Sociological Constructs and Theories

Lesson 1

This photo represents the theory of structural functionalism. According to this theory, society is viewed as an ordered system of interrelated parts, or structures, which are the different large-scale social institutions that make up society. There are four main structures which are family, education, politics, and the economy. In this particular photo, the structure of family is being shown. These structures are important because they meet the needs of society by performing specific functions for the whole system. 

Gender is an important aspect of our society. Functionalists on gender believe that there are social roles better suited to one gender than the other. These societies are more stable when certain tasks are fulfilled by the appropriate sex. This photo depicts one of the two genders, the female, doing her makeup. This action is suited to the female gender because our society has shaped it to be that way. Women are known to be the ones who focus more on their looks then men, which is why makeup, hair, and outfits are part of the female gender role. 

The women's movement was one of the biggest milestones for women in history. It was said to have three waves. The first one was from the mid-nineteenth century to 1920, when women were finally given the right to vote. This was also referred to as the suffrage movement. In this picture, the right for women to vote is shown. 

Symbolic Interactionism is the interaction and meaning as central to society and assumes that meanings are not inherent but are created through interaction. Essentially, we create our own reality through the interaction we have with others. In this photo, symbolic interactionism is shown through the shaking of hands when greeting someone. 

The quantitative method is used as a very popular research method. It is data that can be easily converted into numbers. It has a greater reliability but a lower validity. It is most commonly used in research pertaining to sociology. This picture is showing the collection of data through reading a book on sociology.

Biology, Sex, and Gender

Lesson 2

Sex is a term that refers to an individual's membership in one of two biologically distinct categories, male and female. In this picture one of the multiple sexes, the female, is shown as a typical women.

Gender is a term that is used to describe the physical, behavioral, and personality traits that a group considers normal for its male and female members. The two different genders are masculinity or femininity. In the picture above, the masculinity of a male is shown through him playing video games. This is considered a common trait of masculinity.

In this picture the role of gender is also shown. However, this one depicts a woman who is doing laundry, which is known to be a feminine thing to do.

The construct approach to gender identity is when one acknowledges the possibility that the male and female categories are not the only way of classifying individuals. They believe that gender is created, or constructed, through our interactions with other members of society. In this picture, the gender roles are switched. It shows a woman working on a car instead of having a man do it for her. This shows that the women is showing traits of masculinity.

Throughout history, males have been known to be superior over women. They were the protectors and providers, while the women were the caregivers. It has been like this since the very beginning of humanity. In this photo, a women is shown serving her man dinner food, while he sits back and relaxes. This shows that the women is inferior to the man.

Culture and Ideology

Lesson 3

The social construction of gendered reality describes now reality is negotiated and agreed upon socially through social interaction. It states that the world existed before we were born but we recreate it everyday by interacting with others. This photo shows a girl dancing as a ballerina. She has been socially gendered to dancing rather than playing sports as a boy would.

In our society today, the male is seen as the default. Various products contain the word women before the name whereas mens products do not. This picture shows gender default in the different deodorants between men and women.

Gender in the larger world refers to the way our everyday actions are gendered. Researchers have stated that individuals perform or put on gender, which shows flexibility and social creation of gender. Aspects of our lives such as occupations, restrooms, shoes, and various bathroom products show how our world is gendered. In this picture, a women is shown in her occupation as a teacher which is more gendered towards women.

Gender polarization refers to ways that diverse aspects of human experiences are culturally linked to sex differences. In this picture boys are playing basketball together. This is an experience that demonstrates the masculine gender.

Sex-role behavior is portrayed in a highly stereotypical manner in all forms of media such as television, movies, books, magazines, and video games. In this photo the gendered behavior of a women is shown in a Victoria Secret magazine. This is considered feminine because she is wearing a bathing suit with her hair and makeup all done.

Learning and Doing Gender

Lesson 4

Gender roles is a schema about gender. A few examples of this are that girls don't punch people, boys are good at math, and girls drink tea instead of coffee. In this picture a boy is shown swinging a baseball bat. The schema says, sports are for boys, not girls.

Gender role socialization is the lifelong process of learning to be masculine or feminine. We are socialized by our families, schools, peer groups, and the media. In this photo, a young girl is learning to do her makeup from her older sister, which is a feminine trait.

Peer influence is an important aspect of our gender roles in socialization. During the teen years of a boy or girl they are socially influences by those around them, especially other teens. These peers almost act as significant others to each other. This photo shows a girl trying to peer pressure her friend into drinking alcohol with her.

The adult occupational roles of a family describe how the women and men interact together to create a working family. The men tend to be socialized as the primary earners of the family. In this picture, a dad is giving money to his his children out of his wallet.

Popular culture is a definite source of schemas about gender. The way they depict men and women on television shows or in magazines shows the various stereotypes about gender. In this photo, Ryan Gosling from the movie Drive, is drifting his car sideways during a car chase. This is not something you would typically see a woman doing, therefore making it gendered towards men.

Intimate Relationships and Family

Lesson 5

Sexuality is essentially socially scripted. It is governed by sexual scripts rived from learning gender roles through socialization. It is often the outcome of how we are socialized as adolescence. In this picture, the gender femininity is shown through flowers and candles, something that has been socialized as a feminine trait.

Bodies are produced within a society through body-reflective practices. This is when the physical body is exposed to a social world of practices and activities that have physical outcomes regarding sexuality, reproduction, and masculinity or femininity. In this picture diet pills are shown which give an example of how we do what we must to fit in physically.

Heterosexual privilege is the fact that you can discuss your relationship and publicly acknowledge your partner without the fear that people will disapprove of you. It is within the norm to be heterosexual, therefore the benefits are in their favor. They can legally marry the person who you love and receive tax breaks, health insurance, and spousal legal rights when in a heterosexual marriage. This picture shows the affection a boy and a girl are giving each other in public because they do not have to worry about being made fun of.

When doing the work of the family, many types of work are necessary to keep a family operating. These tasks can include women cleaning, cooking, and attending to children as well as men repairing cars, taking care of the lawn, and disciplining the children. This photo shows the instrumental task of a women cooking dinner for her family.

Mother daughter bonding is an important part of their relationship. The mother's job is to socialize her children by teaching them morals and ethics, as well as good behavior habits. In this photo the mother and daughter are bonding over doing the dishes, a task the daughter will use for the rest of her life.

Education

Lesson 6

Widespread inequalities are based on gender, race, class, and age found in systems of education everywhere. They include that educators rely on stereotypes about gender differences, schools provide teaching materials that promote stereotypes, and families and states favor the education of boys over girls. In this picture a boy is shown as a physical trainer, which is more dominated by males.

Feminine socialization is when women are encouraged to play a certain role in school. They are to act nurturing and motherly. Figures such as princesses and brides are easily incorporated into school. This is also a way of expressing themselves within the line of rationality, responsibility, and decorum of school. In this picture, a bride is shown wearing a feminine dress.

ADHD also known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, often require women to get specific treatments to help manage their symptoms in order to succeed at school and work. In this picture, a prescription of focalin, a commonly used ADHD medication is shown.

The SAT's are tests given to students in order to test their level of knowledge after high school. It is an important gateway to higher education. Women are the majority of the students that take the SAT's but men are usually the ones who score higher. In this picture, SAT scores are shown.

Recently, women have made gains in education, especially in the U.S. It now has the highest proportion of women attending college in the world. However, men are still more likely to obtain a higher degree than women. In this picture graduation is used to show the furthering of education in women.
 

Work and the Economy

Lesson 7

The ideal worker is one who is not effected by family duties. They have never had to leave work early for a sick child, are committed to their job, and unlikely to leave work to bear and raise children as well. In other words, he is not  mother. In this picture the ideal worker is shown as a male who has no children and only focuses on his job.

Feminization of poverty is the economic trend showing that women are more likely than men to live in poverty. This is because of the gendered gap in wages, the higher proportion of single mothers compared to single fathers, and the increasing cost of childcare. In this photo a women is shown as homeless because she is unable to make enough money to live like men do.

Emotional labor is the level of emotion involved in careers between men and women. Women often must show feelings of attentiveness and caring. They must also suppress their feelings of boredom and irritation. Most customers and employees expect women to be nicer and more friendly than men. This picture shows a women answering phones as a secretary, which is a job that demands friendliness, especially when answering phones.

Breastfeeding is said to be what is "best" for babies. Statistics show that poor, less educated and non professional working women are less likely to breastfeed compared to non-poor and more educated women. This is because of the money saved from buying formula for the child. In this picture a women is shown breastfeeding her child.

Even when it comes to children, there are gender differences in doing housework. Girls are far more likely to do the dishes and laundry while boys are more likely to do yard work and take out the trash. In this picture a young girl is shown emptying the dishwasher, a feminine gendered chore.

Gender, Crime, and Deviance

Lesson 8

Violence against women is an ongoing problem. One of the main methods of violence is battering or domestic violence. Usually, battering is committed by a intimate partner. In this picture, a women is shown being physically abused by a man.

Factos that predict spousal abuse can include alcohol, weapons, anger, and abuse as a child. In this picture, a women is drinking alcohol which could easily lead to the abuse of her significant other in a mental or even physical way. This is because alcohol usually causes anger and aggression.

Women are not always the victims when it comes to battering. Men can often be the ones getting physically abused as well. Research has shown that women often initiate the violence, not using it as "self defense". In this picture, a women is shown exerting physical violence towards her significant other.

In today's society, many men go to prison for domestic violence. In fact, the United States has the largest proportion of incarcerated people. Most of these prisoners are African American and Latino men. In this picture, an african american male is being arrested for crimes of physical violence.

Religion also plays a huge part in the violence against others. Many people exclude or segregate women because thats what is said in their religion. In this picture, the koran is shown. This religion looks down upon women, making it seem okay for all men to do so.

Popular Culture and the Media

Lesson 9

The perspective on gender in the media refers to how masculinity and femininity are depicted. This results in a combination of what the media shows and what we make of it and how we follow it. In this picture a famous socialite, Kim Kardashian, is shown carrying her Louis Vuitton purse. Because I admire Kim's sense of style, I decided to go out and buy the same purse. This demonstrates my perspective on gender because I am copying her feminine qualities shown on television.

Stereotypes are very common in our world today, especially in the media. They are simplistic generalizations about certain categories of people. Most of the time these are not entirely true. They are believed because they are taken for granted as common knowledge. This picture shows a women making a sandwich. This is one of the most common stereotypes for women because they have been known to be in the kitchen cooking and cleaning instead of working and providing like the male does.

When it comes to television, gender plays an important role. It is the most important media socializer we have. Statistics show that women watch more television then men. This is sometimes a more popular use of leisure time than socializing with others. In this photo, a women is shown watching television during her free time.

Reality television is a common genre of shows on the air. These programs show the heightened behavior of gendered activity by the people on the show. It takes the qualities of masculinity and femininity and exaggerates them greatly. In this picture, the popular reality show, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is shown. This is one of the most dramatic and feministic show on television today.

Teen movies also show a great deal of gender in them. They usually represent two contrasting values which are craziness and youth innocence. These films act as a way for socializing teenagers to the norms and values associated with gender in popular culture today. In this picture, a scene from a movie, "Mac and Devon go to High School, is shown. The scene shows two boys hands exchanging a dub of marijuana for money. This shows the craziness that occurs in teens today.

Men and Masculinities

Lesson 10

Homophobia is very popular among men. Masculinity is often found in men by opposing the characteristics of others such as women. When a man acts like a women, other men are often afraid of that. They do not like what is different from themselves. This also pertains to women as well. In this picture, the boy is showing traits of homophobia because the two women are lesbian, which is not normal to the boy.

The phrase "Angry white men" is used to describe the different methods of demonstrating masculinity. In this picture a man is shown flexing, showing off his muscles which is a very popular display of masculinity.

Masculinity is a gender normally used to describe a mens behavior and personality. It is basically defined by what is not feminine. In this picture, a man is shown working out, demonstrating his masculinity.

There are many different ways that men show their manhood. One of the terms used to describe this is "Be a Big Wheel". This basically means that masculinity is measured by power, success, wealth, and status. In this photo, a famous rapper is shown with money in hand, in an expensive car, and with girls surrounding him. This is what ever man wants to be.

Another term used to describe the way men show their manhood is "Give Em Hell". This is when a man doesn't have any care of danger. He puts his feelings aside and just goes for it. In this picture, a man is riding a motorcycle at a track. This can be a dangerous and even fatal sport. However, the man did not care. He just jumped on the bike and went out anyways.