Gender SOC110: Introduction to Sociology Sarah Goodrum, Ph.D.

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GenderSOC110 Introduction to SociologySarah
Goodrum, Ph.D.

• Terms to Know
• Evidence of Differences
• Theories of Gender

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Terms to Know

• sex biological distinction between males and
  females
• gender socially and culturally learned
  differences between males and females
• traits associated with
• masculinity
• femininity
• gender roles behavior patterns, obligations,
  and privileges considered appropriate for each sex

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Terms to Know, Cont.

• sexism the belief that one sex is inferior to
  the other and that unequal treatment is therefore
  justified
• feminism belief in the social, political, and
  economic equality of the sexes

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Evidence of Difference?

• Biology
• Psychology
• Anthropology

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How do we get gender?

• socialization we learn it we become masculine
  or feminine
• e.g.,
• doing gender we dont learn it we dont ever
  have masculinity and femininity we only enact
  these behaviors in our interactions
• e.g.,

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Theoretical Views of Gender

• Functionalist Theory
• functional theorists assume that all societies
  encourage gender differences because these
  distinctions have a positive effect on society as
  a whole
• e.g.,
• Conflict Theory
• to conflict theorists, gender inequality is
  simply another form of inequality
• the underlying source of sexual inequality is the
  economic inequality between men and women
• e.g.,