大学思辨英语教程 精读3U14教师用书.docx

Unit14Gender

UnitOverview

Sociologistsmakeadistinctionbetweengenderandsex.Genderistheperceivedorprojectedmasculinityorfemininityofapersonorcharacteristic.Sex,ontheotherhand,isconventionallyperceivedasadichotomousstateoridentityformostbiologicalpurposes,suchthatapersoncanonlybefemaleormale.

Beforegoingintomoredetailaboutthedifferencesbetweengenderandsex,itshouldbemadeclearwhythisisanimportantdifference.Differentiatinggenderfromsexallowssocialscientiststostudyinfluencesongenderwithoutconfusingtheiraudience.Ifasocialscientistweretocontinuallytalkabouthowsexissociallyconstructed,heraudiencemightgetconfused,thinkingthescientistisill-informedaboutthebiologicaldeterminantsofsex.Usingoneterm,gender,torefertothesociallyconstructedandmalleablecomponentofhumansexualityandanotherterm,sex,torefertothebiologicalandimmutablecomponentofhumansexualityallowsscientistsinterestedinthesetwocomponentstostudythemwithoutconfusion.

Genderisthesocialandrepresentationalcomponentofhumansexuality.Perhapsthebestwaytounderstandgenderistounderstanditasaprocessofsocialrepresentation.Becausegenderrolesaredelineatedbybehavioralexpectationsandnorms,oncethoseexpectationsandnormsareknownbytheindividual,theindividualcanordoesadoptthebehaviorsthatrepresentthegendertheywishtoportray.Thegenderonewishestoportrayisnotsolelyacognitive,self-drivendesirebutalsothesocializedgenderroleimputedbyparents,peers,andsociety.

TexA

In“OnBecomingMale:ReflectionsofaSociologistonChildhoodandEarlySocialization”,JamesM.Henslinanalyzeshowsomeoftheirsocializationexperiencesprepareboysfordominanceandtheconsequencescausedhereby.Heexploresthewholesocializationprocessofboysfromcolor,clothing,toys,tobehaviorexpectationandgendersegregation