Sociology of Gender

Catalog description

Advisory: English Placement Level 6 or higher or Essay-writing skills and eligibility to enroll in a transfer-level English Composition course. <br> <br> Gender is arguably the most salient characteristic determining one's place in any society. Gender is the first thing you notice about another person and your assessment of a person's gender shapes your expectations of that person. These expectations (which are often requirements) place very real constraints and limitations on individuals. The sociology of gender focuses on the social construction of gender. Other theories of gender such as biological explanations will be discussed in comparison to the social constructionist approach. The course will begin with an examination of key theoretical approaches to the study of gender. Special attention will be paid to how gender is constructed at the level of society as well as how we engage in the re-creation and construction of gender in our everyday lives. Gender will be explored as an institution and a system as well as how it influences individuals. Because gender does not exist in a vacuum, gender will be discussed in relation to its intersection with other social locations such as race, class, sexuality, age, and ethnicity. The differential effects of gender along these lines will be discussed and highlighted through all of the applied topics. This course may be offered in a distance education format.