Gender and identity
- Created by: holly6901
- Created on: 28-09-20 10:21
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- Gender + identity
- Gender as a social construct
- Wilson argues that the need to reproduce involves women being faithful to one father and men being more promiscuous
- Parsons suggests women have an expressive role in the family and this is natural and based on their childbearing role but is reinforced by socialisation
- Males have an instrumental role in the family of breadwinner and protector which is also natural and based on their physical strength but also reinforced by socialisation
- These roles are important and functionally necessary for society
- Most sociologists argue gender and gender identities are socially constructed
- Not only the family reinforces stereotypical expectations of gender roles.
- Femininity and masculinity
- There are a range of traditional and non-traditional feminine identities in the UK.
- However, feminine identity is still often associated with a submissive or passive role
- Connell identifies several types of masculinity such as hegemonic masculinity (dominant and macho), subordinate masculinity (for gay men) and marginalised masculinity (for jobless men)
- There are a range of traditional and non-traditional feminine identities in the UK.
- Changing femininity and masculinity
- Mac an Ghaill talked about the crisis of masculinity where working-class men have lost their identity as breadwinner as women go into the workplace
- Canaan researched working-class men in Wolverhampton in 1996. She found when asked what is a man, employed men gave answers related to fighting, drinking and sexual conquest
- Unemployed men said working was important and felt emasculated due to unemployment
- Key studies
- Mead (1935): Proved gender roles are socially constructed through her studies of tribes
- Hey (1997): Looked at how the female peer group has norms deeply rooted in the patriarchy
- Mac an Ghaill (1994): Explored how boys learn to be men in their peer groups at school.
- Gender power based on 'hyper-masculinity' was the main source of identity. They valued the 3Fs, Fighting, Football and *******
- Ann Oakley (1981): Children are socialised into gender roles by manipulation (into gendered behaviour), canalisation (channeling gendered interests), Verbal appelation (nicknames) and different activities
- Jackson (2006): Focused on the Ladette, a new feminine identity
- Denscombe (2001): Looked at the increase in female risky behaviours
- Connell (1955): Argues a range of masculine identities exist but hegemonic masculinity is the most common and other forms are subordinate
- Theoretical perspectives
- Feminists argue gender identity is socially constructed by patriarchal society
- This means that male-dominated society creates and reinforces stereotypes of how males and females should be
- Feminists argue that the passive feminine role is learnt through socialisation though there is evidence this is slowly changing
- Feminists argue gender identity is socially constructed by patriarchal society
- Gender as a social construct
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