GE EL 102 GENDER AND SOCIETY

Second Semester 2023-2024

Instructor: Dr. Rotchel L. Amigo
 Module 2 – Theories of Gender

THEORIZING GENDER:
How do we explain gender
in society?
Gender theory is the study of what is understood as masculine and/or feminine
and/or queer behavior in any given context, community, society, or field of study
(including, but not limited to, literature, history, sociology, education, applied
linguistics, religion, health sciences, philosophy, cultural studies).
Gender is an integral component of every aspect of the economic,
social, daily and private lives of individuals and societies, and of the
different roles ascribed by society to men and women.
Module 2 – Theories of Gender
 Biological Theory

XX Chromosome XY Chromosome

Differences in Chromosome
SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS IN HUMAN

Level of Definition FEMALE MALE

Biological Levels (SEX)

Sex Chromosomes XX XY

Gonads Ovaries Testes

Sex Hormone estrogen Testosterone

Anatomy of External Genitalia Clitoral crura, vagina, uterus, Urethra, prostate, seminal
fallopian tubes vesicles

External Genitalia Labia, vulva, perinial urethra Penis, scrotum. Foreskin,

perineum
 Biological Theory

X Chromosome Y Chromosome
• Intelligence are located • Y holds only about 50 genes
only on X chromosomes
• social skills is active on • it is less of a multitasker.
the X chromosomes

• larger number of genes

carried on the X
chromosomes Differences in Chromosome

• X is larger than the Y,

holds 1,100 genes

• It is more of a multitasker
than the Y.
 Theoretical Perspectives on Gender

Sociological theories help to explain complex human behaviors, social

phenomena, and social structures.
The sociology of gender examines how society influences our
understandings and perception of differences
between masculinity (what society deems appropriate behavior for a
“man”) and femininity (what society deems appropriate behavior for a
“woman”)
Structural Functionalism
family as the most integral component of society, assumptions
about gender roles within marriage assume a prominent place
in this 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 were unable to
leave the home for long periods of time.
 These roles were passed on to subsequent generations, since they served
as an effective means of keeping the family system functioning properly.
 Conflict Theory
 conflict theory, society is a struggle for dominance among social groups
(like women versus men) that compete for scarce resources.
 When sociologists examine gender from this perspective, they typically
classify men as the dominant group and women as the subordinate
group.
 -social problems are created when dominant groups exploit or oppress
subordinate groups.
Consider the Women’s Suffrage Movement or the debate over women’s “right
to choose” their reproductive futures. It is difficult for women to rise above
men, as dominant group members create the rules for success and opportunity
in society (Farrington and Chertok 1993
When women become wage earners, they can gain power in the family
structure and create more democratic arrangements in the home, although
they may still carry the majority of the domestic burden
 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.
 Radical feminism, in particular, considers the role of the family in perpetuating male
dominance.

In patriarchal societies, men’s contributions are seen as more valuable than those of
women. Patriarchal perspectives and arrangements are widespread and taken for
granted. As a result, women’s viewpoints tend to be silenced or marginalized to the
point of being discredited or considered invalid.
Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic interactionism aims to understand
human behavior by analyzing the critical role of
symbols and meaning-making in human
interaction. This is certainly relevant to the
discussion of masculinity and femininity.

Because the meanings attached to symbols are socially created and not natural, and fluid, not
static, we act and react to symbols based on the current assigned meaning. The word gay, for
example, once meant “cheerful,” but by the 1960s it carried the primary meaning of
“homosexual.” In transition, it was even known to mean “careless” or “bright and showing”
(Oxford American Dictionary 2010). Furthermore, the word gay (as it refers to a
homosexual), carried a somewhat negative and unfavorable meaning fifty years ago, but has
since gained more neutral and even positive connotations.
Social Learning Theory
Children learn how to behave differently based on their gender,
boys and girls act appropriately for their genders because they
have been rewarded or punished for doing others.
THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER
Social constructivists propose that there is no inherent truth to gender; it is
constructed by social expectations and gender performance.
•Gender is a social identity that needs to be contextualized.
•Individuals internalize social expectations for gender norms and
behave accordingly.
JUDITH BUTLER AND GENDER PERFORMATIVITY
The repetitious performances of “male” and “female” in accordance with social
norms reifies the categories, creating the appearance of a naturalized and essential
binary. Gender is never a stable descriptor of an individual, but an individual is
always “doing” gender, performing or deviating from the socially accepted
performance of gender stereotypes. Doing gender is not just about acting in
a particular way. It is about embodying and believing certain gender norms and
engaging in practices that map on to those norms.
GENDER AND SOCIALIZATION

From birth until death, human feelings, thoughts, and actions

reflect social definitions of the sexes. As children gain their
first social experience, they quickly learn that their society
defines females and males as different kinds of human beings.
 GENDER AND SOCIALIZATION

https://www.slideshare.net/TCPLibrary/gender-
socialization-239295094
GENDER AND SOCIALIZATION
https://www.slideshare.net/TCPLibrary/gender-
socialization-239295094
 Short Answer Essay

Analyze the social constructionist theory of gender. How does this

perspective argue that gender is socially constructed rather than
biologically determined? Provide examples to support your argument.
REFERENCES

https://viva.pressbooks.pub/hum210/chapter/the-
social-construction-of-gender-2/

https://othersociologist.com/sociology-of-gender/