Forward Countersign Gender with airSlate SignNow

Forward countersign gender

Why do some people think that drinking black coffee is manly, while ordering a pumpkin spice latte is “girly?” Don’t let them fool you. Pumpkin spice has no gender. Pumpkin spice is for everyone. The gendering of inanimate objects is a super-common practice, and it’s a good example of how societies create markers of gender that have nothing to do with anything biological. Gender, as you’ll recall, refers to the personal and social characteristics – but not the biological traits – that we associate with different sexes. That’s why sociologists say that gender is a social construct, something that we as a society create and enforce. Now, those social constructs may be totally made up, but their effects on how we interact with each other are very real. Indeed, gender influences how we organize all of society, and how we distribute power. Trust me: the identity-politics of your morning coffee are only the beginning. [Theme Music] When I say that gender affects the organization of society and the distribution of power, what I mean is that our society is largely stratified by gender. Gender stratification refers to the unequal distribution of wealth, power, and privilege across genders. Take, for example, the right to vote. Denying women the vote has been one way that many societies have kept political power in the hands of men. It was less than a century ago, in 1920, that women in the United States gained the right to vote. Saudi Arabia didn’t allow women to vote until the 2015 election. This kind of disenfranchisement is an example of patriarchy at work. Patriarchy is a form of social organization in which men have more power and dominate other genders. Matriarchal, or female dominated, societies exist, too. But most societies throughout human history have been patriarchies. And patriarchal societies are maintained through a careful cultivation of attitudes, behaviors, and systems that favor men and encourage society to believe that one gender is innately better than others. Also known as sexism. For example, little girls may sometimes be encouraged to be tomboys. But young boys are often shamed for liking toys that are considered stereotypically feminine, or even, say, the color pink. Societies often define, and celebrate, certain sets of characteristics as being masculine. Sociologist Raewyn Connell describes this process as ‘hegemonic masculinity’. Think of the type of guy who’s the lead of every action movie – tall, broad shouldered, strong, able-bodied, heterosexual, usually wealthy… probably named Chris – that’s hegemonic masculinity. But it goes beyond mere appearance. Hegemonic masculinities are linked to power within society, too. Fitting into the archetype of masculinity pays off in the form of societal approval. But ultimately, in a patriarchal society, all men share in patriarchal dividends. This is a fancy way of saying that there are benefits that accrue to men simply because they are men. But before we get too deep into what those benefits are, let’s take a step back and look at how different gender expectations are taught...