Lesson 1: Sociological Constructs and Theories Introduction to Women’s Studies Robert Wonser

Lesson 1: Sociological Constructs and Theories

Introduction to Women’s StudiesRobert Wonser


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Sociological Imagination

C Wright Mills’ term for the ability to shift your perspective from one that emphasizes the experiences of the individual to one that understands the broader social context in which that individual lives.

It is an awareness that we are a part of something larger than ourselves and that our position and personal problems are rooted in the larger workings of society.

Personal troubles versus public issues


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Using the Sociological Perspective In small groups: How would you explain the following social

problems using the sociological imagination? Obesity Homelessness/Poverty Unemployment Marriage The metropolis War


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Structural Functionalism

Society is viewed as an ordered system of interrelated parts, or structures, which are the different large-scale social institutions that make up society (family, education, politics, the economy).

Each of these different parts of society meets the needs of society by performing specific functions for the whole system (society).


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Functionalists on Gender Believe that there are social roles better

suited to one gender than the other, and that societies are more stable when certain tasks are fulfilled by the appropriate sex.


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Conflict Theory

Conflict Theory sees social conflict as the basis of society and social change, and emphasizes a materialist view of society, a critical view of the status quo, and a dynamic model of historical change, emerged from the writings of Marx.


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Conflict Theorists

Power is a key variable for conflict theorists.Believe men have historically had access to

most of society’s material resources and privileges.

Therefore, it is in their interest to try to maintain their dominant position.


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Symbolic Interactionism

Symbolic Interactionism sees interaction and meaning as central to society and assumes that meanings are not inherent but are created through interaction. Society is symbolic interaction.

We create reality through our interactions with one another and through shared meanings made possible through language


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Symbolic Interactionism

Symbolic Interactionists emphasize how the concept of gender is socially constructed, maintained, and reproduced in our everyday lives.


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Feminist Theory

Feminist Theory looks at gender inequalities in society and the way that gender structures the social world.

Standpoint the idea that a person’s location in the social world impacts how they see, understand and interact in the social world.


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Research Methods

Two types used: Qualitative – used for data that cannot be

easily converted into numbers, yields greater validity but lower reliability, exposes populations not easily discovered

Quantitative – data that can easily be converted into numbers, representative, greater reliability but lower validity


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Quantitative Research Methods

Surveys are questionnaires that are administered to a sample of respondents selected from a target population.

Survey research tends to look at large-scale social patterns and employs statistics and other mathematical means of analysis.

Most commonly used research method in sociology!


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Quantitative Research Methods

Experiments are formal tests of specific variables and effects that are performed in a controlled setting where all aspects of the situation can be controlled.

Used to demonstrate cause and effect Least commonly used method in sociology


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Qualitative Research Methods

Ethnography a naturalistic method based on studying people in their own environment in order to understand the meanings they attribute to their activities.

In participant observation the researcher both observes and becomes a member in a social setting.


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Qualitative Research Methods

Historical/Comparative Comparing one society to another Looking at historical trends over time


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Female Baby Names (1880 - 2010)


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Names that have gained the most popularity, 2004 – 2010

...Or, the names I’ll begin seeing all the time in 2022-2028


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Sociological Understandings

To understand something sociologically is not easy.

It requires a conscious effort to ‘see things differently’

It requires you to look beyond your immediate self and your experiences.

It requires you to look at society and the big picture instead of only your life experiences. Why is this necessary?


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It’s easy to pick out individual experiences that contradict the majority of cases…

This does not undermine the larger point.

For example: as a group males are taller than females, even though there are individual females taller than individual males.


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Matriarchy

Matriarchy – when society (or any social group or institution) is dominated by women.

Is the U.S. a matriarchal society?


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Patriarchy

Patriarchy – when society (or any social group or institution) is dominated by men.

Is the U.S. a patriarchal society?


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Historical and Philosophical Roots of Women's Studies Like most social change, women’s rights

were achieved (and continue to be) through collective action (this includes organized social movements as well).

These movements have been classified into ‘waves’


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Feminism and the Women’s Movement Who considers themselves to be a feminist? Do you know what feminism is? Feminism is the belief in the social, political,

and economic equality of the sexes and the social movements organized around that belief.

In the United States, the history of the women’s movement can be divided into three historical waves.


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The Women’s Movement (cont’d)

The first wave was the earliest period of feminist activism and included the period from the mid-nineteenth century until American women won the right to vote in 1920. The campaign organized around gaining voting rights for women was called the suffrage movement.


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The second wave was the period of feminist activity during the 1960s and 1970s often associated with the issues of women’s equal access to employment and education.


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The third wave is the most recent period of feminist activity and focuses on issues of diversity and the variety of identities that women can possess.

Looks at (or attempts to) all women accounting for race/ethnicity, class, sexuality differences noting that not all women benefit/are harmed in the same manner.


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Cultural Backlash

Why did so few of you consider yourselves ‘feminist’?

One area of backlash manifested in the men’s movement, called male liberationism, was a movement that originated in the 1970s to discuss the challenges of masculinity.


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The Men’s Movement

Although originally broadly sympathetic with feminism, the men’s movement has now split into:

The men’s rights movement, a group that feels that feminism creates disadvantages for men

The pro-feminist men’s movement, a group that feels that sexism harms both men and women and wants to fundamentally change society’s ideas about gender.

Documents

Lesson 1: Sociological Constructs and Theories Introduction to Women’s Studies Robert Wonser