1. Running Head: GENDER 1
The Social Structure of Gender
Blessing Boamah
Texas Tech University

2. GENDER 2
The Social Structure of Gender
Gender is shaped by three levels, identity, interaction and institution that are intertwined
to shape our definition of gender (Kimmel 2014). The identity aspect of gender is dependent on
social and historical contexts, while interactions and institutions introduce the social context of
gender that is applied globally (Kimmel 2014 p.112). From a young age, boys and girls are
shaped by society’s expectations to act in the appropriate manner; girls are dressed in pink while
boys are dressed in blue. For decades these socially accepted children are introduced to the
educational institutions and form relationships with others who are similarly dressed. According
to late sociologist Erving Goffman, these public institutions produce the very gender differences
they are supposed to examine. Gender is composed of identities, interactions and institutions that
structure the individual and are constantly defined and redefined through interactions daily
(Kimmel 2014).
One’s identification of gender plays a significant role in how one is perceived in
institutions. For example, men are traditionally praised for taking care of their family financially
and spending time with their children, while women are criticized for not keeping a pristine
external appearance and not attending enough to their children (Kimmel 2014). These actions are
often evaluated by the people we interact with on a daily basis and these interactions help define
the roles associated with gender. In Canada, women are freely incorporated into any branch of
the military and in Japan; women have recently been in charge of naval destroyer’s overseas
(Spitzker 2013). However, despite women being incorporated into the military and being in
charge of heavy machinery, they are yet to be taken seriously in their leadership positions
(Winslow 2009). Identifying as a woman presents an inferior world filled with inequality and

3. GENDER 3
limits on high professional positions. Identifying as a man presents a dominant world, with more
economic benefits and equality.
Social classes contribute to the social structure of gender. In Middle Eastern countries
like Pakistan, women are born into a social class that is automatically a lower status than men.
They are born into a male dominant world and are denied basic rights, such as the right to an
education and the right to vote (Tabassum 2013). The lack of education and lack of knowledge in
politics robs these women of any independence. From birth these women are groomed and
conditioned through violence to be completely submissive to any men they encounter throughout
their life. The results of their submissive nature have led to sexual assault, death, being traded as
a commodity and being burned. These heinous acts of violence continue to happen as a result of
the severe inequality in Pakistan. Many women often feel alienated from other women who are
in similar circumstances, due to the constant fear that saying the wrong thing could result in their
death. In contrast, the United States of America offers substantial freedom, such as obtaining
professional positions traditionally meant for men, active involvement in politics and laws
enacted to protect women from serious cases such as sexual assault (Kimmel 2014). These
freedoms came at a cost and required motivation to achieve this. The differences in social class
between these countries affect the structure of our society, by demonstrating why equality is vital
in our society.
For men and women there is the constant pressure to maintain external appearance to
measure up to societal expectations. For example, in The Gendered Society, there is the idea that
looking as masculine as possible is essential to be classified as a man, leading to drastic
procedures such as penile enlargement surgery (Kimmel 2014 p.378). This painful procedure
stems from the fear of judgement for lack of masculinity called the locker room syndrome.

4. GENDER 4
The fear and the struggle to maintain masculinity push men to extreme measures; this is a
universal problem men face. In addition, women are concerned with the idea of thinness and
obtaining the perfect breast size (Kimmel 2014 p. 372). The idea of thinness and obtaining the
perfect breast size are examples of extreme societal standards that lead women to see each other
as competition. This competition among women creates a divide that interferes with developing
social relationships. The social interaction between men and women influence the mindset of
obtaining perfection, a little comment about weight or a man’s physical endowment can start the
cycle of attempting to reach unattainable perfection. For example, women are trapped in the
Goldilocks dilemma, where their breasts are either too large or too small, but never just right
(Kimmel 2014 p. 372). Thousands of men and women look to the cosmetic industry to reach the
standard of masculinity/femininity society has set in place. This leads to an obsession to be
perfect that is unattainable and leads to toxic behavior such as addiction to plastic procedures.
In political institutions, women are often not taken seriously and are faced with twice as
many obstacles as men. When Senator Hilary Clinton ran to be the first female president against
Senator Barack Obama, the nation’s first African American president, she was cut off in the
middle of her speech by a group of young men chanting “Iron My Shirt” (Kimmel 2014 p.287).
She continued her speech after the crowd settled down and cited the young men as a primary
reason for her running in the presidential campaign. Clinton brought focus to an important issue
in our society that is often brushed under the rug, sexism. There is a stark contrast in political
settings between males and females. In Clinton’s case the outbursts from the young gentlemen
were barely captured in the media and soon after faded into the background. However, men have
never had to deal with sexist comments such “slanderous comments about their sexual habits, or
scolding for neglecting their children” (Kimmel 2014 p.290). Areas such as this draw attention

5. GENDER 5
to the glass ceilings created by society that are meant to be broken. The glass-ceiling effect,
presents extra barriers that hinder women from progression (Kimmel 2014 p.287). From a global
perspective, many foreign countries like India and Germany beat the United States in electing
women to positions of power in political offices (Kimmel 2014 p. 288). This poses a problem for
the United States, as their credibility is heavily questioned when expressing support for women’s
right in other foreign countries (Kimmel 2014 p.288). On the international level, we are well
behind countries that are less progressive in comparison. Gender continues to play an evident
role when stepping into positions of power, such as political settings.
Apart from gender identification, race is a major component in relationships and
institutions. For example, black men value intimate relationships between males that promote
African American male empowerment and survival (Kimmel 2014 p. 357). Due to continuing
racial prejudice and discrimination, the need to have a friend that can relate to their racial
problems is important. Race affects the level of economic inequality throughout the United
States and the racial injustice that is encountered. Economic inequality adds more stress to the
individual and can be alleviated by forming good relationships with others that can relate to the
situation. However, the quality of relationships can be influenced by race and affect the level of
closeness between the individuals. (Kimmel 2014). Race in an institutional setting can be a
significant determinant in the types of professional positions available. In face to face interviews,
the interviewer judges physical appearance and pays attention to the name written on the
application. For African Americans, there is a long history of slavery, discrimination, racial
injustice and racism in general, bringing strong emotions of anger and resentment towards social
structures (Kimmel 2014 p.357). This historical context sheds light on the different forms of

6. GENDER 6
oppression that should have more of an international spotlight. The different races of men and
women shape their interactions, institutions and their very identity.
American sociologists, Helena Lopata and Barrie Thorne defined gender as a deeper, less
changeable, and infuse the more specific roles one plays (Kimmel 2014 p.115). Lopata and
Thorne presented an example of the distinction between female and male teachers from a
sociological perspective. In the workplace, as a female teacher, she is likely to receive less
credibility, less pay and status (Kimmel 2014 p. 115). Gender inequality continues to be
prominent in our society and affects our society, internationally, economically and socially. On
an international level, countries that look towards America for guidance will look for guidance
elsewhere if there is economic instability as a result of gender inequality (Kimmel 2014).
Socially, gender inequality can cause a rift in social interaction between male and females.
Lopata and Thorne believed that simply defining gender as a role like any other diminishes the
power it has in structuring our lives (Kimmel 2014 p. 115). A comparison of gender to race or
age was addressed to illustrate the complexities of defining these topics.
Gender is composed of influential factors that structure individuals and affect the lives of
individuals. These influential factors include, race, social class, sexism and inequality that
contribute to composing society. These factors are incorporated into the three levels (identity,
interaction and institution) that are intertwined with gender. Identity, interaction and institution
compose the primary components that define and shape gender. Sociologists, Goffman, Lopata,
Thorne provided insight into gender as a social structure through the use of definitions, personal
sociological theories and examples of said theories (Kimmel 2014). Gender is an ever-changing
construct that influences the lives of women and men on a daily basis.

7. GENDER 7
References
Kimmel, M. (2013). The Gendered Society. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Spitzer, K. (2013, March 22). Japanese Women Take Command, Finally | TIME.com. Retrieved
March 30, 2015, from http://nation.time.com/2013/03/22/japanese-women-take-
command-finally/
Tabassum, N.,Tabassum, H., & Afzal, T. (2013). Social Practices Fostering Crime Against Women and
the Law in Pakistan, International Research Journal of Art& Humanities, 41 (41),305-327.
Winslow, D. (2009). Gender and Military Sociology. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
https://www.fhs.se/Documents/Externwebben/omfhs/Organisation/ILM/Sociologi%20oc
h%20ledarskap/Dokument/Gender%20and%20Military%20Sociology_webb.pdf