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“Men and women’s roles have changed so much that there is no longer any difference.”
The relationship that exists between gender and sex has been the root cause of global gender
movements and issues that exists in the contemporary world. The representation of masculinity
and femininity is humanly constructed and sets the stage for social expectation. Social institutions
are designed to cater for the desired gender role that is based on the foundations of traditional
social norms. Norms change over time and space and are influenced by the cultural and social
environment and movements. The theory of gender and its relation to sex, power, femininity and
masculinity are detailed first followed by two case studies that prove gender inequality and gender
construction in an organized context.
The concept of gender refers to the assigned roles that are compatible to an individual’s biological
sex. They comprise of full filling the ideologies and attitudes that are demonstrated by a male or
female. It is the “genetic characteristics that make a child biologically a girl also contribute
significantly to making her feminine and boys are given their masculine traits” (O’Sullivan, p4).
In emphasizing the gender theory it has evolved into a social phenomenon “gender is what we
think of as normally masculine or feminine” (O’Sullivan, p4).
The theory of sex,is determined by the biological formation of a human being, the word sex refers
“to the collection of biological features that result in female and male” (O’Sullivan, p2). The cultural
and social interactions often impact the representation of sex by way of allowing this concept to
create gender roles.
Feminis...
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...2. Hakim, C (2004), “Key Issues in Women’s Work”, Australia: The Glass House Press
3. Arvanitakis, J, (2009), “Contemporary Society”, Australia: Oxford University Press
4. McGennisken ,J–(2002) “The basic of the bargain” – some key issues for women
5. Cooper, C, (25/03/2009), “Women still do majority of housework: report”, ABC Online: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/25/2525756.htm
6. Wearing, B, (1996), “The Pain and Pleasure of Difference”
7. M, Alveson “(2004)Masculinities and Femininities in an Advertising Agency”-
http://www.springerlink.com/content/m6250lg044hx6076/
8. Gilmartin, C, Hesse-Biber, S, Lyndenberg R (1999), “Feminist approaches to theory and methodology”, New York: Oxford University Press
9. Adams,C and Laurikietis R – (1977)“The Gender Trap”: A closer look at sex roles
To begin, I think it is important to analyze the difference between “sex” and “gender”. Up until researching for this paper, I though that the two terms were interchangeable in meaning, rather, they are separate ideas that are connected. According to Mary K. Whelan, a Doctor of Anthropology focusing on gender studies, sex and gender are different. She states, “Western conflation of sex and gender can lead to the impression that biology, and not culture, is responsible for defining gender roles. This is clearly not the case.”. She continues with, “Gender, like kinship, does have a biological referent, but beyond a universal recognition of male and female "packages," different cultures have chosen to associate very different behaviors, interactions, and statuses with men and women. Gender categories are arbitrary constructions of culture, and consequently, gender-appropriate behaviors vary widely from culture to culture.” (23). Gender roles are completely defined by the culture each person lives in. While some may think that another culture is sexist, or dem...
... supported or proved (Ferree & Hall, 2000). However, gender could be the result of evolutionary pressure from the past. Gender differences arise from biology and are reinforced as they become social norms. Lorber states that the biological fact that females are born a little smaller than males is exaggerated to the point where:
First of all, what are sex and gender? Sex is described as the interaction between genes, hormones, behavior, and the environment. The adjectives female, male, or intersex are used when referring to sex. Gender is the social status, legal designation, and personal identity. The divisions in gender are due mainly to the expectations of social institutions. The adjectives women and men, boys and girls, are used when addressing gender. Alternative perspective may argue that there is a definite difference between males and females, which may prove that these categories are not socially constructed, but rather innate. However, all around the world, the definition of sex and gender is different. The binary system and the standard story ignore the numerous people who do not fit perfectly into this flawed system.
“He throws like a girl!” This insult is heard all too often and is harsh to boys because of the perception of girls being weak. We are constantly bombarded with moments emphasizing gender in everyday situations. After training myself to see these differences my eyes have been opened to something I have previously believed “natural” and allowed a new perspective to push through. I see attitudes and behavior now as socially constructed and not usually inherent. In R. W. Connel’s book Gender, he defines gender as “the structure of social relationship that centers on the reproductive arena, and the set of practices that bring reproductive distinctions between bodies into social processes” (pg 10). I have found that gender is an institution, a pattern that has attained a social state. Gender is unique in that it is meshed with many other institutions, thus changing gender, it would mean changing much of society. I chose to focus my paper on the different institutions gender is a part of, in education throughout development, relationships, religion, and politics. Although I have only touched the surface, I believe that gender is an institution; an order or pattern that has attained a social state or property.
is not the same as their biological or anatomical sex. This is a disorder also known as Gender Identity Disorder (Understanding Gender,2014).
The way individuals discipline their body is analogous to how they act towards the idea of power and status. How bodies are trained to emit gender distinctions is similar to how people tend to clothe their bodies. The way people tend to “sit, stand, gesture, walk, and throw” are different depending on their performance of masculinity or femininity (Martin 297). Women’s bodies tend to be more “confined, their movements restricted (Martin 297).” The term “femininity” defines the idea that the female sex is perceived with specific traits and characteristics. Crossing their legs, sitting up straight, having a softer voice and light footsteps are all ways in which women become naturally embedded to the gender norms. She is ascribed to be more gentle, nurturing, and emotional, and weak. These traits she attains are given by society the moment she is born, creating an idealized sexually more inferior identity than that of a male. By analyzing the socially constructed gender profile of men, it is easy to see how society creates a more dominant and powerful facade. They are stereotyped to being more aggressive, highly sexual, strong, competitive, emotionless, and in control. These socially constructed differences confines males and females to particular character profiles that limit their equality as a whole. The bodies are gendered “as a product of social doing; constituted through interaction (West and Zimmerman 175).” The way male and female establish their gender order in society correlates to their mentality as a whole. Overall masculinity is more valued than femininity in society. Masculinity correlates to gender privilege. An inequality that gives males the access to more power, resources and positions due to the traditional notions of gender roles. Men are given a greater advantage because he is deemed more capable to fend for himself. He is given greater power in the working field and
In this article, gender is identified as a social identity that is constructed and reformed throughout life in order to achieve a true sense of identity. It is not a term or label given from biological sex such as male or female that defines ones’ gender role. The writer claims gender is more than a social settlement, that it is not a binary construction of male or female and involves a matrix of genes, hormones, and social influence.
socially learned (264). In other words, gender is a category and the characteristics attributed to
Much of society is based on, and influenced by, the ideas of sex and gender. While the two are dissimilar in many ways, they are often thought of as interchangeable and are in a way connected. While gender is the biological makeup of one’s physical body, including chromosomes, hormones, gonads, genitals, and a variety of secondary characteristics, such as facial hair or breasts, gender is a socially constructed concept that influences social roles and behavior. However, one must ask how society can function properly, when a factor which influences social structures so heavily is inaccurately represented.
In reality, gender is not based on one’s genetic make-up or their reproductive organs. Expanding on this, an individual does not have any control over their assigned gender, but everyone has a gender identity, which is one’s internal sense of being male or female. From a sociocultural perspective, gender roles have the greatest influence on gender as a social construction. Gender roles are the attitudes, behaviors, rights, and responsibilities that particular cultural groups associate with each sex. In regards to gender, the social construction theory acknowledges the connection the topic has with power and meaning, and states that social interaction, or “language” controls how these things are portrayed to individuals. Similarly, sexuality is socially constructed in a sense that, one’s sexual orientation depends on what they are taught to be “socially acceptable”. For example, a person who is raised by homophobic parents would most likely be taught that every aspect of homosexuality is wrong, and therefore they would be influenced to be heterosexual. While many would like to believe that people are born with their sexual orientation, that is far from the truth. All in all, when looking at the big picture, it is clear that race, gender,
The use of interactionism allows us to understand how do individuals eventually create such cultural inscriptions on the body and ultimately, how their interactions shape the nature of those inscriptions. To begin with, the theory provides that individuals see themselves through the interaction with other members of society, which not only includes their friends and relatives but also the media at large. Thus, in the case of social construction of the body as explained by the authors, males are assigned their “masculine” attributes because of the ways the females act towards them and the way they are portrayed in the media at large. Conversely, the same stream of logic can be applied to the way females get their “feminine” attributes. This eventually leads to the survival of this notion despite the rise of opposing “scientific” claims since the treatment of both genders still remain the
Sex denotes to the bodily and birth features of men and women. Sex is the categorization of people into male and female groups based in biological characteristics. While gender is the cultural or social interpretation of sex; putting people into male behavioral and female expectations groups based on association with biological being a socially characteristics appropriate man or woman. In “The Social Construction of Gender”, “When sociologist refer to the social construction of gender, they are referring to the many different process by which the expectations associated with being a boy or girl are passed through society”. (p.22)
Furthermore, the “descriptive” category of gender would be how a person presents themselves to society by certain characteristic traits, etc. and the “causal” would be ones interpretation as to who and why they are presenting themselves in a unique way. As Historian Carol Gilligan explained of “the divergent paths of moral development followed by boys and girls in terms of differences of experience (lived reality). As a girl or boy develops, their realties are different which therefore can determine their gender based on their
Sex and gender are terms that are mixed up from day to day and seen as similarities rather than differences. Sex is what distinguishes people from being either male or female. It is the natural or biological variations between males and females (Browne, 1998). Some of these variations are genitals, body hair and internal and external organs. It is the make-up of chromosomes, men have one X and one Y chromosome and women have two X chromosomes, these are responsible for primary characteristics (Fulcher and Scott, 2003). Gender on the other hand refers to the sociological differences between male and female. This is teaching males and females to behave in various ways due to socialisation (Browne, 1998). Example: masculinity and femininity. Girls are supposed to show their femininity by being non-competitive, sensitive, dependent, attractive and placid. If and when some girls don’t succeed in keeping this image they will be referred to as a tomboy. On the other hand, boys show their masculinity through aggression, physical strength...
The first main factor that is said to influence gender is biology. “Nature doesn’t give a flea’s hind leg for our social theories, fads, fashions, political ideologies and other nutty ideas with which people preoccupy themselves (*). This quote explains the argument on the side of biology. People who support this ideology believe that the major biological differences between males and females must most greatly influence our gender development because of their numerous studies.