Exploring Gender Inequality: Interactional and Institutional Perspectives

Gender theorists and researchers analyze gender partly to understand the perpetuation of inequality and propose changes to diminish inequality. A central question researchers explore is whether challenges to gender inequality need to occur at the interactional or institutional level. The status characteristic and doing gender approach investigates power, agency and change within social interactions. Gendered organizational theories examine power, agency and structure within institutions. Each approach shifted research and theory on gender in interactions and institutions, and challenged the notion that gender is static. The two approaches scrutinize the social construction of gender, biological determinism created

The Ridgeway concept of gender as a frame and background identity also designates power and agency of groups in establishing and enforcing the cultural knowledge and norms applied in the construction of identity within interactions and relations. Deutsch shifts agency back to the individual while examining the concept of undoing gender. Her research finds that attempts to undo gender and challenge the legitimacy of the sex binary are undertaken by individuals in interactions. Individuals can seek change and gains towards equality by reclaiming agency and actively rejecting gender norms and expectations in their interactions. Connell’s research on transgender individuals in workplaces also explores the agency of individuals who attempt doing, undoing and redoing gender. She finds that only undoing gender is the agency of the individual and that many transgender people challenge sex but reinforce gender norms in their interactions. Social groups and institutions have the power and agency over individuals doing gender. The power to inform cultural norms and expectations still belongs to the groups and institutions when individuals undo gender but the individuals express agency in their attempts to undo gender and challenge the binary

Cultural norms and expectations are partially constructed on assumptions of opposition between the sexes and genders. Sex and gender are measured on a binary scale, and culturally accepted behavior and sanctioned activities often reflect the sexual division of labor. The sexual division of labor assigns sex roles based on the differences in biology and anatomy of the two sexes. The sexual division of labor favors masculine over feminine traits. The sex roles created are adopted and reproduced in gender roles that reflect cultural expectations. These cultural expectations and norms reflect a preference for masculinity and legitimize the dominance of men in institutions and