INTRODUCTION

 GENDER refers to culturally constructed roles

that are played by men and women in society
 Gender is used as a concept to analyse the
shaping of womens and mens behaviour.
 It is conceptual tool to analyse the structural
relationships of inequality existing between
women and men.
 Gender emphasizes that masculinity and
feminity are the products of social,cultural, and
psychological factors which are acquired by an
individual in the process of becoming a man or
woman.
 Gender is learnt through socialization.
 Gender is a device by which society controls
its members.
 It opens and closes accessto power, prestige
and property.
 Roles and responsibilities of men and women
that are created in our families, societies
and cultures.
DEFINITIONS
 GERDE LERNER in her book ‘The creation of
patriarchy’ defines
 gender is a costume, a mask, a straight
jacket in which men and women dance their
unequal dance”.
 WEST ANDZIMMERMAN : gender is not
something we are born with and not
something we have, but something we do.
 BUTLER: gender is something we perform.
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF
GENDER
 Due to the influence of role behaviour,girls
and boys come to know type of behavior
expected.
 GIRLS- domestic roles/ feminine roles
 BOYS- masculine roles.
 Pattern of behavior continue to be accepted
norms
 Important social consequence too.
 Socialisation –gender roles begin
SOCIALISATION AND GENDER
ROLES
 SEX ROLES ARE NOT INBORN, BUT LEARNT.
 Socialization
 Status is male-trained for masculine
behaviour
 Status is female- trained feminine
 Basic patterns are learnt from family
 Strengthened – schools, peer groups, mass
media.
FAMILY AND FAMILY INFLUENCE
 When the child grows , gender identity is
established through four process.
 → Moulding and Re-inforcement.
 →Opportunities.
 →Role modelling.
 →Explicit verbal instruction.
MOULDING AND RE-
INFORCEMENT.
 Boys are given more freedom, rigorous sex
role training.
 Girls to be protected, mild, gentle,
pleasing.
 Any girly character observed in boy is seen as
psychological disturbance.
OPPORTUNITIES
 TOYS
 DRESSES
 MOTHERS JEWLLERY ONLY TO GIRLS
 BOYS PLAY WITH FATHERS THINGS- PENS,
DAIRIES, CALCULATORS.
 DAUGHTERS EXPECTED TO HELP IN KITCHEN.
ROLE MODELLING
 By the age of three – children know whether
male and female.
 Acceptance as categorization as boy or girl
 Boys to be assertive and courageous
behaviour
 Where as girls passive, submissive , mild and
gentle.
EXPLICIT VERBAL INSTRUCTION
 Boys are stronger than girls
 Ladies first, gents next.
 Girls make the house beautiful
 Boys do not cry like girls
 Girls shouldn’t play rough.
 Verbal instructions too have their importance
particularly when the individual has not
already begun to identify with the proper
role model.
SCHOOL
 TEXT BOOKS: comment on gender roles
through characters in lesson.
 Female and male characters in the lessons
provide models.
 Encourage acceptance of sex roles.
 Also suggests how children and adults
belonging to female and male should behave.
 Example“: lenore –has found one third of
books had no female characters
 Presented articles made sure boys to be
active and girls to be passive.
LEISURE READING
 Typical social stories father is the bread
winner and mother confined to kitchen work.
 Leisure time influences their gender role
assumptions.
 Girls being depicted as carryng on household
of her mother.
 Boys presented as taking part In adventurous
activities.
COURSE SEGREGATION
 Academic courses and sports activities are
gender based.
 Sewing, embroidery, home science for girls.
 Carpentry, plumbing, garage work for boys
 Sports like wrestling, football,cricket, volley
ball restricted to male sex.
MASS MEDIA
 Mass media which includes films, books,
magazines, comics,television,radio, and
records are a powerful agency of socialization.
 Most of the information are facts, but most of
them are exaggerated.
 ADVERTISING: portray images of men and
women to impress the customers.
 Ex: Sponsors portray genders in ways appealing
to the oppossite sex.
 Images of women portrayed as sex objects to
market various products.
 Seductively smiling female faces to reach the
male audience.
 Images of women so vulgar in magazines ,
advertising, telivision.
 Sexuality of women is thus exploited.
ROLE OF CULTURE
 Language that we speak and the institutions
through which we work also influence
circulation of idea.
 LANGUAGE: in every discussion of person,
gender is revealed,but not age, race,ethic
background, religion etc. which is contant
reminder who is male and female.
 Ex: name calling provides strong social
control.
INTERACTION IN INSTITUTIONS
ON GENDER SOCIALIZATION
 Women play a minor role in major social
institutions, govt,religion, economy, legal
institution, education.
 Political participation is far from
satisfactory.
 Leadership positions adies constitute
minority.
 Propotion of female participation is
comparatively low
 Ex: not a single women has assumed office as
president of America or india till date.