The social construction of gender is
a theory in feminism and sociology about the manifestation of cultural origins, mechanisms, and corollaries of gender perception and expression in
the context of interpersonal and group social interaction.
Gender refers to the
characteristics of women, men, girls and boys that are socially constructed
. This includes norms, behaviours and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl or boy, as well as relationships with each other. As a social construct, gender varies from society to society and can change over time.
Another example of a social construct that has changed over time is
the concept of gender
. A little more than 50 years ago, people believed that men and women had specific gender-related roles determined by biology. Women are more nurturing so they were best suited to be mothers who stayed at home to raise children.
Social constructionism is a
theory of knowledge
that holds that characteristics typically thought to be immutable and solely biological—such as gender, race, class, ability, and sexuality—are products of human definition and interpretation shaped by cultural and historical contexts (Subramaniam 2010).
Gender being socially constructed means
society has made a framework of what male and female roles in and out of the home are suppose to be
. … For example, some men are not biologically able to be tall or strong, meaning not every man is able to be as manly as society wants them to be. You just studied 55 terms!
The Social Construction of Masculinity
R. W. Connell’s definition of masculinity explains hegemonic masculinity as
a pattern of practice and ascendancy through culture, institutions, and persuasion that allow men’s dominance over women to continue
and permeate society (Connell, 2005, 832).
For example,
your school exists as a school
and not just as a building because you and others agree that it is a school. If your school is older than you are, it was created by the agreement of others before you. In a sense, it exists by consensus, both prior and current.
Coined term by sociologist Harold Garfinkel, the
investigation and observation approach
focusing on how people make sense of everyday social activities and experiences. Any group whose standards people take into account when evaluating something about themselves and others,such as; family, classmates, teamates.
Sociologists generally accept that reality is different for each individual. The term social construction of reality refers to
the theory that the way we present ourselves to other people is shaped partly by our interactions with others, as well as by our life experiences
. … Our reality is also a complicated negotiation.
Gender is a social construct that owes its creation to a number of social institutions. … The construction of gender is largely one by
dominant groups who assign role and responsibilities and give opportunities to and have expectations of males and females separately
.
Gender as a social structure
Risman argues that
it is the recursive relationship between all three levels that constructs and perpetuates gender inequalities in society
. … The book provides elaboration of how gender is constructed and sometimes deconstructed at the individual, interactional and institutional levels.
Unlike the biological state of maleness, masculinity is
a gender identity constructed socially, historically and politically
. It is the cultural interpretation of maleness, leamt through participation in society and its institutions.
–
Gender is socially constructed
. -Gender can be viewed as a social institution. (Gender helps us to organize/sort our society). -All other social institutions are embedded in the institution of gender.
Masculinity and femininity have been conceptualized as
multidimensional constructs
which include gender role stereotypes, adherence to traditional gender role norms, gender role conflict, and gender role stress.
What are the different types of masculinity?
identified four different types of masculinity:
hegemonic, subordinate, complacent and marginal
. In the first case, hegemonic masculinity is the form embodying male domination and exercising power and authority over women (and other men), with all the consequences of oppression, violence and privileges.
- Externalization : Society is a human product.
- Objectivation : Society is an objective reality.
- Internalisation : Man is a social product.
Virginity is conceptual, it is a social construction.
When we have sex for the first time we do not actually lose anything
. It does not change our identity, it is not life-altering and it does not affect our worth. … This is exactly what our cultural view of virginity does.
| Cover of the first edition | Authors Peter L. Berger Thomas Luckmann | Media type Print (hardcover · paperback) | Pages 240 | ISBN 978-0-385-05898-8 |
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Sociologists understand that
reality is socially constructed
, meaning that people shape their experiences through social interaction.
Describe how we socially construct reality?
Through social interaction
, we construct the reality we experience. For example, two people interacting both try to shape the reality of their situation. Social construction of reality.
Everything is a social construct
Basically every part of our society is a social construct. Let’s take money for example. Money and value only works because we all agree that it is a thing. Even the idea of a “gold standard” is a social construct.
In 1966 sociologists Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann wrote a book called The Social Construction of Reality. In it, they argued
that society is created by humans and human interaction, which they call habitualization
.
As underlying drivers of gender inequalities, discriminatory social institutions perpetuate gender gaps in development areas, such as education, employment and health, and
hinder progress towards rights-based social transformation
that benefits both women and men.
Age is socially constructed
because notions of age vary around the world. Different cultures fix age with different meanings and different values. … In Western societies, people take pains to appear younger than their biological age.
By this analysis, sex and gender’s status as a primary framing device for social relations is what
causes gender to be a force in all social institutions
, including those that make up the labor market (Ridgeway 1997).
Social structure influence us on
how we are suppose to act or engage in certain situations
. We carry out those behaviors in our daily lives and social interactions. The external forces, most notably social hierarchy, norms, and institutions, that provide the context for individual and group action.
Social structure theories suggest
people’s places in the socioeconomic structure influence their chances of becoming a criminal
. Poor people are more likely to commit crimes because they are unable to achieve monetary or social success in any other way.
Which of the following statements BEST summarizes the relationship between individuals and social structure? …
There is no relationship between individuals and social structures
. Individuals and social structures work together to shape an individual’s life experience. 6.
Gender is embedded in social institutions.
Institutions are patterned by gender
, resulting in different experiences and opportunities for men and women. … Gender is a system of privilege and inequality in which women are systematically disadvantaged relative to men.
Examples of social structure include
family, religion, law, economy, and class
. It contrasts with “social system”, which refers to the parent structure in which these various structures are embedded. … Social structure can also be said to be the framework upon which a society is established.
