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Chapter Four
Gender, Sexuality and Identity
Objectives
• To discuss some of the ways in which
gender and sexuality are socially
constructed.
• To outline the connections between
gender, sexuality and power; particularly
in relation to sexual harassment and rape.
• To demonstrate the connection between
globalisation and the notion of ‘the body
beautiful’.
Sex and gender
• Sociologists make a distinction
between sex and gender:
– Sex refers to the physical
characteristics of male and female
• Biologically based
– Gender refers to the social attributes of
men as masculine and women as
feminine
• Culturally based
Gender socialisation
• A process whereby individuals learn
the appropriate behaviours
associated with their gender
– Through this socialisation we develop:
• Gender roles
– Women are responsible for housework, men go
out to work
• Gender identity
– The way that men and women feel about
themselves
Construction of sexuality
• ‘Sexuality’ refers to sexual practices,
identities and desires
– Is an outcome of culture rather than nature
– Heterosexuality is the social institution
through which most people develop a
sexual identity
• Individuals are usually socialised to accept the
idea of heterosexuality as the norm
• Homosexuality is often viewed as ‘unnatural’ and
‘abnormal’
Gender inequalities
• Feminists use ‘patriarchy’ as an
explanation for the inequalities between
men and women
– Patriarchy refers to the systematic domination
of men over women
• Involves a power relationship between men and
women in society whereby men come to hold more
power than women
• Men are able to use this power to maintain a
privileged position in society
Explaining male violence
• Socio-biological explanations:
– Male biology (particularly testosterone)
predisposes men to violence
• Criticised for not considering cultural explanations for example, men in some societies are not violent
• Cultural explanations:
– Considers the way that men are socialised to
be ‘masculine’
• In Western society, men are socialised to be tough,
dominant and in-control
Gender identity and the body
• Ideals of female beauty change over time
– Ideal body shape is dependant on cultural
context
• Women (and to some extent men) are
expected to be thin
– This has lead to an increase in anorexia and
bulimia
• Linked to globalisation of food production which
means that we have access to more food, and a
more varied diet
Summary
• The development of gender and sexual
identities are social processes
– Are the result of a process of socialisation
– Feminists argue that this socialisation
reinforces male power (patriarchy)
• This allows men to be overtly violent towards
women - rape, sexual harassment
• Ideas about beauty and the body are also
socially constructed