Social Construction Of Gender Analysis

Gender roles describe the normative expectations of a culture group regarding the position that both sexes should hold in society. It also refers to the division of labor tasks, differences in behaviors, preferences, abilities; personalities that society expects of specific genders, (Kaiser, C. R., & Miller, C. T. 2009). It concerns the processes of how gender roles socialize and interact with each other in society as a whole and as an individual, (Stockard & Johnson, 1980; Thomas, 1986). Gender role deals with identity and at times are conceptualized as the acceptance and identification with social roles and behaviors associated with

Throughout this course, we have discussed how the differences in the social construction of gender, race, class, and sexuality have led to discrimination and inequality of those classified under a variety of these categories. Through understanding the significance of these social constructs on society it becomes apparent the intersectionality they have when it comes to understanding why certain groups may face discrimination or inequality. This paper examines gender inequality and how the social construction of gender makes it difficult for the pursuit of equality amongst genders.

From a purely economic standpoint, the patriarchal agenda is evident in how all three of the major female characters are dependent to varied degrees upon the men in their lives.

There is plenty of evidence that gender is crucial in everyday life. Suzanne Kessler and Wendy McKenna in Gender: An Ethnomethodological Approach argue that “Gender very clearly pervades everyday life. Not only can gender be attributed to most things, but there are certain objects (i.e. people) to which gender apparently must be attributed” (1978, pg 3). They proceed to explain “how uneasy” people are around transsexuals because of the ambiguity of their gendered existence (Kessler & McKenna, 1978, pg 3). Kennedy’s critique also resonates with my own experiences, as growing up I felt as if everyone around me was obsessed with gender.

As Lorber explores in her essay “Night to His Day”: The Social Construction of Gender, “most people find it hard to believe that gender is constantly created and re-created out of human interaction, out of social life, and is the texture and order of that social life” (Lorber 1). This article was very intriguing because I thought of my gender as my sex but they are not the same. Lorber has tried to prove that gender has a different meaning that what is usually perceived of through ordinary connotation. Gender is the “role” we are given, or the role we give to ourselves. Throughout the article it is obvious that we are to act appropriately according to the norms and society has power over us to make us conform. As a member of a gender

Contemporary gender sociologists establish gender as complex and dynamic social constructed, and is produced and reproduced in interactions as well as institutions. The intersection of class, race and gender challenges the presumed static nature of gender and generates unique standpoints of subjective knowledge. Researchers identify gaps and shortcomings of previous research, and use these to guide their theories and methodologies. The focus of contemporary gender research is operationalizing standpoints to broaden research, interpret inequality through the standpoints and utilizing standpoint to enhance existing knowledge of gender organizational theory as well as doing gender.

Women are often seen as having the less desirable characteristics of managerial jobs. They are seen as less self-confident, more emotional, helpful, sympathetic, less analytical and less consistent persons. While men are seen as more aggressive, decisive, dominant, active, competitive, logical, self-confident individuals. They possess more leadership abilities than women (Oakley, 2000). Also, the physical appearance and way of dressing can serve as a barrier to advancement. Women try to overcome these differences by accentuating and imitating male characteristics and lessen their feminine aspects (Oakley,2000). When women dress themselves in a more conservative way, “the male way”, they are perceived as inauthentic. If they dress in ways that

In the text Gender in History: Global Perspectives author, Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks tries to persuade her readers to gain a better understanding of the differences between sex and gender. She is also able to put history into a different perspective which allows the readers to learn about history in a way that we have never learned before. Although we have not yet been able to read the entire text, based off of her introduction we can get an inside look on the material her book is going to cover. While the differences between sex and gender have been mistaken for many years, it is important to know how they vary from each other in order to gain a better understanding behind the terms and how they have affected history.

Gender doesn’t necessarily reflect your biological sex. Gender is created and re-created depending on our social life (Lorber). It is something we construct, adjust since birth and might keep throughout our lives . Since gender identity is presented at a very early age, this social construction starts with parents because no matter how we think about it, as a society, we have gendered roles we follow(Lorber). When you're born, parents decide which way to direct you. It’s all about timing and the way gender is applied to us. “Parenting is gendered, with different expectations for mothers and fathers” Lorber says. It is from parenting where we start to learn how we should behave depending on our biological sex. That’s why the way parents dress

The Social Construction of gender according to Women, Images and Realities textbook (pg.10) is the socially constructed behaviors and characteristics that are associated with each sex. W.I.R. also explains the significant difference between sex and gender as the distinction that enables us to see that the expectations for women and men in our culture are neither immutable nor universal. Before you can begin to conceptualize that the dissimilarities between gender and sex you must comprehend the social construction of gender. A socially constructed ideology that relates to gender is when a child is first born if it is a male typically they are clothed in a blue blanket to indicate that they are a male and they received blue colored

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

There are many different ways that people understand what their culture prescribes as appropriate behavior for males and females. While there are a variety of ways that people are socialized and acculturated with respect to gender, mass media, in its various forms, is the primary way that people learn "how to act" as a girl or boy. Mass media is a powerful method of communication, entertainment, education, and socialization. The necessity and the relevancy of mass media becomes more prominent and urgent in the 21st century world, as the 21st century landscape is exceptionally more mediated than in previous eras of human history. It behooves producers, distributors, and consumers of mass media to understand and consider the interplay between power and discourse within the context of mass media. Where is the power of mass media and who wields it? What does the political economy of power in mass media reflect about the structures and mechanisms at work in society? How does mass media work within a context of power and discourse? The paper argues that mass media is used as part of a power strategy so as to inoculate and perpetuate specific discourses that are lived in the everyday experiences of subjects within such systems where mass media is used in such ways, particularly the experience of being male or female, or another gender altogether. Mass media has the

My ideal definition for gender is one that sets out not to rob us of the individual complexity we all possess for the sake of not agitating the social norms and status quos that dominate the mindset of our society. The Lorber reading has a compelling way of exemplifying this when she states, “…the norms and expectations get built into our sense of worth and identity as a certain kind of human being, and because they believe their society's way is the natural way." (Lorber 45) This quote brings up a certain dichotomy of debate within women and gender studies, one that was mentioned briefly in class, being how much of our perception of gender comes from an inherent sense of self and how much can be accounted for by social conditioning.

experiment with a one year gap in between. These tests involved the software AMOS, as

A structural functionalist, would support men holding powerful economic and political positions due to genetics. The functionalist believe that it is critical for every individual to have an assigned role as that will be the only way the society will function. Women were needed at home, it was not an option. Since women were expected to be child-bearers they could not be far from home, while the men were expected to risk their lives hunting. Due to hunting being viewed as a riskier job, society perceived men as a stronger and more powerful gender, while the women were associated with a weaker status due to having an “easier” job. Therefore, leading to them attaining a higher status in society. Today in modern society, many individuals still believe women should be caretakers of the home, while the man should be working, this allows them to attain very high positions. The structural functionalists would probably offer women to take more jobs outside of the home hemisphere,