From: International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2001. Gender is a structural feature of society and the sociological significance of gender is that it is a devise by which society controls its members (Henslin, 2006). Karin Martin examines the gender socialization of children through an analysis of a range of parenting materials. The approach assumes that gender identity is neutral before the age of 3, and can be changed, e.g. This maintains the gendered power difference that allows certain groups to benefit (socially and … The way they are treated socially in combination with their biological sex will determine the child’s gender. [17] As articulated by author bell hooks , the emergence of intersectionality "challenged the notion that 'gender' was the primary factor determining a … Gender like social class and race can be used to socially categorize people and even lead to prejudice and discrimination. A SOCIAL THEORY OF GENDER: Connell's Gender and Power Zarina Maharaj Introduction Some feminists have resisted postmodemism in the belief that rejecting the traditional Enlightenment 'transcendent metanarrative' of absolute truth or 'foundation' of androcentric science implies abandoning all social theory. Gender and Society (2005). Feminist Theory. Feminist theory includes attempts to describe and explain how gender systems work, as well as a consideration of normative or ethical issues, such as whether a society's gender arrangements are fair. Psychoanalytic feminists attempt to explain power relations between men and women by reformulating Sigmund Freud's theories of human emotions, childhood development, and the workings of the subconscious and unconscious. Materials that claim to be (or have been claimed as) gender-neutral actually have a deep investment in training children in gender and sexual norms. Developed by Robert Connell, the theory of gender and power is a social structural theory based on existing philosophical writings of sexual inequality and gender and power imbalance. Related terms: Geography; Sociology; Sexual Behaviour Power is the key variable in the two main theories of gender oppression: psychoanalytic feminism and radical feminism. Empirical Evidence a biological boy raised as a girl will develop the gender identity of a girl. A POWER-CONTROL THEORY OF GENDER AND RELIGIOSITY 215 GENDER,RISK, AND RELIGIOSITY Although the fact that, on average, women tend to be more religious than men has been widely noted, there has been little research directly addressing why this is the case (Miller This is known as the theory of neutrality. Social Constructionism Social constructionism is a theory of knowledge that holds that characteristics typically thought to be immutable and solely biological—such as gender, race, class, ability, and sexuality—are products of human definition and interpretation shaped by cultural and historical contexts (Subramaniam 2010). Gender theory is the study of what is understood as masculine and/or feminine and/or queer behavior in any given context, community, society, or field of study (including, but not limited to, literature, history, sociology, education, applied linguistics, religion, health sciences, philosophy, cultural studies). This chapter examines gender as a category and concept and its deployment in the study of systems of belief and practice in the last decades of the twentieth century. These socially constructed assumptions about gender do not describe essential characteristics of men, women, and people outside of the gender binary, yet they often claim to. Crenshaw explained the dynamics that using gender, race, and other forms of power in politics and academics plays a big role in intersectionality.