Sociological Sociology

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Sociological concepts can be applied to many parts of one’s life. The concepts that surround both consuming and gender are both exceedingly relevant in our society today, with our consumption being an integral part of our life and gender becoming more freely explored as our society becomes more comfortable with the idea that there are more than two categories of gender. In this socioautobiography I will analyse how sociological concepts surrounding consumption and gender have shaped my life. I will focus on commodity fetishism, how I learnt gender roles through socialisation, and ‘doing’ gender as I was growing up. Using a sociological imagination, I will interpret my life through a historical and structural lens in relation to consumption …show more content…

Gender, according to Mary Holmes refers to the social meanings, norms and practices that are associated with being masculine or feminine. We learn these through the process of socialisation, which she claims is a process which is highly gendered where people learn the behaviour which society deems acceptable. It is how we learn what is appropriate and what is not for each gender (Crespi, //). Socialisation occurs between adolescents and parents and aims to build gender identity (Crespi, //). It is often through family, peer groups, schools and the media where socialisation occurs and each of these can reinforce gender stereotypes. I was constantly exposed to gender stereotypes growing up through which I developed different expectations for female and male behaviour (Crespi, //). My parents, who were my primary influence on my ideas about gender roles, carried out these stereotypes and they influenced my development of ideas surrounding gender roles. My father was often out of the country for work, so I heavily associated the concept of working with him, whereas my mother was the one who took on the housework and cared for my sister and me. It was through this that I developed my ideas about gender roles – I saw the male as the worker and the female as the carer. As I spent a substantial amount of time with my mother more than I did with my father and I spent the majority of my time around women, I saw them as a lot more warm and

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