In Britain
The purpose of this essay is to describe and evaluate how gender influences the life chances of individuals and groups within Britain today, particularly looking at the socialization process of gender and how particular ideologies of gender roles within different social institutions can create social inequalities through the use of power which can be achieved through justice, and applying different theoretical perspectives of inequality in reference to gender, and looking at those in authority that use their power to legitimize oppressive practices, in particularly against women into the formal structure of society and how this power in unequally distributed through stratification. There many interpretations of Life chance and gender, this is due to different ideologies from feminine, functional and Gender ideology.
Aldridge, S (2004) suggests “Life chances refer to the opportunities open to individuals to better the quality of life of themselves and their families. Other dimensions include the absence of poverty and social inclusion”ppt3
Therefore this definition suggest that there are opportunities available for individuals and families to improve their lifestyles, and suggests that this is possible if there is no poverty, and for people to be socially inclusive.
Lindsey L (1990) cited in Marsh et al (2000) states
“Gender involves those social, cultural and psychological aspects linked to males and females through particular social context. What a given society defines as masculine or feminine is a component of Gender”pg2
Lindsey L (1990) also states
“Sex is considered in light of the biological aspects of a person, involving characteristics which differentiate females and males by chromosomal, anatomical, reproductive, hormonal and other physiological characteristics”
Clearly there are clear distinctions between sex and gender that can be separated, that is to say gender is shaped by social factors, and biological sex