Sociological Theories relating to Gender (Theoretical Perspectives on Gender)

Question 1

is the study of human social relationships and institutions

Answer 1

Sociology

Question 2

Sociology’s purpose

Answer 2

understanding how human action and consciousness both shape and are shaped by surrounding cultural and social structures

Question 3

provided one of the most important perspectives of sociological research in the twentieth century and has been a major influence on research in the social sciences, including gender studies.

Answer 3

Structural Functionalism

Question 4

Viewing the family as the most integral component of society, assumptions about gender roles within marriage assume a prominent place in this perspective.

Answer 4

Structural Functionalism

Question 5

Argue that gender roles were established well before the pre-industrial era when men typically took care of responsibilities outside of the home, such as hunting, and women typically took care of the domestic responsibilities in or around the home.

Answer 5

Functionalism

Question 6

Society is a struggle for dominance among social groups (like women versus men) that compete for scarce resources.

Answer 6

Conflict Theory

Question 7

Consider the Women’s Suffrage Movement or the debate over women’s “right to choose” their reproductive futures.

Answer 7

Conflict Theory

Question 8

It is difficult for women to rise above men, as dominant group members create the rules for success and opportunity in society

Answer 8

Conflict Theory

Question 9

-German sociologist
-studied family structure and gender roles

Answer 9

Friedrich Engels

Question 10

type of conflict theory that examines inequalities in genderrelated issues.

Answer 10

Feminist Theory

Question 11

uses the conflict approach to examine the maintenance of gender roles and inequalities

Answer 11

Feminist Theory

Question 12

radical feminism, considers the role of the family in perpetuating male dominance

Answer 12

Feminist Theory

Question 13

aims to understand human behavior by analyzing the critical role of symbols in human interaction.

Answer 13

Symbolic Interactionism

Question 14

meanings attached to symbols are socially created and not natural, and fluid, not static, we act and react to symbols based on the current assigned meaning.

Answer 14

Symbolic Interactionism

Question 15

refers to the way in which socially created definitions about the cultural appropriateness of sex-linked behavior shape the way people see and experience sexuality.

Answer 15

social construction of sexuality

Question 16

the belief that men and women behave differently due to differences in their biology.

Answer 16

biological determinism