This document provides an overview of key sociological concepts related to gender, including: 1) Norms, roles, statuses, and how they shape expectations for gender; 2) Stereotypes and their intersection with other forms of oppression; 3) Major sociological theories that examine gender, including functionalism and conflict theory. It discusses how these perspectives view the causes and perpetuation of gender inequality in society.

1. The Sociology of Gender:
Basic Sociological Constructs of
Gender
Norms, roles and statuses
Stereotypes and intersectionalities
Soc Theory
Women’s studies

2. Exercise
• In your notes, draw a….
– Pretty child
– Bully
• Name each drawing
• Why do we choose the genders that we do?
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Gender Roles: A Sociological Perspective, Fifth Edition
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Linda L. Lindsey
All rights reserved.

3. Sociological Distinctions of
Sex & Gender
• Sex
– Biological
– We are Male or Female
– Ascribed status
• Gender
– Social, cultural, and psychological
– Masculine or Feminine
– Achieved status

4. Basic Sociological Concepts
• All social interaction is gendered
• Status or Role?
– Sociologically, status refers to a social position
– Role refers to the expected behavior of a person
occupying a particular status or position
• Norms – Shared rules that guide behavior
within a status

5. Key Concepts, cont.
• Stereotypes – oversimplified conceptions
– Discussion: Why do we rely on gender stereotypes?
• Negative aspects of gender stereotypes
(intersectionalities influencing gender )
– Sexism
– Racism
– Classism
– Discussion: How do these additional negative aspects
impact the experience of gender?

6. Key Concepts, cont.
• Patriarchy – Male dominated social structures
• Androcentrism-Practice of placing males or
the masculine point of view at the center of
one’s view of the world

7. Theoretical Perspectives:
Parson & Bales’ Functionalism
• Basic Ideas
– “Macro” perspective
– Interdependent parts
– Social stability
– Balance
– Equilibrium
– Value consensus holds society together

8. Functionalism Applied to Family
• Gender roles were a functional necessity in
preindustrial society
– Biological underpinnings
– Women’s dependence for survival on men

9. Functionalism Applied to Family, cont.
• Complementary roles in contemporary society
– Instrumental role
• Goal focused, paid work
– Expressive role
• Care and socialization of children
– Gender role ambiguity is a factor in divorce

10. Functionalism: Critique
• Does not keep pace with rapid social change
• Justification for male dominance & gender
stratification
• Supports the status-quo
• May not apply to poor families, single parent
families, African-American families
• May be more dysfunctional than functional in
modern society

11. Theoretical Perspectives:
Marx & Engels’ Conflict Theory
• Basic Ideas
– Class based struggle for power and control
– Scarce resources
– The dominant want to maintain and increase
resources and power
– The dominated want to gain power and resources

12. Theoretical Perspectives:
Marx & Engels’ Conflict Theory, cont.
• Basic Ideas
– When the dominated recognize their common oppression, they
develop a class consciousness, unite, become a social class, and can
revolt
• “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of
class struggles. Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian,
lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman, in a word,
oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one
another, carried on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open
fight, a fight that each time ended, either in a revolutionary
re-constitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of
the contending classes.”
– Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto, 1848

13. Conflict Theory Applied to Family
• Bourgeoisie-Proletariat relationship translates
to Husband-Wife role
• Capitalism led to devaluing the wife’s
domestic labor in comparison to the
husband’s paid labor
• Social class endogamy reproduces social class
• Stereotypes are accepted by both the
dominated and the dominators and persist
over generations
• To overcome domination, women need to
become part of the working force

14. Conflict Theory: Critique
• Overemphasis on economic base of inequality
• Family conflict seen as inevitable
• The “Second Shift” at home
• Conspiratorial element
• Gender stratification negatively impacts both
men and women

15. Branches of Feminism
• Similarities of the different branches
– Focus is on women and their oppression in society
– Something must be done to eliminate it
• Disagreements of the different branches
– What the causes of female oppression are
– What the solutions to female oppression are

16. Liberal Feminism
• Moderate or mainstream feminism
• Cause of women’s oppression
– Lack of access to equal opportunity
• Solutions
– Education and Achievement
• Discussion: What examples would you
observe that would support the Liberal
Feminism frame? Are there critiques that you
would offer about the Liberal Feminism
frame?

17. Cultural Feminism
• Incorporated into other branches
• Cause of women’s oppression
– Feminine qualities are not valued
• Solution
– Emphasize the positive qualities associated with
women’s roles
• Discussion: What are some possible critiques
of the Cultural Feminism frame?

18. Socialist Feminism
• Based on Marxist model
• Causes of women’s oppression
– Capitalism and patriarchy
• Solutions
– Do away with capitalism, private property, and
patriarchy
– Men should renounce their privilege
• Discussion: How could we achieve the
suggested solutions offered?
• Are there any ways that this frame could be
tested?

19. Radical Feminism
• Causes of women’s oppression
– Sexism and male domination
• Solutions
– Separate institutions
– Woman-identified society
• Discussion: What critiques do you have of
radical feminism?

20. Multicultural & Global Feminism
• Causes of women’s oppression
– Intersection of gender, race, social class, and
colonization
– Historical and cultural factors
• Solution
– Empowerment of women across the globe

21. Ecofeminism
• Newer branch of feminism
• Cause of women’s oppression
– Patriarchal domination upset earth’s ecosystem
• Solution
– Equality of all living things, through political action
• Not a testable scientific framing but rather a
philosophical or value bases perspective
• Solutions offered not easily attained in global
economy

22. Feminism and the Media
• Media reinforces feminist stereotype
– Emphasize disagreements between feminists
– Seen as a joke or contempt is displayed
• Election 2008 and sexism in media portrayals
of:
– Hillary Rodham Clinton
– Sarah Palin
– Michelle Obama

23. Small Group Discussion: True or False?
• 1. Males are naturally more aggressive than females.
• 2. Females are naturally more nurturing than males.
• 3. Men's and women's brains are organized
differently, which causes them to behave differently
from one another.
• 4. Homosexuality is biologically determined; it is not
a "lifestyle choice."
• 5. Women's work performance is affected by their
menstrual cycles.
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Gender Roles: A Sociological Perspective, Fifth Edition
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Linda L. Lindsey
All rights reserved.