Gender Roles Sociology

In the context of sociology, the term “institution” refers to socially constructed, interconnected arrangements that overarchingly control attitudes and behaviors in a society. Family, religion, and economics are social institutions we have discussed in this course. When discussing gender, it is important to talk about institutions, because gender identity and gender roles significantly influence individual interactions and experiences that occur within social institutions. Comprehensive analysis of gender, requires examination of how an individual’s gender affects the types of experiences encountered in institutional interactions. The role and experience a woman has within a family, religious group, or vocational setting will differ vastly

While both men and women gain value from marriage, men are reported to realize greater profitability (Kimmel 2017). Michael Kimmel shares that men are happier, have longer and healthier lives, have more and better sex, and earn more money than their unmarried counterparts (Kimmel 2017). Most likely, the advantages men experience in marriage comes partly from inequality in housework and childcare (Kimmel 2017). Women most often take care of the majority of household chores and child rearing responsibilities, leaving men greater freedom to pursue career goals by working longer hours as well as providing flexibility for work related travel (Kimmel 2017). Consequently, due to their wife’s contributions, men are more inclined to enjoy greater earning potential and less familial stress (Kimmel 2017). Furthermore, men are less prone to instigate divorce, and when divorce does occur they are more likely, than women, to remarry quickly (Kimmel 2017). This substantiates the view that men benefit more from marriage than do

Many times, teachers interact differently with male and female students. Male students tend to be asked more challenging questions and are subsequently given more time to answer than are their female cohorts. Behavioral expectations in the classroom differ between genders as well. Female students are expected to be quietly compliant and are believed to be more inclined toward literary subjects. Contrastingly, the acquiescent belief that “boys will be boys” and have a hard time focusing, frees male students from disciplinary repercussions. Simultaneously, boys are thought to be naturally disposed to excel in math and science. These informal influences drive home the message that there are real and important differences between genders, reinforcing inequitable gender roles, attitudes, and