Social Construction Of Gender Lorber Summary
According to Lorber, “For the individual, gender construction starts with assignment to a sex category on the basis of what the genitalia look like at birth.” (1993: 97) From that point, until puberty, children are socialized into their prescribed gender roles. However, Lorber tell us because there are separate activities socially constructed as feminine or masculine, the experiences associated with these activities would all contribute to the social construction of gender (1993).
The first evidentiary support Lorber uses to show gender is a socially constructed role, and not based on biological differences, is the fact that gender roles change. In the past taking care of the children was generally considered the female role in the family, …show more content…
however in many modern fathers are becoming the primary caregivers. Also a new societal development is schooling, now all women and all men can receive the same schooling, and can work at all the same jobs (1993). The fact that sex and gender are not the same, is another mode of support Lorber uses.
Gender is constructed through society, where as sex is defined by the type of genitalia, and therefore gender and sex are not equal. An example given to show gender is socially developed, is the comparison between western societies where there are only two genders, and other societies where there are three genders (1993).
Another support Lorber uses is the knowledge that gender shifts are a common occurrence in public roles. For example, “Queen Elizabeth the II bore children, but when she went to Saudi Arabia on a state visit, she was considered an honorary man so that she could confer and dine with the men who were heads of state that forbids unrelated men and women to have face-to-unveiled face contact.” (Lorber 1993: 100)
Just as Lorber examines gender identity as a socialization process, Lewis examines the socialization experiences of exotic dancers. In Lewis’ study of exotic dancers socialization process, he discovers two types of socialization dancers receive. These two socialization processes were both informal and, “(1) were anticipatory in nature, occurring prior to dancing; and/or (2) occurred on-the-job, once they were employed to dance in a strip club.” (Lewis 1998: 130) Anticipatory socialization, in this case, would be any research about dancing that was done before actual employment at a strip club. On-the-job socialization, on the other hand, would be dancers who are
already employed at a strip club and are learning form experience and help for other more experienced dancers (Lewis 1998).
The main limitation that Lewis addresses is the absence of formally structured socialization programs, which are offered for most other more conventional occupations. Because of this lack of socialization programs, many of the dancers interviewed stated they were inadequately prepared for the realities of a stripper’s lifestyle (Lewis 1998).
The first evidentiary support Lorber uses to show gender is a socially constructed role, and not based on biological differences, is the fact that gender roles change. In the past taking care of the children was generally considered the female role in the family, …show more content…
however in many modern fathers are becoming the primary caregivers. Also a new societal development is schooling, now all women and all men can receive the same schooling, and can work at all the same jobs (1993). The fact that sex and gender are not the same, is another mode of support Lorber uses.
Gender is constructed through society, where as sex is defined by the type of genitalia, and therefore gender and sex are not equal. An example given to show gender is socially developed, is the comparison between western societies where there are only two genders, and other societies where there are three genders (1993).
Another support Lorber uses is the knowledge that gender shifts are a common occurrence in public roles. For example, “Queen Elizabeth the II bore children, but when she went to Saudi Arabia on a state visit, she was considered an honorary man so that she could confer and dine with the men who were heads of state that forbids unrelated men and women to have face-to-unveiled face contact.” (Lorber 1993: 100)
Just as Lorber examines gender identity as a socialization process, Lewis examines the socialization experiences of exotic dancers. In Lewis’ study of exotic dancers socialization process, he discovers two types of socialization dancers receive. These two socialization processes were both informal and, “(1) were anticipatory in nature, occurring prior to dancing; and/or (2) occurred on-the-job, once they were employed to dance in a strip club.” (Lewis 1998: 130) Anticipatory socialization, in this case, would be any research about dancing that was done before actual employment at a strip club. On-the-job socialization, on the other hand, would be dancers who are
already employed at a strip club and are learning form experience and help for other more experienced dancers (Lewis 1998).
The main limitation that Lewis addresses is the absence of formally structured socialization programs, which are offered for most other more conventional occupations. Because of this lack of socialization programs, many of the dancers interviewed stated they were inadequately prepared for the realities of a stripper’s lifestyle (Lewis 1998).