would do if they weren’t afraid and encourages them to “then go do it.” In short, Sandberg’s book calls on women to “seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto.” Using Risman, explain what theoretical perspective(s) Sandberg uses to understand why women are not represented in business and governmental leadership positions.

In essay of at least 750 words, address the following:

Define and explain the difference between sex and gender
Explain how gender is socially constructed but nonetheless consequential
Explain how the following three theoretical perspectives explain gender inequality
Gender role socialization
Interactionalists (“Doing Gender”)
Structuralists
Identify which perspective(s) most resembles Sandberg’s position
Explain why this is the case
What are the shortcomings of the theoretical perspective(s) adopted by Sandberg?
Explain which theoretical perspective(s) you believe best addresses gender inequality
Justify your argument

Resources

Read: Risman – Gender as Structure (ATTATCHED)
Watch: ABC News Interview of Sandberg
Read: Slaughter – “Yes, you can.” (Optional)

Requirements:

Essays should be at least 750 words long.
Your essay must include an introduction. In your introduction, state your thesis and provide a roadmap of the essay.
For example, you might write: “In this essay, I argue that….”
Though you are not required to provide examples, provide sufficient detail to demonstrate that you understand each concept/theoretical approach.
While you may use quotes, do not rely heavily on these to make your argument.
You must reference both the Risman reading and Sandberg interview.
You must appropriately cite all sources and include a references section. Use the style guide of the American Sociological Association.