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Gender and Families
Family Sociology
FCST 342
Gender & Families
Individuals
and families are influenced
by larger social forces that we may not
always notice
In the next few classes we will focus
on three critical dimensions of families
Gender
Race/ethnicity
Sexual orientation
Gender & Families
The
distinction between male and female,
masculine and feminine is basic to the
study of families
All societies exhibit a sharp distinction
between what women and men do in
families
 All cultures divide family labor like
housework and child care based on
gender

Gender Theory
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Gender theory argues that differences
between men and women are socially
constructed.
That means we LEARN how to act like
boys or girls, we are not necessarily born
liking pink vs. blue
Gender theory emphasizes the role of
society or culture, rather than biology.
In other words being feminine or
masculine is learned and created through
our social interactions
Sex & Gender
Sociologists distinguish between sex and
gender
Sex: refers to the biological attributes that
distinguish females from males such as:
chromosomes, hormones, and “anatomical
apparatus”
Gender: refers to the cultural and social
meanings, experiences, and characteristics that
are defined as appropriate for females and males
i.e. boys can’t wear skirts, boys should not cry,
girls are good at cooking, or women don’t play
basketball as well as men
Gender Theory
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Because gender is a SOCIAL construction
it is fluid or always changing
Then….
Gender Theory

Because gender is a SOCIAL construction
it is fluid or always changing
Now…
Sex & Gender
Sex is a biological creation
 Gender is a social creation
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Sociologists argue that gender is
“socially constructed” or created
 In other words men and women learn
many masculine and feminine behaviors
though socialization
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Social Construction of Gender
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Why do sociologists argue that gender is
socially constructed?
1) Expectations of each gender vary from
society to another
Example: In Pakistan it is common for male friends to hold
hands but this is not common among American men.
2) Gender behaviors vary within one culture at
different points in time
Example: Men’s fashions in 17th century America were much
more “feminine” compared to men’s fashions today.
Social Construction of Gender
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Why do sociologists argue that gender is socially
constructed?
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3) The meanings of masculinity and femininity change
over the course of a person’s life.
Example: The meaning of femininity changes as women
age – compare pre-pubescent girls to women who are of
childbearing age or who are postmenopausal
4) Meaning of gender varies among different groups
within a particular culture at a given point in time.
Example: Gender behaviors may be structured by class,
race, ethnicity, age, region of the country etc.
Sociological Perspectives on
Gender
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How are gender roles acquired & how is
gender constructed?
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Gender role approach focuses on the how
parents, and other social institutions transmit
gendered expectations about appropriate
behavior through socialization
Socialization is the process by which
individuals acquire society’s norms and values
Socialization is a life long process
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The Social Construction of
Gender and the Media
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As gender is fluid ideas of appropriate
roles and stereotypes can change:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65UIrMX
hTtk
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO7W0l
OQBPw&feature=related
Sociological Perspectives on
Gender
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West and Zimmerman ‘Doing Gender’
Argue that we need to be continually
“resocialized” into gender roles or
reminded how to act like a man or act like a
woman
Gender is produced through interaction
For example: in families – doing housework is
“doing gender”
Men and women reinforce gender roles by
doing gender appropriate household work
EVERY DAY!
Sociological Perspectives on
Gender
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West and Zimmerman ‘Doing Gender’
They argue that gender is a “routine
accomplishment” embedded in every day
interaction
In other words, we are continually acting
out being a man or being a woman in social
situations
Gender emerges from an interaction or a
social situation
Sociological Perspectives on
Gender
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West and Zimmerman ‘Doing Gender’
Can you think of an example when you
were doing gender:
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I was doing gender when:
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Doing Gender in Families
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_21434.aspx
Doing Gender?
Doing Gender?
Sociological Perspectives on
Gender
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Now lets really think deeply about the interaction
between sexual identity and gender
Chaz Bono has transitioned from being a woman to a
man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU7YMTJ8ntE
Summary
 Summary
Acting in gender appropriate ways
reinforces gender differences
 Gender theorists argue that gender is
socially constructed – in other words is
socially created
 Gender roles are created through
economic and social constraints on
women’s and men’s behavior and their
ability to achieve equality
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Summary
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Summary
Gender is continuously constructed through
everyday interaction – “doing gender”
Men’s power is embedded in the social
structure – this is changing as more women
are employed
Gender and families are intertwined
Families are a social institution in which
gender is socially constructed