INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSE 1 (IC 1)

Module 1: GENDER AND SOCIALIZATION

Unit 1-Gender: Concept and Perspectives
a)Concept of Sex and Gender
• ‘Gender’ and ‘Sex’ are two terms often used interchangeably.
• Robert Stoller in the 1960s suggested that the term ‘Sex’ should be used to refer to physical differences
between man and women.
• According to Browne, Gender refers to the culturally and socially constructed differences between male
sex and female sex.
• ‘Sex’ is a term concerned with physical characteristics, ‘Gender’ refers to attitudes and behaviour that
depend upon the expectations from society.
The UNSECO’s Gender Mainstreaming Implementation Framework offers the concepts of the terms ‘sex
and ‘gender’
Sex- Sex describes the biological differences between men and women, which are universal and
determined at birth.
Gender- Gender refers to the roles and responsibilities of men and women that are created in our
families, our societies and our cultures.
 Difference between Sex and Gender
Sex
• Sex comes from Latin word
‘sexus’ which means ‘gonads’.
• Sex refers to the biological
differences between male and
female.
• Sex is natural.
• Sex is something that is
determined at birth.
Gender
• Gender comes from the root
Latin word ‘genus’ meaning
‘type’ or ‘sort’.
• Gender refers to socially and
culturally constructed
differences between male and
female.
• Gender is socio-cultural
construct.
 Difference between Sex and Gender
Sex Gender
• Sex cannot be changed • Gender can be changed or re-
without complex medical oriented
intervention • Gender is variable, it changes
• Sex is constant, it remains the from time to time, culture to
same everywhere culture, even family to family.
 Characteristics of Gender
• Gender is socially constructed-Gender is defined by the beliefs and norms of the society, Eg.
In Saudi Arabia men are allowed to drive cars while women are not.
• Gender involves an array of rights, roles, responsibilities and relationships- Eg. The role of
the male as that of the breadwinner and that of the female as nurturer of children are both
gender based roles.
• Gender involves learned behaviour or an acquired identity- The process of socialisation
introduces a person to his or her gender roles. Social surroundings impose expectations
upon a person and the person accordingly accepts gender roles. Eg. In India , we often
impose upon boys that they have to protect their sisters. Rarely do we insist upon the
reverse.
• Gender includes personality traits, attitudes, behaviours, values that society ascribes to the
two sexes on a differential basis- Gender often shapes the personality and behavioural traits
of a person. Eg. When a girl displays emotions by crying, it is quite easily accepted. If a boy
cries, he is often told to ‘behave like a man’.
• Power relationship are driven by gender- Power relationships are influenced by gender.
• Access to resources is determined by ones gender- Norms and rules set in accordance with
the ideology is determine a persons access to resources.
 Concept of Transgender
• Transgender people are people who have a gender identity, or gender
expression, that differs from their assigned sex.
• Transgender people are sometimes called transsexual if they desire medical
assistance to transition from one sex to another.
• Infrequently, the term gender is defined very broadly to include cross-
dressers, regardless of their gender identity.
• Psychiatrist John Oliven of Columbia University used the term ‘Transgender’
in 1965 in his work.
• Transgender includes those who were declared male or female at birth but
later felt otherwise.
• Thus, in its broadest sense, transgender encompasses anyone whose
identity or behavior falls outside of stereotypical gender norms.
 Problems faced by the Transgender
• These people are shunned by family and society alike.
• They have restricted access to education, health services and public spaces.
• Till recently, they were excluded from effectively participating in social and cultural life.
• Transgender people have difficulty in exercising their basic civil rights.
• Reports of harassment, violence, denial of services, and unfair treatment against transgender persons
have come to light
Conditions of transgender at in Educational sphere in India

• Transgender Swapna and gender activist Gopi Shankar from Srishti Madurai staged the protest in
Madurai collectorate on 7 Oct 2013 demanding reservation and permit alternate genders to appear for
examinations conducted by TNPSC, UPSC, SSC and Bank Exams.
• Swapna is the first trans person to clear TNPSC Group IV exams.
• Transgender activist A. Revathi is the first Hijra to write about Transgender issues and Gender politics in
Tamil, her work have been translated in more than 8 languages and acting as a primary resources on
Gender Studies in Asia.
• .
 Legal provisions for the transgender in India

• In India one group of transgender people are called Hijras. They were legally granted voting rights
as a third sex in 1994.
• On 15 April 2014, Supreme Court of India declared transgender people as a socially and
economically backword class entitled to reservations in Education and Job.
• On 24 April 2015, the Rajya Sabha passed the Rights of Transgender Persons Bill. 2014
B) GENDER RELATED CONCEPTS: Patriarchy, Feminism, Equity and Equality,
Sexuality
Patriarchy
• It’s a social system where control of property, power, leadership and social privileges are held by
the male.
• The term ‘patriarch’ comes from the Latin words pater (father) and arch (rule).
• According to Oxford dictionary, ‘patriarchy’ means: a system of society or
government where men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it.
Impact of Patriarchy on Lives of Women

• Control over women’s productivity-

• Control over reproduction-
• Control over sexuality-
• Control over economic resources-
• Control over freedom-
 Gender related concepts- Feminism
• According to feminist thinkers, feminist is a person who believes in Equality and
justice for women.
• Feminism had its origins in America during the abolitionist movement of the
1830s.1830
• Seneca Falls, New York is considered the birthplace of feminism when Elizabeth
Stanton and Lucretia Mott launched the first Women’s Rights Convention in 1848 to
discuss the social, religious and civil conditions of women.
• Feminism is “looking at world from women’s point of view”.
• Definition- According to Merriam Webster: belief in and advocacy of the political,
economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through
organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests.
 Kinds of Feminism
• Liberal Feminism- Liberal feminism seeks individualistic equality of men and women through
political and legal reform without altering the structure of society.
• Radical Feminism- believes that sexism is deeply rooted in society and the only answer is to
eliminate gender totally.
• Socialist Feminism- According to Socialist Feminism capitalism is the root cause of women
suppression.
• Cultural Feminism- Cultural feminism recognises and focuses on the unique nature of women.
Feminism does not mean that women want to subjugate men. It does not mean a movement
where women hate men. It is just a fight for equality.
Feminism and Education
Women have been denied their rightful place in education.
Education (specially higher education) was considered the stronghold of the males.
Feminist perspectives have helped to expose gender inequality in education.
Feminist sociologists have drawn attention to the use of gendered language and gender stereotypes in
education.
 Equity and Equality

Gender Equity
• Gender equity means fairness in treatment for men and women, in accordance with their needs.
• Equity is a means to achieve equality.
• Equity has the goal of providing everyone with the full range of opportunities and benefits so that
they all reach the same finish line.
• DEFINITION- WHO defines gender equity as “fairness and justice in the distribution of benefits
and responsibilities between women and men.”
Need for Gender Equity
• Maximise one’s potential
• Empower the marginalised
• Gives fair and level playing ground
• For sound and healthy society
• Bridges the gender gap
 Promoting Gender Equity and Education

– Gender patterns in the faculty should be noted.

– Avoid references to stereotypes that link subjects or interests with gender.
– Counsel students who work based on stereotyped notions.
– Carefully monitor situations where girls are likely to lag behind the boys.
– Model and insist upon use of gender inclusive language or gender neutral language.
– Demonstrate equally high expectations for female and male students.
– Observe students to ensure that neither gender interrupts nor takes ownership of an activity or project to the
exclusion of the other gender.
– While organising certain committees, it may be necessary to reserve certain positions to ensure gender equity.
Equality
– According to UNESCO- Gender equality means that the different behaviour, aspirations and
needs of women and men are considered, valued and favored equally.
– Gender equality is the process of allocating resources, programs and decision making so that
males and females have the same.
– Equality focuses on creating the same starting line for everyone.
 Gender related concept- Sexuality

• Sexuality is an integral part of human beings

• It mainly refers to one’s sexual orientation which means being heterosexual,
homosexual or bisexual
• Definition- According to WHO, “Sexuality, a central aspect of being human
throughout life encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation,
eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction.”
• Sexuality is influenced by the interaction of biological, psychological, social,
economic, political, cultural, legal, historical, religious and spiritual factors.
 Promoting Gender Equality and Education

• Gender equality can be promoted by Promoting equality in education

• Students must have equal opportunities to benefit from the range of subjects and learning experiences
available in school
• Textbooks and other resources should not be gender biased
• In 2000, The Dakar Framework for Action, Education for all includes three gender specific goals
• Promote Gender Equality in education by- revising teaching materials, teacher training curricula,
classroom decorations, equal funding for girls and boys sports etc
Difference between Gender Equity and Equality
• Gender equality refers to ensuring everyone gets the same resources regardless of gender, whereas
gender equity aims to understand the needs of each gender and provide them with what they need to
succeed in a given activity or sector
• Gender equity refers to the process of allocating resources based on the particular requirements of a
gender while gender equality focuses on providing the same starting circumstances for everyone.
 Gender related concept- Sexuality
• Sexuality is an integral part of human beings
• It mainly refers to one’s sexual orientation which means being heterosexual,
homosexual
• or bisexual
• Definition- According to WHO, “Sexuality, a central aspect of being human
throughout
• life encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation,
eroticism, pleasure,
• intimacy and reproduction.”
• Sexuality is influenced by the interaction of biological, psychological, social,
economic,
• political, cultural, legal, historical, religious and spiritual factors.
 Sexuality and Education
• Sex Education
• Counselling sessions during adolescence
• Avoid stereotypes
c) Emergence of gender specific roles: Sociological and Psychological
perspectives
• Gender role is a set of social norms
• In India, gender roles are determined largely by sex, religion, oppressive tradition and cultural
1 Sociological perspectives
- Conflict Theory
- Feminist Sociological Theory
2 Psychological perspectives
- Biosocial Theory of Gender role development
- Gender Schema Theory
 Emergence of gender specific roles: Sociological perspectives

Conflict Theory
Supporters of the conflict theory assert that social order is
maintained through exercising of power by one social class over
another social class.
Theory has originated from the writings of Karl Marx
Friedrich Engels extended the assumptions of Karl Marx’s theory to
the family and to gender roles by suggesting that the exploiter-
exploited relationship are also seen at the household level
 Feminist Sociological Theory
• This theory concerned about giving a voice to women in society and highlighting the
contribution of women
• Feminist theory emerged out of the women’s movement and aims to understand the
position of women in society for the sole purpose of improving their position in
society
• and aims to understand the position of women in society for the sole purpose of
improving their position in society
• Gender difference perspective
• Gender oppression theory
• Structural oppression
 Emergence of gender specific roles: Psychological perspectives
• Psychology is the study of the mind and all human behaviour
• Biological and social influences manifest differently for men and women
Biosocial Theory of Gender role development
• This theory proposed by John Money and Anke Ehrhardt in1972, is an approach where
nature and nurture both play a vital role in gender development
• Social labelling and treatment given by society, interacts with biological factors to direct the
child’s development
Gender Schema Theory
• This theory suggest that children learn what it means to be a male or a female from their
interaction with society
• Theory was introduced by Sandra Bem in 1981 and further expanded by Carol Martin and
Charles Haverson
• These schema organise and regulate our behaviour
• Children are actively involved in structuring their own experiences regarding gender identity
 Questions

1. Explain the following terms

a) Sex
b) Gender
c) Transgender
d) Patriarchy
e) Feminism
f) Equity
g) Equality
h) Sexuality
Explain the characteristics of gender. (write 5 points)
2. Difference between Sex and Gender. (write 4 points)
3. Write any one sociological perspectives of gender.
4. Write any one psychological perspectives of gender.
5. Explain the need of gender equity. (write 4 points)
6. Explain the impact of Patriarchy on lives of women (write 4 points)