The+Social+Construction+of+Gender


 * EDITING NEEDED!**


 * Questions for the unit:**
 * Add: [|Ideas about love]**

1. Where do ideas about sex, sexuality and gender come from? 2. To what extent are people of a certain gender, sex, sexuality discriminated against in mainstream society? 3. To what extent can society change to be more accepting of those that do not fit into to idealized masculine, heterosexual society?

[|Gender, Marriage, and Family Presentation] [|Gender, Marriage, and Family Presentation Key] [|Gender, Marriage and Family Notesheet]

= Day 1: **Do Now:** Share your responses to the homework questions with a neighbor.....= [|Gender, Sex and Sexuality Reading] 1. What is the difference between sex, sexuality and gender? 2. Why are the theories of gender essentialism and biological determinism not totally correct? 3. Explain how gender is a performance. 4. What is masculinity and what are the negative consequences of it according to Kimmel? 5. How do family, peers, and media socialize us to view gender in a certain way? 6. To what extent is patriarchy hegemonic? 7. To what extent does gender inequality still exist? 8. What is the Kinsey continuum? Do you agree with his theories? 9. What is the truth about the "teen sex crisis" and abstinence only education?

Work with a partner to find 3 examples of media (print, video, website etc) expressing an idea of what beauty is for men vs. women and prepare to share with the class.
 * How does society (esp the media) shape our concept of beauty in terms of our gender?**

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 * 2.** How do advertisements, especially, portray gender and the way we should look/want to look? What impact does this have on the way we view gender?

=**Gender/Sex/Sexuality Discrimination**= 1. To what extent are people of a certain gender, sex, sexuality discriminated against in media/mainstream society? 2. How can the media help create a change in society to be more accepting of those that do not fit into to idealized masculine, heterosexual society? 3. To what extent do parents socialize their children to think about gender/sexuality? 4. How does society as a whole condition us to think about sexuality?

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 * Do Now: Do you believe that the media's portrayal of gender is changing? Evidence?**

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Research more on the media and gender. You will use what you learn to answer: 1. To what extent are people of a certain gender, sex, sexuality discriminated against in media/mainstream society? 2. How can the media help create a change in society to be more accepting of those that do not fit into to idealized masculine, heterosexual society? (Or does society need to change to impact the media?)
 * Gender/Sex/Sexuality Discrimination:**

[|Teen Aware: Media, Sex and You] [|Geena Davis Institute] [|pbs site with links on the topic]

Presentation review on sexuality [|Sexuality Presentation] [|Sexuality Presentation Key] [|Sexuality Notesheet]
 * Sexuality**

3. To what extent do parents socialize their children to think about gender/sexuality? [|Teaching Your Kids About Sex] According to this article, are parents contributing to a certain social construction of sexuality for their children? Explain What is the take away message of all of this? Why should sociologists study sexuality today?

4. How does society condition us to think about sexuality? [|Look through the following site and find examples to share] You can also look at these links: [|the sociology in focus site] or [|the links here] OR [|Choose a post from this site] Or [|here] [|Or sociology in focus] Or[| Girls Just Want to Be Mean]

1. To what extent are people of a certain gender, sex, sexuality discriminated against in media/mainstream society? 2. How can the media help create a change in society to be more accepting of those that do not fit into to idealized masculine, heterosexual society? 3. To what extent do parents socialize their children to think about gender/sexuality? 4. How does society as a whole condition us to think about sexuality?
 * Exit Slip: Discussion** You must speak about at least one question or turn in a response via e-mail.

[|Masculinity as Homophobia] Questions: 1. In the article // Masculinity as Homophobia // Kimmel modiﬁes the typical deﬁnition of homophobia. That is, according to Kimmel homophobia is deﬁned as... 2. Why do men feel powerless to change the narrow deﬁnitions of masculinity? 3. What are the consequences of narrowly deﬁning masculinity? 4. How does the media reinforce gender roles?
 * Homework:** Read and answer questions regarding the article below:

= **Day 2:** Marriage and Family= Do Now: Discuss Masculinity as Homophobia

1. Where do ideas about sex, sexuality and gender come from? 2. To what extent are people of a certain gender, sex, sexuality discriminated against in mainstream society? 3. To what extent can society change to be more accepting of those that do not fit into to idealized masculine, heterosexual society?

Essential Questions: 1. How have ideas about marriage changed in the US/the world? Where do these ideas come from? 2. How have ideas about family changed in the US/the world? 3. What purpose does marriage/family serve in society? In other words, what are the social functions of marriage/family? 4. What are the implications for the future of marriage and family for kids today?

Go through the resources below to help you answer the essential questions: 1. Movie about marriage from the 1950s: What are the ideals of marriage in this video from the 1950s? How have ideals today changed/remained the same? What does this imply about the reasons for marriage in the society of the 1950s vs today?

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2. Article review on marriage. Work with a partner. Each of you will read TWO of the articles below and then share with one another about what you have learned about marriage/family. (As a pair, you should have read all of the articles) Answer the following: 1. Why is marriage idealized to be something different from the way it is actually experienced? 2. Why does society define marriage in a certain way and what are the dangers of doing this? 3. What is a family? What purpose does the family institution serve in society? How is the definition of family changing and how has the purpose of family changed/remained the same? 4. What would changing our idea of marriage and family mean for society?

[|8 things nobody tells you about marriage]

[|Why do we feel the need to narrowly define marriage?]

[|Gay and Married With Children]

[|What makes a family?]

3. How do tv shows/movies represent family? Think of examples....... How does television/movies impact our ideas about marriage? Where else do we get ideas about marriage and family? Find clips from tv shows to share that represent family and prepare to share with the class what they indicate about the purpose of marriage and family. Refer to the questions for the day in your response: 1. How have ideas about marriage changed in the US/the world? Where do these ideas come from? 2. How have ideas about family changed in the US/the world? 3. What purpose does marriage/family serve in society? 4. What are the implications for the future of marriage and family for kids today?

5. How does the news represent family? [|A "Normal" Family]

Families without Kids: What is the purpose of idealizing families as those with children? What do you think about defining a couple with no kids as a family? Where do these feelings come from? What are the pros/cons in society of not having kids? What would it mean if less people had children? [|Kids or no kids?] [|The Problem with Married Couples and No Kids] [|A Richer Life with No Kids] [|What's it like to be an adult with no kids? (2 opinions)]

Read the following post about changing definitions of the family: [|post about the family and latent pattern maintenance] 1. What social institutions have the biggest impact on the family? 2. Do you think that government involvement in family life is beneficial for society? Explain 3. Is the family in decline? Where do our ideas about traditional family roles come from? What role does gender play in the traditional family?
 * Wrap Up of Family:**


 * Discuss**

1. How have ideas about marriage changed in the US/the world? Where do these ideas come from? 2. How have ideas about family changed in the US/the world? 3. What purpose does marriage/family serve in society? 4. What are the implications for the future of marriage and family for kids today?
 * Exit slip/discussion:**

1. How do communities develop a sense of normality, morality, and a collective consciousness. 2. How is normality socially constructed and who beneﬁts from it? 3. How is crime socially constructed? Use the war on drugs to support your answer. 4. What are the consequences of the law enforcement policies we create based on this social construction of crime? 5. What is the goal of the criminal justice system in terms of creating a better society? How does the current criminal justice system fall short of meeting these goals?
 * HW: Read about deviance on this [|pdf]****and answer the questions below in your notes:**