Examine the Extent to Which Gender Is Socially Constructed

Gender differences are biologically constructed. We are born either as male or female. Without going any further these statements appear normal and one can take the view that this is the general assumption. What then is sex? Is there a difference between sex and gender? Distinctions between sex and gender have been made by social scientists from the feminist movement of 1970’s, when feminists argued that the traditional views of masculinity and femininity often led to the disempowerment of women.Ann Oakley (1972) in particular, set the stage for the socialization explorations of gender identity (Abbott 2005). Since this latter part of the 19th century, the common distinction made by sociologists is that sex is derived from the biological differences between men and women – chromosome make up, internal and external genitals and reproductive organs amongst others. Gender, however, refers to the socially constructed characteristics of masculinity and femininity, characteri stics that are defined by different societies and cultures in different ways.In contrast, there are arguments proposing that gender differences are based on biological sex and result from biological factors – we naturally show characteristics of masculinity and femininity. These different views are often referred to as the nature v nurture debate (Marsh et al 2009, Lippa 2005 and Abbott 2005) Here we will look at some of the biological explanations in support of the assumption that gender differences are biologically determined before moving on to the sociological explorations of the social construction of gender, and the limitations of both views.We will also look at the gender differences across cultures and the influence of the mass media in shaping our society. Biological sex differences have often been used to explain the ‘natural’ differences in roles employed by men and women – men are naturally the breadwinners and the women nurture and take care o f the family. The different arguments for the biological explanations of gender roles are often referred to as ‘essentialism’ and ‘biological determinism’ (Marsh et al 2009). Talcott Parsons (Parsons and Bales 1955 as cited in Marsh et al 009) argued that the natural differences between men and women suit them to specific roles within society. This is referred to as the ‘sex-role’ theory. This theory relies on the premise that there are two distinct categories of men and women throughout the world. It therefore follows that heterosexuality is viewed as the norm. This immediately excludes those persons who feel that their gender identity does not correspond with their biological sex, for example transsexuals and homosexuals.Since the first wave of feminism in the 1970’s the focus has shifted towards the now dominant socialization explanations of gender identity, however we still see new biological theories and studies appearing. For examp le, biological determinists have looked to the differences in male and female brains. In their book Brain Sex (1989), Anne Moir and David Jessel talk of the ‘prenatal hormone’ theory, whereby testosterone has an influence on thought process and emotions leading to the brain being wired differently between men and women (Marsh et al 2009).Simon Baron-Cohen also has similar views – â€Å"the female brain is predominantly hard-wired for empathy, and the male brain is predominantly hard-wired for understanding and building systems†. (Simon Baron-Cohen 2003 as cited in Marsh et al 2009:220). In contrast, the various socialization explanations of gender argue that our gender identities are created by society, by interactions from early childhood with parents, siblings and peers (social learning theory) and by external influences such as the mass media, continually developing through our social interactions and experiences into adulthood.The differences across cu ltures in what is considered as masculine and feminine are also studied in support of this concept. â€Å"The different social experiences of women and men are the creation of society far more than biology† (Macionis and Plummer 2005:308). The social learning theory suggests that from birth we learn what is considered as â€Å"gender-appropriate† behaviours and traits (Marsh et al 2009). â€Å"Infants are seen as blank states, waiting to be written on by their environment† (Bilton et al 2002:136). This theory suggests that through nteraction with parents, siblings and peers, children learn the characteristics of their gender role – which emotions to display, activities to take part in or avoid, toys to play with, clothing to wear, work and hobbies to pursue amongst others. It is also widely accepted that children copy what they see and try to emulate their peers etc. This is referred to by sociologists as ‘modelling’. The majority of persons will recall that some behaviours are encouraged and accepted whereas if a child emulates something that a parent views as wrong or abnormal this is discouraged. The reactions from parents etc. einforce the gender characteristics expected of the child (Marsh et al 2009). A study undertaken in North Carolina of pre school children (Robinson and Morris 1986 cited in Bilton et al 2002) proposes that the social learning theory is an incomplete explanation that we learn all ‘gender-appropriate’ behaviours. In this study, children were themselves selecting ‘gender-stereotyped’ toys for their Christmas presents. For example dolls were selected by the girls and military toys by the boys. The parents selections for the children were mostly sex-neutral – art supplies and musical instruments.The early inclinations of the children to conform to their gender roles cannot be explained by the social learning theory (Bilton et al 2002). In 1971 Sandra Bem, a Pennsylv anian psychologist created the Bem Sex Role Inventory. This inventory lists various characteristics which are stereotyped as being masculine (dominant, athletic) or feminine (affectionate, flatterable). Individuals can assess themselves by selecting which of the characteristics they view as being desirable for a man or woman in order to determine how well you fit into your traditional gender role.The results from a sample of participants show that both men and women share a range of what are considered to be stereotypical feminine and masculine traits (Marsh et al 2009). Some writers have interpreted that Bem is in effect arguing that â€Å"the development of typical gender roles and gender stereotyping are not inevitable† (Marchbank and Letherby 2007:125 as cited in Marsh et al 2009:223). In other words parents, teachers etc. can influence the gender identities of the children.Money and Ehrhdart (1972) report the case of a 7 month old boy who after losing his penis in an acc ident underwent surgery to reconstruct his genitals as female. He was thereafter raised as a girl and is reported to have developed normally as such (Money and Ehrdart 1972 as cited in Bilton et al 2002). This would support the interpreted view of Bem above. The stereotypical gender projections of the mass media are also said to have an influence on our gender identities, often reinforcing gender stereotypes. â€Å"The media are forms of pedagogy that teach us how to be men and women† (Kellner 1995:5 as cited in Marsh et al 2009:231).Some argue that the media however offers a variety of images that both challenge and support stereotypical views (Stacey 1994 as in Marsh et al 2009). Feminine stereotypes are reinforced by media representation of the fashion, beauty and diet industries, focussing on physical improvement and reinforcing the stereotype that women should always look their best and ‘primp’ and ‘preen’ themselves. Programmes such as How to L ook Good Naked and Extreme Makeover are becoming increasingly popular. Masculine stereotypes are also reinforced in advertising.For example, the beer industry relies on the masculine stereotype to appeal to its audience and alternatives such as gay men and househusbands amongst others are markedly absent from this type of advert. (Strate 2004 cited in Marsh et al 2009). The media is viewed by sociologists as a powerful tool in conveying stereotypical and idealistic views of femininity and masculinity to its audience. Other arguments and studies highlighting the social construction of gender look at the different views across different cultures upon what characteristics are considered as masculine and feminine.Margaret Mead, an American cultural anthropologist, undertook a study of three primitive societies within New Guinea (1935), the Arapesh, the Mundugumor and the Tchambuli. Mead noted that the Arapesh men and women expressed similar attitudes and behaviours. They were peaceful, sensitive and cooperative, traits that in our culture are considered as feminine. The Mundugumor men and women again shared similar behaviours, however, in contrast to the Arapesh they displayed what we would view as masculine traits – aggressive, selfish and ‘warlike’.The Tchambuli men and women, similar to our culture, displayed different behaviours although the women displayed masculine traits of dominance and aggression, and the men displayed feminine traits, having responsibility for domestic activities and care of the young as well as ‘primping’ and decorating themselves (Macionis and Plummer 2005, Marsh et al 2009). A further example of the cultural differences surrounding masculinity and femininity can be seen in Samoa where men can take on the role and identity of females. They are known as fa'afafine which literally means ‘like a woman’.The biological sex is male but the gender is considered as female. They dress like women, ca rry out what are considered as the female tasks within the household – cooking, cleaning, and washing and have relationships with other men. It can be the choice of a boy to take on a female role or it may be that they are raised as fa’afafine by their family if they have no or few daughters needed to undertake the female role within the household. Although men have relationships with the fa'afafines they strongly feel that this is not homosexual behavior.Fa’afafines consider themselves female and believe that the men who have relations with them also see them as female (See – National Geographic Channel ‘Taboo’ studies). We can see clearly from Mead’s study and the fa’afafines in Samoa that different cultures define masculinity and femininity in different ways. Gender identities are capable of being shaped or formed, therefore giving substantial weight to the argument that gender is socially constructed and is derived from our social and cultural traditions and views.On balance, the arguments of the biological determinists appear very limited in their application to those outwith the ‘normal’ heterosexual categories of male and female. In contrast the socialization explanations show that we can influence gender identities and that although sex is biologically determined it does not automatically follow that we naturally inherit the stereotypical characteristics of masculinity and femininity. Mead’s study alone provides strong evidence to support this point.To conclude, the general assumption and explanations that gender differences are biologically determined appear to have been somewhat overshadowed since the 1970’s. The majority of sociologists are in preference of the views, studies and evidence that support the sociological explanation of gender as being socially constructed with any differences being derived from society and culture. In comparison, the biological viewpoints and theories appear to struggle to correlate with today’s modern and multicultural society.References Abbott, P. Wallace, C. and Tyler, M. (2005) An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. London: Routledge. Bilton, T. , Bonnett, K. , Jones, P. , Lawson, T. , Skinner, D. , Stanworth, M. and Webster, A. (2002) Introductory Sociology. Basingstoke: Macmillan. Lippa, R. A. (2005) Gender, Nature, and Nurture. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Macionis, J. and Plummer, K. (2005) Sociology: A Global Introduction. Harlow: Pearson. Marsh, I. , Keating, M. , Punch, S. and Harden, J. (2009) Sociology: Making Sense of Society. Harlow:Pearson.

WebDesPix Ltd case study questions

1. What does the name WebDesPix Ltd tell you about the ownership of the company? It tells us that it is a private limited company; this means that it is in the private sector and it must have the letters ‘Ltd' after its name. The main features of a private limited company include: * It is owned by the shareholders. * It is controlled by the board of directors. * It is managed by appointed managers. * Finance can be gained by borrowing from banks or selling shares. * The profits go to the shareholders of the company, in the form of dividends. Socratic Seminar Questions 2. Give (2 or more) reasons why they may have decided on this type of company? This type of business is more expensive to set up than a sole trader or a partnership, however: * It carries less financial risk for the owners as they have limited liability, which means that if the company goes bust, they only lose the amount of money that they invested in the company and not their personal possessions. * Limited companies are also incorporated which means that the company has a separate legal identity from its owners. Which means that it is the company that can be sued or sue, not the owners. * It also gives the company greater continuity because its existence is not ended by the death or retirement of its owners. 3. Tom and Dee are shareholders. What does this mean? * It means that Tom and Dee are the people who invest money in the company by buying shares, and are therefore called shareholders. It also means that they are the owners of the company. * By buying shares in the company Tom and Dee are entitled to a share of the profits known as dividend. How much dividend a shareholder receives depends on how well the company is performing, the type of share they own, and the number of shares they own. * This also means that as they are shareholders they can elect people to the board of directors to represent their interest and be responsible for the long term strategy of the company. The directors will then appoint managers to be responsible for the day-to-day running of the company. Also, some managers may also be directors and are known as executive directors. In a private limited company the major shareholders, board of directors and managers may all be the same people. 4. They have an overdraft facility. Explain how an overdraft works and say what they might use if for. An overdraft is when a business draws more money from its bank account than it currently has in the account. It has permission from the bank, which sets an agreed limit called an overdraft limit. Interest is payable on the overdraft and this is calculated on a daily basis. An advantage of an overdraft is that money is only borrowed when needed; this means that interest is only paid when the bank account is overdrawn. The big disadvantage about an overdraft is that the bank can insist that it is repaid immediately. However, because of its flexibility an overdraft is probably the most frequently used way to solve a cash flow problem. The table shows the advantages and disadvantages of overdrafts: Advantages of overdrafts Disadvantages of overdrafts Flexibility-can change the amount borrowed within limits. Cannot be used for large borrowing. Interest is only paid on amounts borrowed. Rates of interest higher than loans. Bank can change limit at any time or ask for money to be paid sooner than expected. Used for anything wages, computer repairs etc 5. List 4 products the company offers. * Web design is still the core business of the company, but new services are also offered. * Electronic newsletters. * Domain registrations. * Hosting and search engine optimisation. * The company offers three standard web design packages, this is -budget at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½800 -professional at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1000 -and executive at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1500 Each package provides a number of web pages, e-mail facilities and the cost of hosting the site. * WDP (WebDesPix Ltd) give a quotation to clients who require non-standard packages (a quotation is just an estimated price for job or service). 6. All their products are marketed online. Explain 3 advantages of this when compared to selling from a shop on the high street. Firstly, buying and selling products online is called e-commerce. The advantages of this include: * Websites can be used to reach wider markets; this means that the internet provides extra marketing possibilities. * The internet can be accessed all over the world-this makes it possible to target potential customers in foreign countries. * A company can put marketing material on its own website, or it could pay to advertise on other websites. * A good website can really help a firm's competitiveness and increase its market share. * Firms can market and sell goods through their website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ('24/7†²). * By using the strategy of marketing and selling '24/7†², it can give e-commerce firms an advantage over the traditional 9-5 businesses, as customers can shop at home, at a time which is convenient to them. 7. The company wants to build up their brand name. List 3 advantages of having a strong brand name. * Businesses will hope that this leads to brand loyalty, where customers will repeat-buy because they prefer the look, taste, quality or image of their products. * If the company's name becomes established with one product, it may encourage customers to buy different products bearing that name. * Customers can be reasonably sure about the quality they will get with branded goods. 8. What are overheads? Overheads (also called fixed costs or indirect costs) are costs which do not change whether the business produces lots of goods, or produces no goods at all. These are costs which still have to be paid, regardless of output. For example, the rent on a shop will still have to be paid, whether or not the shop has any customers. Examples of overheads are: -interest payment on loans. -managers' salaries. – Rates payable to the local council. -rent of premises. -gas -electricity -telephone costs -administration costs – and advertising 9. Explain why the company has relatively small overheads. The company has relatively small overheads because it is labour intensive. * It builds and upgrades its own computers. * Vacancies are just advertised on the company's website and at regular networking meetings with other businesses in the Bristol area. 10. List 2 factors which influenced the company to locate in Bristol. * They could have run the company from anywhere in England, but as they were all from different parts of the country it was easier to locate in Bristol where they had all studied (it was more convenient). * Bristol is a large city with good infrastructure, so transport is not a problem. * There is a university in Bristol, so the business is close to an educated working force. 11. List 3 non-financial fringe benefits available to the employees. * Free lunch each Friday. * The use of a Wii during their breaks. * Free health insurance after six months employment. 12. Give 2 reasons why the company gives fringe benefits. * To motivate their employees so that they feel valued by the company and are therefore more productive as well. * Helps attract and retain better qualified employees. * Improves efficiency and productivity as employees are assured of security for themselves (as well as their families). 13. Some employees receive a monthly bonus based on turnover. Explain bonus. Full-time employees receive a monthly bonus based on turnover. A bonus is a monetary reward. It can be paid within both the time rate and piece rate systems. Under the time rate system, a bonus is paid if the workers reach their production targets, which could be hourly, daily or weekly targets. 14. Explain one advantage of giving these employees a bonus. -this encourages workers to work at their maximum output, and so overcome the problem of the lack of incentive. It also increases the productivity, efficiency and motivation of employees, which may also increase their happiness. 15. Give one disadvantage of giving them a bonus. The disadvantage is that the employees expect a bonus and moral drops sharply when the bonus is not paid. 16. The 2 sales assistants receive commission in addition to their salary. Explain commission. Commission is a monetary incentive that the company can offer in addition to their basic pay. It is a payment to people who are employed in selling the products or services of a business. 17. Explain one advantage of giving these employees commission. This system ensures that employees have to work hard to earn their pay, but if they are successful, their earnings can be unlimited. 18. Give one disadvantage of giving them commission. If they fail to meet the required turnover or sales figures, they receive no commission. 19. List 2 advantages of using email. * It is quick and easy to send emails, as it allows communication easily over a number of sites. * People can keep in touch very easily-as many messages can be sent. * Messages can also be keyed-in and stored until they are needed. * One email can be sent to a number of different people at the same time. * They are very convenient, as multiple attachments can be sent. * It is easier to refer back to emails rather than looking through different pieces of paper. 20. Explain why the company might use video conferencing. Video conferencing is fast becoming more and more popular with companies. It involves using computer links and closed-circuit television, allowing people to hear and see each other. The advantages include: * Saves people travelling to meetings. * Large savings can then be made in terms of time and cost. * Face-to-face communication is possible rather than using telephone or letter.

In the United States, we do not need to plan for retirement. Social Essay - 1

In the United States, we do not need to plan for retirement. Social Security will cover our needs when we are retired - Essay Example Thus, there is an overall increase in the global population, which is going to have repercussions not only on the United States, but also on the global community. One of the areas in which our future society is going to be most effected is in the field of social security because the growth of our population and the rise of an older generation of people is going to cause economic havoc not only on benefits such as tax cuts and social security, but also on the entire economic system. Social security was created as a social welfare program that was designed to take care of people as they aged and became less productive members of society. It was first proposed by Roosevelt as part of the New Deal in order to move America out of the Great Depression. Since then, the original concept and act has been rewritten and developed so that it can stay current with the times and adapt to meet the demands/changes of the population. It was designed so that at a certain point, people would retire, ho wever they would still be receiving a check from the government every month that would help pay for their living expenses. In this way, equilibrium would be kept between those that were younger and more productive in the working environment by freeing up the jobs held by older people. It is through taxation that the government is able to fund the checks to take care of the elderly, however there are problems that will be facing a new generation of people, as there is an increase in the number of elderly (Livingston 1-31). As stated previously, the lives of humanity are being expanded due to advances in medical science and people are now having more children. There is an accelerated growth in the human population on the planet that is going to have problems keeping up with this growing population. In the United States, this is going to be seen with the â€Å"Baby Boomers.† These were individuals that were born between the years of 1946 and 1964. This explosive growth in the po st-world war II population was good in that it stimulated the economy by providing a workforce to both work and consume in the economy. With an increasing number of these Baby Boomers retiring, more and more money is being used from social security, which is putting a strain on this economic system. Along with the already increasing budget cuts and problems with taxation, there is not enough funds coming into the system in order to provide financial benefits after retirement. In essence, the current workforce is going to be paying for these people’s social security, but will have no form of social security of their own. By the time it reaches the next generation of children to retire, there will be very few benefits of social security remaining (Andersen, and Taylor 370-75). Social security is also having an effect on the medical care system and vice versa. One of the benefit adjuncts of social security is the medical insurance that is supplied to all senior citizens. Again, this is supplied through the taxation of the population. As more elderly citizens begin to tap into this resource, the less that will be left for the rest of the population once they hit retirement age. Even though medical technology has become more advanced and is saving lives, there is a costly rise in the costs of healthcare associated not only with the implementation of treatments and procedures, but also with the research and development that goes into the creation of these. More and more

Mc Donalds and Coca Cola Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mc Donalds and Coca Cola - Essay Example As the discussion stresses the innovative and appealing advertisements of Coca Cola have created a great demand for the product in the current market. They are using the social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube which form effective means of marketing mix in the modern world where most of the population are technology savvy. This has enabled makes the company to capture the minds of young generations and impress upon them a definitive brand image. The most effective means of traditional media behind the success of the brand Coca cola has been was television.   Newspapers and websites also attract consumers. Thus, the brand image has remained very consistent for this company.This paper stresses that McDonalds is the largest chain of fast food restaurant in the world. The customers recognize its logo instantly as it appears in the media. They also use social media like Facebook, Twitter, My Space and in addition to traditional media like TV, newspapers as well as magazines. In their case also, a marketing mix using both the forms of media, has helped them create and retain an everlasting brand image.  Both media are effective communication tool with the consumers. Both companies use these media to generate the demand for their product.  This has increased the brand image name of both companies. It has become a significant factor in the business.  Coca cola is a soft drink company and McDonalds maintains the top spot in the fast food industry.

Managing Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Managing Markets - Essay Example One of the top ten leading financial investing companies in the world is the Barclays Banks and their investors. It is financial institutional investor company and a large liaison which can be traced back to a self-effacing business founded more than three hundred years ago in the heart of London’s financial region. It is a UK-based financial services group connected principally in banking, investment banking and investment organization. In terms of market capitalization Barclays is one of the top ten leading banks in the globe. A primary UK retail and industry bank, it also offers corresponding global services to international corporations and financial institutions globally. It has been engaged in banking for over years and functions in over sixty countries with more than 76,200 employees. On June 30, 2004, the group attained a pre-tax profit of 2,411 million pounds. Investors’ funds were 17.1 billion pounds and the Tier 1 assets relative amount was 7.7 % (Barclays Global Investors, 2004). It is also engrossed in societal educational associations, situation, arts, disability and social insertion. Nowadays, Barclays has full-grown from a group of English companies to a global bank symbolized in Europe, Middle East , United States of America, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, and Australasia. Barclays Bank is one of the world’s biggest asset managers and a top global provider of investment organization products and services (Barclays Global Investors, 2004). It provides structured investment methods such as indexing which is regard as to be submissive and yet is being covenant with vigorous investors, strategic asset distribution and risk-controlled active products. It also offers connected investment services such as cash management, securities lending and portfolio conversion services. Moreover, Barclays Banks is the product and service leader in Exchange Traded Funds (ishares), with over 100 funds for financial

Barriers that will inhibit my success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Barriers that will inhibit my success - Essay Example I lack strict time management. This is an issue since my understanding capabilities are highest in the morning. On several occasions, I have postponed revising for assessment tests scheduled for noon the next day with the promise that I would rise up early and revise accordingly. However, I have ended up frustrating myself by waking up late the next morning and ended up performing poorly in the tests. Additionally, postponing is a dreadful habit that I need to eliminate for my educational goals to remain valid. Poor financial planning will also hamper the attainment of my educational goals. I would say that I am good at saving money whenever I have some, but I am very poor at prioritizing school needs (Myers 74). Consequently, I end up using my money to purchase items out of peer pressure even when the money is sufficient to visit a library or I need little more to buy a useful

Leading by Example Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leading by Example - Assignment Example Politics entails making the masses believe on the candidate’s potential (Luce, 2008). As such, the society will hardly grant a candidate who lacks convincing words an opportunity to execute actions. This indicates that an action only strategy cannot proliferate well in the contemporary world dominated by the media and technology (Lattimer, 2009). Apparent evidence is the Obama campaigns and leadership. Obama’s appealing performance over the campaign was attributable to his strong media command (Lattimer, 2009). For instance, in his initial stages, he managed to beat Clinton by outshining her in media debates. As such, he was able to market his ideologies to the masses hence realizing considerable popularity. Importantly, we witness the influence of the media in the present leadership with the frequently scrutiny of the world’s leaders. Media provides an avenue through which the society can challenge leader’s actions. According to Shah (2012), leaders are presently investing heavily on media and only individuals capable of handling words’ politics comfortably will survive. Indeed, Luce (2008) affirms that the harsh challenges, which faced Clinton’s presidency during the eve of his tenure, undermined his popularity considerably. Evidently, the contemporary leaders cannot alienate their leadership career with the media influence hence understanding the position of the stage is a common tactics of