SOCL 2001 : SOCL 2001 Gremillion Partial Notes For Exam 3
Document Summary
It is common to think that there are only two sexes male and female and that all people fall into one group or the other, and indeed this is a way of imposing order in a chaotic world. This notion endured until the mid-eighteenth century: essentialism and biological determinism assign gender and explain gender differences purely in terms of natural or biological attributes. However, there is much evidence showing that gender roles have more to do with social status than biology. A wide range of theories and approaches have been applied to the study of gender, including structural functionalism, psychoanalytic theory, conflict theory, microinteractionist theory, postmodern theory, middle-range theories, and ideas from black feminists. Each perspective has contributed to our understanding of gender differences and gender roles, and no doubt other theories or approaches will emerge in the future. Foucault also introduced the notion that self-surveillance is a form of social control.
