Four Gender Constructs

There are multiple examples and instances where the object of a joke has something to do with gender and gender stereotypes. These types of jokes seem to take center stage at any comedy performance or routine, and the audience loves it. Gender in association with humor brings up a great deal of questions. Do males and females see humor differently? Are there any similarities in the way the sexes view humor? And is there any truth to the thought that humans enjoy crass humor more than other types of jokes? These questions have been popping up in the scientific world, and researchers are trying to answer them. Even though there have been studies conducted, it is still a new field with much more potential.

Traditional American masculinity focuses on a few key concepts. Males are supposed to remain stoic and hide emotions, they are tough, they do not open up or show feelings, and they are not girl-like or feminine in any way (Oransky and Marecek). In a study of masculinity in male friendship and peer groups, Oransky and Marecek found that boys feel “that acting stoic, tough, and emotionally invulnerable was necessary for being regarded manly by their peers. ‘Soft’ emotions such as fear, pain, and sadness, as well as outward expressions of distress or worry, marked a boy as gay or girly” (Oransky and Marecek 225-226). William Pollack found similar views of

Many females who live in the twenty first century now often take for granted of their rights and freedoms that permit them to pursue their own interests and desires. However, this starkly contrasts with how women were treated in the past due to their submissive, powerless position that prohibited them from being able to truly embrace their own identity. This is particularly illustrated with female immigrants into which constrictive gender roles created a constraint upon each person’s freedom, resulting in feelings of unhomeliness in a completely different environment. However, while some women decide to passively accept the strict boundaries that society has imposed upon them, others will rebel against this confinement and confront against

Social constructs shape the way individuals live their everyday life, with respect to their geographical location being put into context. The effects of social constructs can also be witnessed upon studying their influence on feminism, and its advancements in history. In this discussion I will explain the following terms: genderism, binary, patriarchy, liberal feminist theory, systemic oppression, social feminist theory, and institutional sexism, and how they highlight the explicit dichotomy of equity in North-American society. These constructs create stigmas around the study of feminism, and all of its prior successors, making it more difficult to advance in the workplace, and in societies perspective.. This process oppresses many individuals,

“One is not born but, rather becomes a woman,” (Butler, 1988, p. 519). Perhaps one could be referring to gender as a performative act which serves as a ‘doing’ in bringing into being what it names. By observing how specific corporeal acts affects gender construction, similarities can be drawn in relation to performative acts. It resembles to how a person chooses a particular outfit from a wardrobe, however one must realize that the available choices are curtailed to an extent often through societal contexts. Butler emphasized that the world does not merely construct our gender but we ourselves are able to construct it in turn through our individual being. In regards to the wardrobe analogy, if a person seeks to transcend beyond the limitations

The way my father performed his gender has shaped the performance of my gender. My dad has also talked about raising me and my brothers as men but not as a binary concept but what he felt manhood represented. That involved in many things such as playing lots of sports or learning how to fight and other activities such as fishing. Although my dad never forced me to play sports it was always a staple in my household and I would- be mocked when I stopped playing a sport out of boredom. My dad constructed my gender self to view men as a group who had to become strong, fast, aggressive, dominant, and achieving in order to fit into society. This interaction with my family has caused my gender construction with others to be a byproduct of my experiences

The debate whether the idea of gender differences is a social construct or not plays a significant role in many sociological theories. In North American society, it is evident that there are certain roles imposed on boys and girls according to their gender. These gender roles are forced upon children from their birth until they eventually accept and follow the social standards. This socialization of gender roles can have several effects on the child as these ideologies are intensified through the most significant agents of socialization: family, educational institution, and media. Despite several research indicating egalitarian societies to evade societal norms relating to gender roles and expectations, this concept is still prevalent worldwide

Prior to this moment I had never really felt pressured from society to fit my gender. I had seen many ideal beauty standards for females that I never felt I met but I had never had a moment where I felt like my appearance was associated with my gender. This moment was really jarring to me because when I decided to cut my hair short, I never once thought about how this would change the perception people had about me; It seemed like a small cosmetic decision.

There is a 4:1 boy to girl ratio found in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This gender disparity, although heavily studied, is little understood. There are two main theories that attempt to explain this gender disparity: the extreme male brain theory, which is supported by research on fetal testosterone, X-chromosomes, Y-chromosomes, and the female protective effect; and the biased diagnostic criteria theory, which is also supported by many research studies that explore phenotypic differences in the symptoms of boys and girls with ASD. Ultimately, the gender disparity is best explained by a merging of these two theories, in a model that shows that there are genetic differences that lead males to be more likely to develop

In western patriarchal society, hegemonic masculinity is still a social norm. *****Heterosexuality and homophobia are the bedrock of hegemonic masculinity and any understanding of its nature and meaning is predicated on the feminist insight that in general the relationship of men to women is oppressive.****** To be important and respected, you must live up to the standards of being a “real man”. Within this culture, men are pressured into conforming to “manly” behavioural traits, and when they bare to “come out of the box”, they are forced back into it and ridiculed. Social constructionists believe that we become who we are, and are shaped by our environment. Moreover, they believe sex and gender are different, and often, gender is based on

Sociologist Peter Berger wrote in his “Invitation to Sociology” book that “social reality has layers of meaning, and the discovery of each new layer changes the perception of the whole.” (Berger 1963). Berger, as a sociologist responsible for helping create the social constructionism theory, is not just extending an invitation to sociology. He is already explaining how the world can be viewed by people who already are actively participating in society. This consciousness allows the layer of how people participate to be revealed, and under what circumstance do they engage in the discourse.

How do you define what gender is? What is gender? How do you determine which gender an individual is? The dictionary definition states that gender identity is, “the preferred term used when referring to an individual’s physical and/or emotion attraction to the same and/or opposite gender.” Fun fat: According to The World Counts website, there are about 353,000 babies born each day; approximately, 4.3 births per second (The World Counts). Also, the Baby Center says that there are one-hundred and seven baby boys for every one-hundred baby girls (The Baby Center). Gender identification has been an ongoing debate for a very long time, and it shows no sign of stopping or being solved. Throughout, the years, society has changed drastically

I personally feel as if even though gender is socially constructed, it is binary because these are the beliefs that a majority of the population has been raised to accept as normal for ages now. With a majority of the population identifying as either male or female and accepting the genders placed upon them, it will be hard to break this construction that has been imbedded in our mindset. When you have individuals that are different from the majority, they get ridiculed for not being like everyone else. This behavior has been going on since our young adolescents years, whether individuals point out others flaws, bully individuals for being different, etc. Therefore, since those who are transgender are seen as different to the majority this

A social construction is something that is created by society and believed to be natural. Social constructions are both a myth and a reality because social constructions aren’t natural, but it has real effects on the people who experience them. What society identifies as masculine and feminine is the social construction of gender. For example, masculinity and femininity is closely tie to being a man and a woman, respectively. In our society, men are supposed to be aggressive and unemotional, while women are supposed to be soft and gentle. This social construction of gender affect individuals lives because it makes those who don’t fit into these gender roles feel as if they aren’t the ideal man or woman. Women and men can both develop problems

The way people look at gender has been changing over the past few years. Gender has always been a social topic on what boys should do and what girls should do. Although, with the new generation, I have seen people break the mold of gender stereotypes. Over the years, I have seen many classmates and schools changing the status quo of gender. My generation has a different opinion on gender stereotypes than my grandparents and even my parents. Gender stereotypes are changing with each generation, whether it be through sports or the occupations people have.