San Antonio College Library

Gender is an extremely important - and often downplayed - topic in our society. The differences between the two sexes are genetic and hormonal factors (the "hard-wiring" of the brain) and the environmental and social factors (including the way we are treated). This video examines differences in gender in the workplace and communication style differences between the sexes. Topics covered include differences in body language, differences in participation,...

Is sexual identity biological or behavioral? Is there a "gay gene"? This ABC News report explores these questions with two families that have gay sons, both of whom were sure of their sexual identity from childhood. Opinions in the scientific community vary on this, including proponents of gay cure programs, and studies are underway to determine if people are born gay or if it is a learned behavior.

In the 19th century, science held the view that women were intellectually inferior to men. This argument was carefully cultivated over the years by the "science" of phrenology and subsequent research into skull size, brain makeup, and even facial angles. All of this seemingly proved that neuroanatomical deficiencies in women made them less intelligent than men and more fit for child-bearing and domestic duties. This program from the BBC archives examines...

Men are marching on Washington, finding religion, taking on new community responsibilities, bonding with each other, weeping openly, and discussing their relationships. Just what are men up to, and what, exactly, has prompted this drastic change in behavior? Some say it is the natural outcome of the feminist movement and the resulting change in male roles. Perhaps. This program profiles the new "men's movement," explores the various reasons why men...

In places where the military grapples with insurgents, servicewomen and servicemen alike face the very real risk of injury or sudden death by ambush, booby trap, or sniper fire. In this ABC News program, correspondent Deborah Amos reports on the experiences of U.S. servicewomen in Iraq and how, by their ever-growing presence in the armed forces, they are reshaping the historically male military establishment.

The 20th century saw enormous change for women in the home, at work, and in society at large. What has brought about these changes, and are they for the better? Even with legislation to ensure equal pay for equal work, sexual discrimination outlawed, and a former female prime minister, concerns about equality remain. Are today's women expected to be responsible for cooking, cleaning, and childcare as well as being employed outside the home? This program...

There is a palpable sense of change in Saudi Arabia today - or at least it sounds good to say that. Women may be gaining ground in some areas, but the oil-rich nation remains one of the most conservative societies in the Islamic world, with plenty of obstacles still littering the road to equality. Directed and narrated by Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid, this program explores the tensions and complexities that cloud the professional prospects,...

In December 2012 a young medical student was brutally gang-raped on board a bus in Delhi. Horrified by the attack, 28-year-old British Asian Radha Bedi travels to India to uncover the reality of life for young women there. Radha has been to India before, but this time she's travelling alone and facing up to some painful truths about her ancestral homeland. Radha has faced sexual harassment herself in India on past visits and difficult memories return...

In Afghanistan, an old tradition allows families without a son to transform one of their daughters into a boy. These little girls, known as bacha posh, spend their early years dressed as boys and are accorded all the privileges and responsibilities of being male-but after puberty, they must revert to the female roles into which they were born. This program follows four girls who temporarily became the sons their parents longed for. Shabina has recently...

This program explores the rise of "lad culture" and "ladettes"--Females who adopt stereotypical male behavior such as being loud and drinking heavily-in U.K. schools. What's driving the trend? What are its effects, and how can teachers can deal with it most effectively? Psychologist Carolyn Jackson talks about the origins, methodologies, findings, and implications for teachers of her work on this phenomenon.