Social Construction of Gender

Nature: biology is destiny

a) Men and women are different because of differences in hormones and anatomy -> XX (F) and XY (M) b) These innate differences cause social inequalities between men and women -> natural state of things c) Gender inequalities are inevitable because they are natural -> caused by biology We call this view biological determinism.

Nurture: sex roles and gender identity

Sociologist Talcott Parsons (1955) argued that: a) Womans role is expressive -> caring for the family -> emotional and sensitive b) Mans role is instrumental -> providing for the family -> rational and competitive Individuals internalize appropriate roles and pass them on to the next generations. Those who fail to conform are deviant. He thought that, if properly socialized, a woman is a woman and a man is a man. Ann Oakley (1972) a feminist sociologist proposed that sex refers to the biological differences between men and women (male/female) and that gender refers to the socio-cultural qualities ascribed to men and women (feminine/masculine). Feminists have challenged the idea that biology is destiny. Inequalities are not natural and inevitable.

Why is gender socially constructer?

Because definitions of femininity and masculinity may vary: a) b) c) d) From culture to culture From historical period to historical period Over the course of a persons life Within one culture at any particular time

How do we become gendered?

We learn how to be men and women through internalizing feminine and masculine traits and behavior. This process is only semi-conscious. Agents of socialization: family, school, peers, media. But, we are not passive recipients of gender roles. Therefore the sex role model is flawed because a) Gender is more than a role -> we actively shape and re-shape it. We constantly reflect on what means to be a man/woman. b) Gender is plural -> differences among men and among women are more significant than differences between men and women -> Multiple ways of being a man or a woman (femininities and masculinities)

c) Gender is relational men construct themselves as men in constant reference to definitions of femininity d) Gender is situational what it means to be a man depends on the context Gender is what we do, not what we have.

Doing gender
Gender is not a fixed component of our identity. We produce and re-produce it constantly when we interact with others. The more we do it, the stronger our gender identity becomes. For example: Doing boy things makes you a boy, not the other way around. You dont do boy things because you are a boy.

Gender order
Society is gendered. Wealth, power and privilege are unequally distributed between men and women. Gender is about difference and inequalities -> domination of men over women -> patriarchy Patriarchy -> a form of social organization in which men dominate, oppress and exploit women. Gender is about men, too. Not all men are equal -> some are more advantaged than others. For example, a middle-class white office worker compared to a black migrant waiter. Patriarchy as a system disadvantages both men and women.

Challenges to the gender order

Feminism as: a) A political movement b) Feminist sociology Feminism argues that society could be different because gender differences are socially constructed.

Nature, nurture or both?

Biological differences between men and women do not explain their social roles. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb9eL3eXmE Important issues: Does biology determine what we do? Is gender totally shaped by society and culture? Is it possible to live a genderless life?