Social Construction Of Gender Essay

The topic of gender and how it affects our society has been one of the most studied sociological concepts. Many sociologists argue that the issue of gender is a socially constructed one, meaning that gender difference is as a result of socialisation which subsequently shapes the way we construct our identity, socialise our children and allocate roles in our communities and families. Social construction of gender explains how and why society and culture’s create gender roles. How these roles are then viewed as normal and appropriate behaviour? According to Allard, Cooper, Hildebrand, & Wealands the construction of gender identities is not fixed but ongoing, fluid and changeable, they argue we “are not passively shaped by the larger societal forces such …show more content…
Women and men are unequal in many ways and including access of opportunity and power. Feminist scholars challenge traditional ways of how we view sex and gender by highlighting gender as a key factor in structuring the way in which we live our lives. Butler argues that gender is not an expression of what one is, rather as something that one does. 'There is no gender identity behind the expressions of gender’. Gender is not entirely dependent on biological traits. There are cultural meanings attached to both male and female roles. In western culture men are seen as the protector and the provider while women are seen as the nurturers and the caregivers, however it’s unfair to generalise what life is like for women or men in different cultures as their experiences vary. If gender was universal or something that was inherent in our beings, then we would see that universally across cultures however we don’t, for example some Native American cultures recognise two-spirit individuals, there was Female, male, Two Spirit female, Two Spirit male and Transgendered. This highlights that gender is culturally constructed dependent on our environment and