Gender Inequality Sociology

Some sociologists claim that gender is a product of social constructionism, which is a learned idea shaped and created by society. It is often confused with sex, and is defined as “a socially constructed system of classification that ascribes qualities of masculinity and femininity to people” (Sheppard & Mayo JR, 2009, p. 261). This means that there are specific traits and assets given to males and females. Gender characteristics alter over time and vary between different cultures. Sex, on the other hand is biological, and refers to your internal and external anatomy that you were born with, and is not something that can be socially constructed. I think gender is socially constructed because it is a manmade concept used to make sense of and distinguish the two sexes that is shaped by culture, social structure and the media. It assigns specific culture made attributes to men and women that can be positive or negative.

Sociology acknowledges the strong social and cultural guidance that create our gender identities and roles. The sociology viewpoint suggests that the various ways that

women and men are expected to act and behave are a result of cultural and historical constructs instead of anything to do with characteristics shaped by biology (W. Bolitho, personal communication, September 16, 2015). So men and women are a lot of the time treated very differently and have to meet social expectations that follow gender norms that have nothing to do with being biologically male or female. Looking at it from a sociological viewpoint there is actually no biological reason why these expectations should be permanent (W. Bolitho, personal communication, September 16, 2015).
From the time we born we are already assigned gender roles depending on our biological sex and we are taught by society to follow and develop these as we grow. For example, right from birth, parents dress their children in colours that are supposedly specific to their gender roles; such as the idea of blue for boys and pink for girls, and they are taught to engage in gender appropriate activities like play fighting and car racing for boys, while the girls amuse themselves with Barbie dolls and tea sets. Girls are seen as more delicate and gentle with softer temperaments, while boys are supposedly more tough and rugged. Everyone instinctively follows these notions as they have been so intricately woven into our society for generations. There are set guidelines and rules which make social norms regarding how the two genders are supposed to act, in terms of concepts like what they wear, their appearances, hobbies, and behaviour. Individuals are expected to conform to these rules in order to fit the ideal gender role, and therefore be easily accepted in society and not seen as ‘abnormal’. This has created two distinct groups of people with different behaviours, values and expectations.
While gender allows us to recognise the socially constructed differences between males and females, it can also pose issues and raise questions for those in a community. The media contributes significantly to this. In our ever growing age of technology, the media is everywhere; TV, radio, magazines, websites, and billboards- we are constantly being exposed to it and influenced by its messages. Sociologists have observed a pattern since the 1970’s in TV programmes and advertising, showing that females are portrayed far more in typical ‘feminine’ roles, such as modelling clothing, cooking, raising children, or acting as objects of desire for men, while males are seen in more aggressive and authoritative roles (Brym & Lie, 2007). These portrayals emphasize that these typical gender roles are ‘normal’ and is how everyone should act, but being constantly told that this is the way we should perform or be represented as, and not having equal rights, can be less than positive for individuals in society and lead to dangerous stereotypes with personal impacts.
Gender stereotyping can cause issues for both males and females when it affects the way they are able to live their lives in society. (Srichand, 2015) says that gender stereotypes can create negative impacts on individuals that restricts their full potential and wellbeing. People are made to ignore their own unique personalities and traits, and made to feel as though they have to conform to masculine and feminine norms in order to be accepted as a man or a woman (Srichand, 2015). There could be men who are gentler and quiet, that prefer baking and reading, so are judged because they are not ‘manly’ or tough enough. And there may also be women who are sporty and strong, that love hunting and fishing, so are made to feel abnormal and undervalued because they are not delicate and ‘soft’ like a typical woman should be. This would lead to feelings of inadequacy if people do not fit the standard ‘ideal’ gender role.
New Zealand has experienced problems with gender inequality in many different daily aspects of society, including in sport-a very important part of New Zealand life.

In the mid-19th century women did not play sport due to the idea that it was seen as too masculine and they needed to remain delicate and feminine, so it was exclusively for men (Else, 2012). However, in the late 19th and early 20th century, it became attractive for women to be out exercising and gaining a ‘healthy glow’, and many were gaining interest in the idea (Else, 2012). The majority of people did not approve of this though, and there was strong opposition when women tried sports such as rugby and cricket. Women engaging in sport such as these that were already strongly associated with men were seen as making themselves overly masculine and disrupting the stability between the male and female genders (Else,

2012).
Nowadays, women get much less coverage than men do for sports in the media including newspapers, radios, and magazines. In fact, New Zealand sportsmen receive 80% of media coverage while sportswomen receive less than 10% (Else, 2012). We can see this ourselves in the media, with the All Blacks for example. Everybody is familiar with our famous men’s rugby team, and we all observe the excessive amount of coverage and praise they get, in newspapers, on TV, magazines and advertising, and yet we hear next to nothing about our top women’s netball team the Silver Ferns-despite them achieving so highly for our country. Men’s sport regarding media coverage also has a higher dollar value attached to it and gains higher prize money, all because people value dominant men playing sports more rather than women because of socially constructed stereotypes, and they continue to support this stereotype, meaning there is no change in society.
Another area where New Zealand gender inequality is still evident, is in the workplace. The Human Rights Commission’s Tracking Equality at Work report states that women have higher unemployment and underemployment rates than men, and are visibly underrepresented and undervalued in leadership roles and private sectors (NCWNZ, 2009). Females make up two thirds of those earning the minimum wage and disadvantaged groups are especially deprived; with Maori and Pacific women earning less an hour than European women (NCWNZ, 2009). These examples show that New Zealand uses socially constructed gender stereotypes that are not always positive, resulting in inequalities for individuals, which in many cases are women. This is patriarchal bias-where men are more dominant and their activities are valued more highly than women’s.
Gender is such a solidly internalized social construct which has been embedded so deeply into our lives and culture, that it has become normalized, and is part of our way of thinking. It is not a concept that is likely to ever change, although there is no reason that it should remain fixed as it is a created idea. It is socially constructed because society and culture have shaped this theory in order for us to distinguish socially between the two biological sexes, and understand their different roles, identities and behaviours. Gender has created many issues for people in the world, as it brings with it the concept of stereotyping which can lead to inequalities and unfairness, and limit a person’s well-being. There will always be debate over gender, especially among sociologists; why and how it was created and the significance of it on society.