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: The essentialist ideas that people attach to man and woman exist only because of this cultural history. This includes the erroneous ideas that sex: Is pre-determined in the womb; Defined by anatomy which in turn determines sexual identity and desire; Differences are all connected to reproductive functions; Identities are immutable; and that
Deviations from dominant ideas of male/female must be “unnatural.” As I show further below, there is more variation across cultures when it comes to what is considered “normal” for men and women, thus highlighting the ethnocentric basis of sex categories. Ethnocentric ideas define and judge practices according to one’s own culture, rather than understanding cultural practices vary and should be viewed by local standards. Social Construction of Gender
Gender, like all social identities, is socially constructed.