THEORETICAL

PERSEPECTIVES ON GENDER
Gender and Society
Sarah Kaye C. Visande
Learning Objectives:
• Compare and contrast sex from gender;
• Differentiate the three major theoretical perspectives on view of
gender lens: functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist;
• Evaluate the importance of gender roles in the society
 SAME? DIFFERENT?

Sex
• Physical aspect of the human
body
• Determined by reproductive
organs and hormones
• Fixed at birth
Gender
• “Psychological”, “social”, or
“cultural”. Product of society
(“socially constructed”)
• Masculinity and femininity
• Not determined at birth
 SAME? DIFFERENT?

Sex
• Latin word “sexus” (defined by
gonads)
• Assigned at birth by external
genital appearance
Gender
• Latin word “genus” (kind or
race)
• Defined by one’s own
identification as male, female, or
intersex
• may also be based on legal
status, social interactions, public
persona, personal experiences,
and psychologic settings
Gender
-socially constructed roles ascribed to the individual.
-these roles change overtime and vary widely within and between
cultures.
-socially learned behavior and expectations that distinguish between
masculinity and femininity.
-expectations held about the characteristics, aptitudes, and likely
behaviors of both men and women.
Sociological Theories
• Functionalist perspective
• Conflict perspective
• Symbolic interactionist perspective
Functionalist Perspective
The functionalist perspective emphasizes the
interconnectedness of society by focusing on how each part
influences and is influenced by other parts. Functionalist
perspective explores the “what ought to be” of a particular
individual. The functionalist perspective sees society as a
complex system whose parts work together to promote
solidarity and stability. This approach looks at society through
a macro-level orientation and broadly focuses on the social
structures that shape society as a whole.
Functionalist Perspective

Functional Dysfunctional
Functionalist Perspective
Functionalists argue that gender roles were established well
before the pre-industrial era when men typically took care of
responsibilities outside of the home, such as hunting, and women
typically took care of the domestic responsibilities in or around
the home. These roles were considered functional because
women were often limited by the physical restraints of
pregnancy and nursing and unable to leave the home for long
periods of time. Once established, these roles were passed on to
subsequent generations since they served as an effective means
of keeping the family system functioning properly.
Functionalist Perspective
“Gender” helps all of society work
well
Conflict Perspective

Karl Marx- As societies evolve

from agricultural to industrial, this
leads to the development of two
classes of people:
• Bourgeosie (owners of factories,
farms, businesses)
• Proletariat (the workers)
Conflict Perspective
Conflict Perspective

Friedrich Engels- The same owner-

worker relationship exist in the
household, with women assuming
the role of the proletariat.

Modern conflict theorists suggests

that when women become wage
earners, they can gain power in
the family.
Conflict Perspective
Conflict Perspective:
“Gender” is a structural system that distributes power and
privilege to some, and gives disadvantage to others.

CONFLICT THEORY asserts that social problems occur when

dominant groups mistreat subordinate ones, and thus advocates
for a balance of power between genders.
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
• Symbolic interactionism aims to understand human behavior by
analyzing the critical role of symbols in human interaction.
• Our identity or sense of self is shaped by social interaction.
• “Gender” is something that a person “does” (clothes, hairstyles,
behavior, expression, etc).
• When people perform tasks, or possess characteristics based on the
gender role assigned to them, they are said to be “doing gender”.
• Whether we are expressing our masculinity or femininity, West and
Zimmerman (1987) argue, we are always “doing gender.” Thus, gender
is something we do or perform, not something we are.
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

Long hair Short hair

Fitting clothes Loose clothing
Make-up Muscular
Curvy figure Doesn’t wear
Emotional skirts
“Maalaga” Are not emotional
Gentle Physically strong
Does household
Tough
chores
 Summary
• Gender is the socially constructed roles ascribed to males and females. These roles, which
are learned, change over time and vary widely within and between cultures. It is socially
learned behavior and expectations that distinguish between masculinity and femininity.
• The three major theoretical perspectives are: the functionalist perspective, the conflict
perspective, and the symbolic interactionist perspective
• Functionalist perspective highlights the interconnectedness of society by focusing on how
each part influences and is influenced by other parts.
• Conflict theory suggests that society is a struggle for dominance among social groups (like
women versus men) that compete for scarce resources. From this perspective, we can view
men as the dominant group and women as the subordinate group.
• Symbolic interactionism aims to understand human behavior by analyzing the critical role of
symbols in human interaction. Gender is something we do or perform, not something we
are.