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Zahoor Elahi (CSP) : Social Construction of Gender

This document discusses the social construction of gender. It covers several key topics: 1) Gender is shaped by sociocultural factors like society, culture, religion, media, and language rather than biology alone. 2) Gender roles and identities are evaluated, including the differences between gender and gender identity. 3) Queer theory is introduced, which rejects biological explanations of sexuality and views gender as a social construct. 4) The document debates whether sex is also socially determined or based solely on biology. It examines theories on both sides of this nature versus nurture debate around gender development.

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Mahjabeen Naich
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159 views

Zahoor Elahi (CSP) : Social Construction of Gender

This document discusses the social construction of gender. It covers several key topics: 1) Gender is shaped by sociocultural factors like society, culture, religion, media, and language rather than biology alone. 2) Gender roles and identities are evaluated, including the differences between gender and gender identity. 3) Queer theory is introduced, which rejects biological explanations of sexuality and views gender as a social construct. 4) The document debates whether sex is also socially determined or based solely on biology. It examines theories on both sides of this nature versus nurture debate around gender development.

Uploaded by

Mahjabeen Naich
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHAPTER 2

SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER

By
ZAHOOR ELAHI (CSP)
COMMERCE AND TRADE

WhatsApp # +923004578032
[email protected]
15/05/2020
QUESTIONS # CHAPTER 2

CSS 2016: What are Theories of Social


Construction of Gender?
CSS 2018: Write A Comprehensive Essay on
Sex Vs Gender Debate in Feminist Philosophy
and Social Sciences reflecting Nature Vs
Nurture Argument.
CSS 2020: Gender Studies has multiple
meanings. How do you construct the word
‘Gender’?
HISTORICIZING CONSTRUCTIONISM
•  Gendering is a "cultural" process, that is, a cultivation
of human "nature" determined by the vicissitudes of
early childhood or the customs of one's community;
or as a "social"
•  Society/Culture
•  Religion
•  Media
•  Language
–  Construction of perceived social reality is made through
language
•  Reasons for constructing gender in society and
categorizes.
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EVALUATION OF GENDER ROLES
•  Gender and Gender Iden5ty
–  Gender– Gender includes people’s self image and
expecta5ons for behavior among other things.
–  Gender iden5ty - Gender Iden5ty: a person’s
internal feelings, and the labels they use, such as
male, female, or transgender.

A.  Transgender, or Trans:


B.  Transsexual:

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QUEER THEORY

MEANING OF QUEER?

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QUEER THEORY
•  Introduction/History
•  Background (Three Factors)
•  Reason
Sigmund Freud said that since men have a penis, they have inherent social and
societal power—what he called the phallus. Women want the phallus,
obviously, but they have no penis. So receiving the penis (during sex, yes,
teehee) bestows upon them some of that magical penis power.
•  Central Argument
•  CORE THEORISTS:
i.  Michael Foucault - rejection of biological explanations of sexuality
ii.  Judith Butler - sexuality, is not an essential truth
iii.  Gayle Rubin - sexual expressions are made more valuable than
others
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CONTRIBUTIONS OF QUEER THEORY:
i.  Challenged traditional form of sexuality e.g. ’sodomy’
ii.  All concepts from sexual behaviors to sexual identities are
socially constructed e.g. Sexual Orientation
iii.  Nothing within your identity is fixed e.g. Forms of Sexism
iv.  Always ask Qs who am I really? There is not really an
‘inner self’ e.g. Changing identities
v.  Promoted independence in sexual orientation e.g. LGBT
vi.  Gender, like other aspects of identity, is a performance
(though not necessarily a consciously chosen one). Again,
this is reinforced through repetition. People can therefore
change e.g. Cultural role
vii.  The binary divide between masculinity and femininity is a
social construct built on the binary divide between men
and women – which is also a social construction.
viii. Penis is no longer centre of attraction.
ix.  Focuses on mismatch among sex, gender and desire.
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IS SEX SOCIALLY DETERMINED TOO?
•  Gender is social and sex is biological
•  M e n t a l i m a g e o f b i o l o g i c a l s e x &
determination
•  Behavioral patterns
•  Example
– Caster Semenya (Los Angeles Times)
– Julia
– Texas marriage laws
– African Countries

15/05/2020
IS SEX SOCIALLY DETERMINED
TOO?
•  5 specific measures of Biological Sex
–  Chromosomes, Genitals, Gonads, Hormones,
Secondary Sex Characteristics.
•  5 alpha reductase deficiency
–  It cannot restricted to genetics or gentiles
–  Trans women have both breast and genitals
•  Sociologists disagree with sex division; intersex born
infants range 500- 1000

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MASCULINITIES AND FEMININITIES
•  Definitions
•  Shaped by socio-cultural factors
•  Theories
–  Natural theory
–  Social theory
• Connell gave socio-economic analysis
a.  Masculinities hegemonic masculinities
subordinated masculinities
a.  Forms of femininities are emphasized
femininity, resistance femininity and
complex femininity)
• 15/05/2020
Reasons of masculine traits in women
NATURE VERSUS NURTURE: A DEBATE
IN GENDER DEVELOPMENT

Natural: physiological differences in males and females


(typical male and female characteris<cs—sexual organs,
weight, muscular, larger, deeper voices, naviga<on methods,
math, spa<al abili<es —sensi<vity to touch and sounds,
willingness to communicate, eye contact for longer periods,
recognizing people and places in photograph, reach puberty
earlier, higher verbal abili<es)

15/05/2020
NATURE VERSUS NURTURE: A DEBATE IN
GENDER DEVELOPMENT

Cultural:
i.  Gender Iden<ty (Male/Female)
e.g. Occupa<on, appearances, opportuni<es, roles etc.
i.  Sigmund Freud Concept (3-6 years)
e.g. gender iden<ty and sex typed behaviors
i.  Psychoanaly<cal Theory
e.g. oedipal conflict & Electra conflict
i.  Social learning theory
ii.  Self socializa<on (18-36 months)
iii.  Cultural transmission theory
E.g. rooms, toys, cloth
iv. Gene<c Factor and Gender
e.g.Appearance, features that may appear abnormal , differences in
visual spa<al and verbal abili<es

15/05/2020

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