A Conceptual Framework For Understanding Race, Class,...

In â€Å"A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality†, Lynn Weber claims that categories such as race and gender are socially constructed. In this paper, I will defend Weber’s claim with a particular focus on gender and gender identity, with gender being defined as a state of masculinity or femininity which is either based on the sex of a person or on their personal identification (Oxford Dictionaries). I will first explore the for and against arguments to Weber’s position, then in my own response, I will argue that gender is a social construct as gendered behaviour is learned over time, and that gender is contextual in nature. Additionally, I will explore the implications of the social construction of gender in†¦show more content†¦Those who agree that gender is a social construct would also argue that gendered behaviour is not innate, and that it is learnt throughout development. Gender identity is defined as â€Å"the way in which being feminine or masculine, woman or man, becomes an internalized part of the way we think about ourselves† (Ryle, 2014). The idea of masculinity and femininity and the strong distinction between the two are taught to us throughout our lives. An individual’s earliest exposure to the concept of gender comes from parental influence. Many studies show that parents socialize their children from birth by creating distinct environments for boys and girls and treating son’s and daughter’s differently. For instance, parents are more likely to assign domestic chores such as cooking, mending clothes and doing laundry to daughters, whereas sons are more likely to be assigned maintenance chores such as mowing lawn, small household repairs and carrying out garbage (Lackey, 1989). Parents may also use more emotive language when talking to their daughter’s and might encourage certain interests such as math and science in son’s, by purchasing m ore math and science toys and committing to other promotive activities (Jacobs Bleeker, 2004; Leaper, 1998; Tenenbaum Show MoreRelatedCultural Analysis And Literary Criticism1392 Words   |  6 PagesCultural is defined as the attitudes, customs, and beliefs that distinguish one group from another. Culture is conveyed through language, material objects, rituals, institutions, and art, from one generation to the next Discourses are the frameworks or interpretation. Humans learn what different signs mean through communication and culture (discourse). Discursive formations with the process where unquestioned and seemingly natural ways of interpreting the world become ideologies. .. 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