Social Construction Of Gender
705 Words
3 Pages
The concept of social construction is a human creation that gives meaning and value to something that has no implication and significance on its own. Our society is full of social constructions, which are made and defined from the means of language. For instance, the concepts of health, illness, and disease are social constructions. Also, because social constructions are formed by people, the implications can vary between individuals and cultures. Lastly, the process of making these constructions is a dynamic one, as definitions can change over time with various events. In “Deviance and Medicalization: From Badness to Sickness”, Peter Conrad and Joseph Schneider discuss how meanings of disease and health can vary between cultures. In a South
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Unlike sex, which categorizes humans based on biological characteristics, gender is an identity and social status attained through social interactions and social means. In this view, gender is connected to impression management, where people are performing gender by behaving in ways that are in line with what is commonly accepted as a gender identity trait. This can impose negative health effects if people are expected to act and “perform” gender to fit into a gender category. People who are different and do not necessarily place into a defined gender role will feel pressure to have to behave and make decisions that go against their interests or innate selves. The social construction of gender is really a form of social control where people are essentially forced to act in ways that are socially accepted, and “deviants” will be “treated” and placed into a gender …show more content…
The cultural trend of society is one that favors and honors men who show masculine qualities, such as being confident, valiant, stoic, and showing no feminine traits. Because of this, men are led to think that they must strive to become that persona (William Marsiglio, “Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids”, 25). When males are stressed because they feel the pressure to become “masculine”, the chronic stress can harm their health. But also, in the realm of sports, the ability to “shake off” an injury and play through to the end of a match is often honored (William Marsiglio, “Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids”, 25). This culture can induce men to take harmful and dangerous risks. In addition, when they are injured while playing, they may not treat the wound because they do not want to be seen as frail. The false standards and ideals linked to a gender role can cause people to make poor choices that lead to adverse health
Unlike sex, which categorizes humans based on biological characteristics, gender is an identity and social status attained through social interactions and social means. In this view, gender is connected to impression management, where people are performing gender by behaving in ways that are in line with what is commonly accepted as a gender identity trait. This can impose negative health effects if people are expected to act and “perform” gender to fit into a gender category. People who are different and do not necessarily place into a defined gender role will feel pressure to have to behave and make decisions that go against their interests or innate selves. The social construction of gender is really a form of social control where people are essentially forced to act in ways that are socially accepted, and “deviants” will be “treated” and placed into a gender …show more content…
The cultural trend of society is one that favors and honors men who show masculine qualities, such as being confident, valiant, stoic, and showing no feminine traits. Because of this, men are led to think that they must strive to become that persona (William Marsiglio, “Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids”, 25). When males are stressed because they feel the pressure to become “masculine”, the chronic stress can harm their health. But also, in the realm of sports, the ability to “shake off” an injury and play through to the end of a match is often honored (William Marsiglio, “Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids”, 25). This culture can induce men to take harmful and dangerous risks. In addition, when they are injured while playing, they may not treat the wound because they do not want to be seen as frail. The false standards and ideals linked to a gender role can cause people to make poor choices that lead to adverse health