Although Americans tend to think of gender, work and family only in terms of private experience, these actually constitute three distinct but closely interconnected social systems which have profound impact on the life experiences of everyone. The course will examine the historical connections among these social institutions as well as the changes that have occurred and are occurring. May be applied to a major in Sociology and a minor in Gender Studies.
Examines the various ways in which gender is a basic component of social organization in contemporary and traditional societies (with an emphasis on American society) and the ways in which this aspect of society is currently undergoing change. The course will address a number of questions, including: What is the relationship between sex (biological maleness or femaleness) and gender (social definitions of masculinity and femininity)? What are the impacts of social construction of gender on the lives of individual women and men? In what ways are basic social institutions (the economy, polity, religion, education, etc.) "gendered?" How and why are the gender arrangements of societies changing?