This document discusses gender identities and how they are socially constructed through various agents of socialization. It addresses the concepts of sex versus gender and outlines different types of femininities and masculinities. Several agents that influence gender socialization are explored, including family, media, peers, education, religion, and workplace. Learners are provided discussion questions and activities to better understand how gender identities develop and are reinforced through these socializing institutions.

1. Gender identities

2. Starter
Consider the following questions:
 What have you done in the last week that
might be associated with being male?
 What have you done in the last week that
might be associated with being female?
 How many of the things you did might not be
the norm for your gender? Explain why.

3. Sex
 Sociologists use ‘sex’ as a term to classify
people as being male or female, based on
their biological or physical characteristics.
 But: ‘intersex’ people (see ‘Kelly talks about
being born an intersex person’ – video clip)
 But: Sex change operations (see ‘Sex
Change Para’ – video clip)

4. Gender
 Describes they ways in which men/women are expected to
behave
 Socially constructed behaviour (made or shaped by the social
world)
 Construction of masculinity/femininity
 Related to stereotypes (challenged by some people)
 Biological determinist view of gender (Parsons: instrumental
role for men, expressive role for women – suits their natural
characteristic)
 Stanley and Wise (2002): Gender is socially constructed – by
agents by also by us exercising agency (ability to exercise
choice about actions – they affect our identity)
 Activity: Textbook, p. 31 activity 3.3

5. Femininities
 Learned behaviours – differ according to class, age, ethnicity
 Blackman (1995): Lower middle- class and working-class New
Wave Girls – challenge passive femininity
 Osler and Vincent: ‘Girls and Exclusion’ (2003): Getting into
trouble affected reputation negatively – girls careful
 Jackson (2006): Normative femininity (socially accepted way for
a female to act, dress etc)
 Seidler (2006): Girls form Asian backgrounds – femininity
based on family experience – double life
 Some women form a sub-cultural ideology of love and romance
 McRobbie (2007): Some aspects of female sub-cultural
behaviour are rage rather than resistance against current
expectations

6. Masculinities
 Connell: Range of masculinities in contemporary UK
 Socially constructed expectations of behaviour
(differs according to class and ethnicity)
 Traditional (hegemonic) masculinity:
- male supremacy (power and authority)
- heterosexuality
- aggression
- ‘laddish’ culture

7. Masculinities - continued
 Archer (2003): Talk of homogenous hegemonic masculinity
hides range of experiences and behaviours of men in UK
 Traditional masculinity often associated with working-class
males
 Nayak (2006): 1950s and 1960s – men were seen as
breadwinner – didn’t do domestic duties
 Willis (1977): ‘Learning to labour’
 Jackson (2006): Motives of boys for adopting laddish behaviour
is complex
 Burdsey (2004): Research on young Asian footballers – ‘fitting
in’ important
 Archer (2003): Studied working-class Asian boys – uncool to
work, having to ‘fit in’

8. Masculinities - continued
 Connell: apart from normative (hegemonic)
masculinity:
1. Complicit masculinity
2. Marginalised masculinity
3. Subordinate masculinity

9. Activity
 Create a card for each type of
femininity/masculinity – on one side
summarise, with examples, what the
femininity/masculinity is about and on the
other side think of as many evaluative points
as possible.

10. The creation and reinforcement of
gender identities through socialisation
Important:
 Agents of socialisation are interlinked
 Process varies according to social and
cultural differences, e.g. class and ethnicity
 Gender role socialisation simplistic and
deterministic (Stanley and Wise, 2002)
 Possible to resist the process and exercise
choice

11. Family
 Gender identities shaped by:
- Language used by parents
- Accepted behaviour
- Toys
- Clothes and accessories
- Gendered behaviour towards children
• Activity: Textbook, p. 36 activity 3.7

12. Mass Media
 Gender stereotypes
 Activity:
Using the internet, research the following:
1. Go to the website of a toyshop and see whether
‘favourite’ toys for boys/girls are on sale – list the toys
that depict either traditional gender roles or current,
‘desirable’ characteristics of males and females
2. Look at an online teenage magazine – look through it
and find out how much is devoted to how males/females
should behave, how they should look etc.

13. Peers
 Important to be viewed as appropriately
masculine or feminine to ‘fit in’
 Language can be gendered
 Activity: Textbook, p. 37 activity 3.9
 Activity: Textbook, p. 38 activity 3.10

14. Education
 Influence varies according to class, ethnicity
and the stage in the education process
 Informal curriculum – teacher’s expectations
 Activity: Textbook, p. 39 activity 3.11

15. Religion
 Role of religion in decline (secularisation)
 Some groups for whom religion very
important, e.g. Catholics, Hindus, Muslims,
Jews
 Activity: Using the internet, research the
points raised in the debates around the
wearing of the veil. Summarise your findings.

16. Workplace
 Nature of employment has changed (from manufacturing
to service industries)
 Other aspects of work have changed as well, e.g. more
part-time jobs etc.
 Women more economically active and financially
independent
 Has led to ‘crisis of masculinity’ (Mac and Ghaill, 1994)
 Activity: Make a timeline covering the last 50 years –
show how work has changed, include as much detail as
you can. (Ask parents, grandparents, neighbours etc to
help.)

17. Homework
 Textbook – p. 41 (section summary)