1.6 Conclusion
We began this chapter by asking big questions about gender and society. Can you see how sociology of gender can help answer these questions? Using sociological perspectives can help us see patterns, social structures, and systems of power. Sociology of gender looks at how gender shapes and is shaped by these patterns, structures, and systems. Sociology of gender also demonstrates that dominant binary constructions of gender are real in their impacts, but they are not biologically true nor universally consistent. Gender, like other elements of culture, is an expansive notion shaped by individual and collective experiences, cultural context, and socialization.
Review of Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
- Explain how the practice of sociology studies patterns of individual and group behavior to better understand the role gender plays in our society.
- Recognize how social power has shaped the social sciences and scientific process in general and the sociology of gender in particular.
- Identify the foundational concepts of the sociology of gender.
- Describe the value of studying the sociology of gender for both individuals and communities.
- Explain why critical self-reflection is an important practice for sociologists.
Questions For Discussion
- Why is it important to study patterns of individual and group behavior related to gender?
Answer: By studying patterns of individual and group behavior related to gender, we can identify gender-related trends and norms within a society and how gender-related trends and norms change over time. We can also reveal inconsistencies between gendered norms and individual lived experiences. - How did the biases of the early social sciences founders enforce existing power systems?
Answer: Unacknowledged biases about human difference produced theories about racial hierarchy that falsely assumed the cultural, intellectual, and physical superiority of White men. These theories and practices reinforced existing systems of power, justified the marginalization of non-European civilizations, facilitated the continuing enslavement, exploitation, and extermination of non-European people, and fueled the global expansion of European colonization. - What does the claim, “Gender is Real, but Not True,” mean?
Answer: Gender is real because it is a consequential aspect of identity that shapes how people are treated and can determine their general standing in society. Gender is not universally true because the social meanings of gender and gender norms are culturally specific, socially constructed, and change over time. - Why is sociology of gender a valuable course of study?
Answer: Sociology of gender helps us recognize and better understand the social inequalities, so we can identify possible solutions to social problems. - Why is critical self-reflection an important practice for sociologists?
Answer: Critical self-reflection can interrupt bias in research design by making researcher’s personal bias and interpersonal power dynamics between researchers and subjects more visible.
Real But Not True: Check-in
Let’s take a moment to reflect on what you’ve learned in this chapter about socially constructed gender norms.
Tools of Sociology:
What specific examples of the tools of sociology have been discussed in this chapter?
- Sociological Imagination
- Research-based Evidence
- Social Theory
Socially Constructed: Sexual Norms
- What examples of gender being imposed, enforced, reproduced, challenged, and changed have you discovered in this chapter?
Real in Consequence: Social Stigma
- What examples of real consequences for violating or conforming to socially constructed gender norms have you discovered in this chapter?
Licenses and Attributions for Conclusion
Open Content, Original
“Conclusion” by Nora Karena is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
“Real But Not True Puzzle Images” by Nora Karena and Katie Losier are licensed under CC BY 4.0
the meanings, attitudes, behaviors, norms, and roles that a society or culture ascribes to sexual differences (Adapted from Conerly et.al. 2021a).
a group of people who live in a defined geographic area, who interact with one another, and who share a common culture (Conerly et al. 2021).
applies the tools of sociology to explore how gender, including sexuality, gender expression, and identity, is socially constructed, imposed, enforced, reproduced, and negotiated.
interconnected ideas and practices that attach identity and social position to power and serve to produce and normalize arrangements of power in society.
a group’s shared practices, values, beliefs, and norms. Culture encompasses a group’s way of life, from daily routines and everyday interactions to the most essential aspects of group members’ lives. It includes everything produced by a society, including social rules.
the process of learning culture through social interactions.
a process of social exclusion in which individuals or groups are pushed to the outside of society by denying them economic and political power (Chandler & Munday, 2011).
a systematic approach that involves asking questions, identifying possible answers to your question, collecting, and evaluating evidence—not always in that order—before drawing logical, testable conclusions based on the best available evidence.
an awareness of the relationship between a person’s behavior, experience, and the wider culture that shapes the person’s choices and perceptions. (Mills 1959)