Gender Studies – Unit One
PowerPoint info and activities 
Feminism
• A social approach that comes down to the idea of
equality between the sexes. Feminists believe
that although they are different, men and women
are equal.
• Feminism recognizes that women have been
oppressed and repressed in certain societies
throughout history.
• It carries with it the commitment to affect and
change the attitudes and behaviours of those
who do not see men and women as equals in all
aspects of life: political, economic, and social.
Historical Study of Women & Sex and
Gender Issues
• Done by men
• Viewed women as inferior/as
objects
• Excluded women’s
opinions/experiences
Gender Studies
• Studies performed and analyzed by both
women AND men
• Views women as subjects and authorities on
issues and experiences
• Inclusive of women’s opinions
• Acknowledges differences between
males/females, women and men, but debates
the significances of those differences
Important Terms for this unit:
Sex: "Sex" refers to the biological and
physiological characteristics that define men and
women.
Gender:"Gender" refers to the socially
constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and
attributes that a given society considers
appropriate for men and women.
To put it another way:
"Male" and "female" are sex categories, while "masculine" and "feminine"
are gender categories.
Aspects of sex will not vary substantially between different human societies, while
aspects of gender may vary greatly.
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Some examples of sex characteristics :
Women menstruate while men do not
Men have testicles while women do not
Women have developed breasts that are usually capable of lactating,
while
men have not
Men generally have more massive bones than women
Some examples of gender characteristics :
In the United States (and most other countries), women earn significantly
less money than men for similar work
In Viet Nam, many more men than women smoke, as female smoking has
not traditionally been considered appropriate
In Saudi Arabia men are allowed to drive cars while women are not
In most of the world, women do more housework than men
culture – the ways of living of a group. Include
all of the accepted habits, customs, beliefs,
ideologies, practices, traditions, and inventions.
norm – the rules of a group that indicate how
members should behave and what attitudes
they should hold
values – the basic and fundamental principles or
standards considered worthwhile or desirable –
these are what influence the norms.
Socialization
** the process by which we, as members of a
society, learn to behave and think within that
society. It happens over the course of our whole
lives, but is most significant in our formative
years.
This occurs through agents of socialization –
specific types of social contacts that influence
our socialization. They are: the family, peers,
and social institutions.
Social Institutions
An institution isn’t a building (that’s an institute)
It’s a complex and formalized system of
accomplishing a social goal or need in society.
They have tremendous impacts on how we learn
to the acceptable ways of behaving and
thinking.
Examples include: Education, Religion, Marriage,
The Media, Culture (pop culture included), Sport
& Leisure, Economic systems, and Government
Let’s look at Family
Gender socialization can happen early on. One study had
parents describe their babies 24 hours after their births.
Girl babies were more likely described as having softer
and finer features, being more delicate and gentle, more
delicate and sweeter.
Boy babies were more likely to be described as stronger,
more alert, more coordinated, and having stronger
features.
** the psychologists and medical staff present could see
no differences between the sexes of the babies.
Family:
Can you think of any other examples of gender
socialization that happens in the family?
i.e.
-- assignment of household tasks/chores
-- toys purchased/made available
-- appearance praise
-- clothing
--modeling of behaviours
Education
- Research has indicated that boys and girls are often
treated differently in schools
- Teachers are more likely to ignore or tolerate
spontaneous remarks or unruly behaviour in boys,
creating the idea that this behaviour is appropriate and
masculine, whereas the reverse is true for girls.
- Certain subjects have been encouraged by authority
figures relating to the sexes (math vs. the humanities),
though this is changing with many programs
encouraging girls in the STEM programs.
More terminology
Stereotype: people or situations that conform to
preconceived characteristics that allow individuals
to make faulty generalizations about an entire
group.
Prejudice – an unfavourable belief about members
of a group, without the knowledge or experience
needed to make a judgment
Bias – an unfair act or policy that is rooted in
prejudice and prevents impartial justice
ROLES
Role: a role is a pattern of behaviours prescribed
for and expected from a person that
corresponds to their position in society or any
group.
(of course, a person may have many roles in
their life)
What roles do you have? What are the expected
behaviours associated with that role?
Gender Roles:
Expected behaviours, attitudes, and obligations that a
society assigns to each sex.
This can happen in small groups, like the family
Husbands are assigned “Instrumental Tasks” like
economic supervision and decision making
Wives are assigned “Expressive Tasks” like providing
nurturance and affection, emotional and nutritional
support
What are some of the gender ROLES in our society:
Are Traditional Gender Roles
Changing?
The Family
Work
Government
Law
One of the role systems that Feminism studies,
and ultimately rejects is Patriarchy.
From the Latin: meaning father.
Patriarchy is a system where males have
privilege over females. Power is held and
transferred through men. Men benefit more
from the social institutions: law, economics,
education, marriage, etc.
Examples:
Misogyny
Misogyny is a feature of some, not all,
patriarchal societies. It is defined as hatred or
hostility toward women. In a society that
subordinates women, many hold misogynistic
views, or support misogynistic institutions.
i.e. in Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to
drive. What views does this law suggest? How
does the law effect women?
Equality
The condition of being alike in value – of having
the same potential for accomplishment, and
having the same inherent worth, in spite of any
differences, biological or social, individual or
group oriented.
Some activities and things for us to
think about:
Jane and John are brother and sister. Jane is
invited by a neighbour to a birthday party. John
says he would like to go too, but when Jane and
John’s parents telephone the neighbours, they
are informed that it is an “all girl” birthday party,
and John is not invited. As Jane and John’s
parents, what would you tell them?
Discussion Questions:
Should men still do such things as open doors
for women, stand until a woman is seated, and
walk on the outside of the sidewalk?
Should women and girls (of any age) be
encouraged to participate in beauty pageants?
Should women retain their birth names upon
marriage?
Can a feminist justify sending a child or
adolescent to a school that is sex segregated
(i.e., all male or all female)?
Three Theories re. Gender
1. Gender as Essence:
Gender is a fixed and biological factor. It is
innate and fixed. It is essential and universal. It
is reflected in personality, behaviour, and
attitudes. Males and females are different
2. Gender as Construct
The concept of gender is constructed and
maintained through language and culture. It is
not an innate quality – it is a social phenomena.
3. Gender as Performance
This theory suggests that gender is more fluid. It
suggests gender is not something that is built in
to us, but is based on what we do or “perform”
– it is constantly being constructed and changed.
It is not what we “are,” but what we “do”