Title: Sociology of Gender – The Other Sociologist
Headings: Sociology of Gender
Sociology of Gender
Gender
Social Construction of Gender
Masculinity
Femininity
Transgender and Intersex Australians
Gender Across Time and Place
“What stays constant is that women and men have to be distinguishable ” (my emphasis).
16th Century Europe
Wodaabe (Niger)
“Two Spirit” (Navajo Native American)
Female Husbands (Various African Cultures)
Kathoey (Thailand)
Studying Gender Sociologically
Learn More
Citation
Share this:
Like this:

Content: Gender is also determined by what an individual feels and does. The sociology of gender examines how society influences our understandings and perception of differences between masculinity (what society deems appropriate behaviour for a “man”) and femininity (what society deems appropriate behaviour for a “woman”). We examine how this, in turn, influences identity and social practices. We pay special focus on the power relationships that follow from the established gender order in a given society, as well as how this changes over time. Sex and gender do not always align. Cis-gender describes people whose biological body they were born into matches their personal gender identity. This experience is distinct from being transgender, which is where one’s biological sex does not align with their gender identity. Transgender people will undergo a gender transition that may involve changing their dress and self-presentation (such as a name change). Transgender people may undergo hormone therapy to facilitate this process, but not all transgender people will undertake surgery. Intersexuality describes variations on sex definitions related to ambiguous genitalia, gonads, sex organs, chromosomes or hormones.