SociologyofGender

Thispageisaresourceexplaininggeneralsociologicalconceptsofsexandgender.TheexamplesIcover
arefocusedonexperiencesofotherness.
Insociology,wemakeadistinctionbetweensexandgender.Sexare
thebiologicaltraitsthatsocietiesusetoassignpeopleintothe
categoryofeithermaleorfemale,whetheritbethroughafocuson
chromosomes,genitaliaorsomeotherphysicalascription.When
peopletalkaboutthedifferencesbetweenmenandwomentheyare
oftendrawingonsexonrigidideasofbiologyratherthangender,
whichisanunderstandingofhowsocietyshapesourunderstanding
ofthosebiologicalcategories.
Genderismorefluiditmayormaynotdependuponbiological
traits.Morespecifically,itisaconceptthatdescribeshowsocieties
determineandmanagesexcategoriestheculturalmeaningsattached
tomenandwomensrolesandhowindividualsunderstand
theiridentitiesincluding,butnotlimitedto,beingaman,woman,
transgender,intersex,genderqueerandothergenderpositions.
Genderinvolvessocialnorms,attitudesandactivitiesthat

SociologyofGender

societydeemsmoreappropriateforonesexoveranother.Genderis
alsodeterminedbywhatanindividualfeelsanddoes.
Thesociologyofgenderexamineshowsocietyinfluencesourunderstandingsandperception
ofdifferencesbetweenmasculinity(whatsocietydeemsappropriatebehaviourforaman)
andfemininity(whatsocietydeemsappropriatebehaviourforawoman).Weexaminehowthis,in
turn,influencesidentityandsocialpractices.Wepayspecialfocusonthepowerrelationshipsthatfollow
fromtheestablishedgenderorderinagivensociety,aswellashowthischangesovertime.
Sexandgenderdonotalwaysalign.Cisgenderdescribespeoplewhosebiologicalbodytheywereborn
intomatchestheirpersonalgenderidentity.Thisexperienceisdistinctfrombeingtransgender,whichis
whereonesbiologicalsexdoesnotalignwiththeirgenderidentity.Transgenderpeoplewillundergoa
gendertransitionthatmayinvolvechangingtheirdressandselfpresentation(suchasanamechange).
Transgenderpeoplemayundergohormonetherapytofacilitatethisprocess,butnotalltrasngender
peoplewillundertakesurgery.Intersexualitydescribesvariationsonsexdefinitionsrelatedto
ambiguousgenitalia,gonads,sexorgans,chromosomesorhormones.Transgenderandintersexualityare
gendercategories,notsexualities.Transgenderandintersexualpeoplehavevariedsexualpractices,
attractionsandidentitiesasdocisgenderpeople.
Peoplecanalsochoosetobegenderqueer,byeitherdrawingonseveralgenderpositionsorotherwise
notidentifyingwithanyspecificgender(nonbinary)ortheymaychoosetomoveacrossgenders(gender
fluid)ortheymayrejectgendercategoriesaltogether(agender).Thethirdgenderisoftenusedbysocial
scientiststodescribeculturesthatacceptnonbinarygenderpositions(seetheTwoSpiritpeoplebelow).

Sexualityisdifferentagainitisaboutsexualattraction,sexualpracticesandidentity.Justassexand
genderdontalwaysalign,neitherdoesgenderandsexuality.Peoplecanidentifyalongawidespectrumof
sexualitiesfromheterosexual,togayorlesbian,tobisexual,toqueer,andsoon.Asexualityisatermused
whenindividualsdonotfeelsexualattraction.Someasexualpeoplemightstillformromantic
relationshipswithoutsexualcontact.
Regardlessofsexualexperience,sexualdesireandbehaviourscanchangeovertime,andsexualidentities
mayormaynotshiftasaresult.
Genderandsexualityarenotjustpersonalidentitiestheyaresocialidentities.Theyarisefromour
relationshipstootherpeople,andtheydependuponsocialinteractionandsocialrecognition.As
such,theyinfluencehowweunderstandourselvesinrelationtoothers.

Sex,GenderandSexualitySociologyDefinitions.ByOtherSociology.com

Gender
Thedefinitionofsex(thecategoriesofmanversuswoman)asweknowthemtodaycomesfromtheadvent
ofmodernity.Withtheriseofindustrialisationcamebettertechnologiesandmorefastermodesoftravel

andcommunication.Thisassistedtherapiddiffusionofideasacrossthemedicalworld.
Sexrolesdescribesthetasksandfunctionsperceivedtobeideallysuitedtomasculinityversusfemininity.
Sexroleshaveconvergedacrossmany(thoughnotall)culturesduetocolonialpracticesandalsodueto
industrialisation.Theserolesweredifferentpriortotheindustrialrevolution,whenmenandwomen
workedalongsideoneanotheronfarms,doingsimilartasks.Entrenchedgenderinequalityisaproductof
modernity.Itsnotthatinequalitydidnotexistbefore,itsthatinequalitywithinthehomeinrelationto
familylifewasnotaspronounced.
Inthe19thCentury,biomedicalsciencelargelyconvergedaroundWesternEuropeanpracticesandideas.
Biologicaldefinitionsofthebodyarosewheretheydidnotexistbefore,drawingonVictorianvalues.The
essentialistideasthatpeopleattachtomanandwomanexistonlybecauseofthisculturalhistory.This
includestheerroneousideasthatsex:
Ispredeterminedinthewomb
Definedbyanatomywhichinturndeterminessexualidentityanddesire
Differencesareallconnectedtoreproductivefunctions
Identitiesareimmutableandthat
Deviationsfromdominantideasofmale/femalemustbeunnatural.
AsIshowfurtherbelow,thereismorevariationacrosscultureswhenitcomestowhatisconsidered
normalformenandwomen,thushighlightingtheethnocentricbasisofsexcategories.Ethnocentric
ideasdefineandjudgepracticesaccordingtoonesownculture,ratherthanunderstandingcultural
practicesvaryandshouldbeviewedbylocalstandards.

SocialConstructionofGender
Gender,likeallsocialidentities,issociallyconstructed.Socialconstructionismisoneofthekeytheories
sociologistsusetoputgenderintohistoricalandculturalfocus.Socialconstructionismisasocialtheory
abouthowmeaningiscreatedthroughsocialinteractionthroughthethingswedoandsaywithother
people.Thistheoryshowsthatgenderitisnotafixedorinnatefact,butinsteaditvariesacrosstimeand
place.
Gendernorms(thesociallyacceptablewaysofactingoutgender)arelearnedfrombirththrough
childhoodsocialisation.Welearnwhatisexpectedofourgenderfromwhatourparentsteachus,aswellas
whatwepickupatschool,throughreligiousorculturalteachings,inthemedia,andvariousothersocial
institutions.