THEORIES OF GENDER

DIFFERENCES
GENDER AND SOCIETY
THEORIES OF GENDER
DIFFERENCES

Biological Essentialism
vs
Social Constructionism
Biological Essentialism

The belief that ‘human nature’, an

individual’s personality or some specific
quality is an innate and natural essence.
 Structural Functional Theory
STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONAL
THEORY

Understands human behavior as parts

of system that help keep society
organized and functioning
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM

proposes that everything people

“know” or see as “reality” is
partially, if not entirely, socially
situated
 Symbolic Interactionism, Conflict and Feminism
Theories
Symbolic Interactionism

Symbolic interactionism aims to understand

human behavior by analyzing the critical
role of symbols in human interaction. This is
certainly relevant to the discussion of
masculinity and femininity.
Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic Interactionism
Gender Conflict Theory

Gender is a structural system that

distributes power and privilege to some and
disadvantage to others. According to conflict
theory, social problems are created when
dominant groups exploit or oppress
subordinate groups.
Feminist Theory
Feminist theory is a type of conflict
theory that examines inequalities in
gender-related issues. It uses the conflict
approach to examine the maintenance
of gender roles and inequalities.
 Liberal Feminism
 Social Feminism
 Radical Feminism
Liberal Feminism
Seek to expand the rights and opportunities
of women by removing cultural and legal
barriers to women’s equality, like
implementing policies that prevent
discrimination in the workforce or improve
reproductive freedom.
Social Feminism

Views capitalism as the

foundation of the patriarchy and
advocates for full economic
equality in social tradition.
Radical Feminism

To reach gender equality,

society must actually eliminate
gender as we know it.
Thank you