Ad
related to: essentialist theory of gender roles pdf download
Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Gender essentialism is a metaphysical theory which attributes distinct, intrinsic qualities to women and men. [1] [2] Based in essentialism, it holds that there are certain universal, innate, biologically (or psychologically) based features of gender that are at the root of many of the group differences observed in the behavior of men and women.
The role and importance of essentialism in modern biology is still a matter of debate. [6] Beliefs which posit that social identities such as race , ethnicity , nationality , or gender are essential characteristics have been central to many discriminatory or extremist ideologies. [ 7 ]
Gender is used as a means of describing the distinction between the biological sex and socialized aspects of femininity and masculinity. [9] According to West and Zimmerman, gender is not a personal trait; it is "an emergent feature of social situations: both as an outcome of and a rationale for various social arrangements, and as a means of legitimating one of the most fundamental divisions ...
[5] [6] [7] Gender roles can be linked with essentialism, the idea that humans have a set of attributes that are necessary to their identity based on their gender. Sociologists tend to use the term "gender role" instead of "sex role", because the sociocultural understanding of gender is distinguished from biological conceptions of sex. [8]
The Metaphysics of Gender [ edit ] In The Metaphysics of Gender , Witt takes a strong stance in favor of gender essentialism , arguing that gender is the fundamental unifying trait that creates and unifies all other social roles that people occupy, thus making gender essential to identity, and all other traits subsidiary. [ 7 ]
Another theory of gender socialization, discussed by Susan McHale, is that the gender roles and attitudes of older siblings can impact the gender roles adopted by younger children. Throughout the findings of McHale's study, it is maintained that parents still have the most familial influence on childhood socialization.
Michael Alan Messner (born 1952) is an American sociologist.His main areas of research are gender (especially men's studies) and the sociology of sports.He is the author of several books, he gives public speeches and teaches on issues of gender-based violence, the lives of men and boys, and gender and sports.
Gender essentialism is the theory according to which intrinsic qualities are attributed to men and women treating them as of a fixed essence. Often, they are defined in terms of individual biological capacities [ 8 ] but they can also be grounded in social stereotypes.