Gender is a social construct determined by genetics and biology and produced by society (Neculaesei, 2015). It is learned through socialization where both genders understand the aspects of masculinity and femininity through the development of traditional gender roles and family interactions (Carter, 2014). This paper seeks to identify the sociological perspective on gender, gender roles in the U.S.A and social construction of gender using identity theories and define sexism. The research was accomplished through the following online journal articles including MDPI online publications, Research Gate website, and e-books.
A Sociological Perspective on Gender
Gender Roles: A Sociological Perspective, an e-book by Linda L. Lyndsey published by Pearson Education Inc. in the year, is a relevant source in explaining the fundamental aspects of sociology which aided in understanding the sociological perspective on gender.
Sociologists studies how human behavior is shaped by group life within a society governed by structures. One of the structures is status which is a position occupied by an individual that determines their treatment within the society. This is because of the role played by the individual within the society. A role is an expected behavior associated with status, and it is performed according to social norms which are shared rules that guide people’s behaviors in different situations. Norms determine the responsibilities and privileges possessed by statuses.
Gender is one important ascribed statuses within a society with roles to be played. The above information demonstrates the intrinsic nature of gender in our society which has led to the development of debates on gender roles.
Gender roles in the U.S/ Social Construction of Gender
Gender Socialization and Identity Theory a journal article by Michael J. Carter in social sciences published in 2015 in the MDPI online publications brings out how gender is constructed within a society making it valuable in forming the discussion on gender roles in the U.S.
Gender roles are learned through socialization. Identity theory and identity control theory examine gender socialization and the development of gender stereotypes acquired by females and males learning of masculinity and femininity using traditional gender roles learned from the family members. Boys tend to copy what they see their fathers doing while girls would copy what their mothers do. (Carter, 2014).
This starts in infancy where newborns differently depending on their sex commonly seen with boys been dressed in blue while girls get dressed in pink, a proper case scenario in the U.S. More so, the language used to describe boys is centered on themes such as strength while girls tend to be themed with affection or fragility. As a result, tasks that seemingly require physical effort are given to boys while those that seem to require little effort are given to girls. The continual practice of these tasks associated with either being a girl or a boy leads to the development of a perceived notion that the tasks are gender specific. (Carter, 2014).
Gender roles in the U.S. have evolved. For example, before the 1960’s, family income generation was the role of the father while the mother concentrated on childbearing and rearing. In the 1980’s a great change occurred as women were getting into the workforce making income generation a facet of two people within a family. This is because women sought education as aggressively as men did and began prospering in their professions. Today both gender contribute family incomes, but men are expected to be the primary homemakers which bring into thought discrimination based on sex. (Lumen learning, 2017)
Sexism and Sex discrimination
Sexism in Contemporary Societies: How it is Expressed, Perceived, Confirmed and Resisted by Barreto " Ellemers (2013) is a critical source that defines sexism and points out how it is expressed within societies.
Sexism is defined as ‘individual’s attitudes, beliefs and behaviors and organizational, institutional and cultural practices that either reflects negative evaluations of individuals based on their gender or support unequal statuses of men and women’ ( Barreto " Ellemers, 2013). Sexism research evolved from research on gender stereotypes which describe what men and women are believed to be like, such as women are accommodative and men are competent.
Sex discrimination is prejudice in employment or opportunities based on the sex held by an individual. Women have been the most affected in history due to been identified as generally homemakers and not cognitively fit to work outside home settings. However, this phenomenon has changed due to the feminist movement that started in the 1960’s (Lumen learning, 2017).
Conclusion
The sociology of gender is a large subfield in sociology which interrogates the interaction of gender with social forces in the society, the social construction of gender, and the overall relation of gender and structure. The paper summarizes gender as a product of the society acquired through socialization. Different gender roles are the direct consequence which inevitably leads to sexism. The content was not exhaustive as the etiology of gender is unavailable, and it is impossible to know the future of gender equality as the debate is still ongoing especially on gender equality outcomes.
References
Barreto, M., " Ellemers, N. (2013). Sexism in Contemporary Societies: How it is Expressed, Perceived, Confirmed and Resisted. In M. K. Ryan, " N. R. Branscombe (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Gender and Psychology (pp. 288-305). Sage. doi:10.4135/9781446269930
Carter, M. J. (2014). Gender Socialization and Identity Theory. Social Sciences, 3(2), 242-263. doi:10.3390/socsci3020242
Lumen learning. (2017). Introduction to Sociology: Gender Roles in the U.S. Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/cochise-sociology-os/chapter/gender-roles-in-the-u-s/
Neculaesei, A.-N. (2015). Culture and Gender Role Differences: Cross-Cultural Management. 31-35.
